| CRBJ Charter Member: |
|
|
| CRBJ Home > August 2006 | ||||||
Project sparks hope for Allied DriveMike Jones
But Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and other city officials have not given up; they are planning to spend $4.35 million on a property once owned by developer Troy Hauk that fell into receivership. They hope the investment can help turn things around in the troubled neighborhood just south of the Beltline off Verona Road. But how exactly can the city save Allied Drive? According to Chad Obright, development manager for Ellefson Co., which has also developed affordable housing in the neighborhood, the dreams of a better Allied must be tempered by reality. And the reality is that Allied is isolated by its location as well as its social and economic woes. "It's not an ideal location to get to," Obright said. "It's tucked in by the hillside and cut off by (Verona) Road." So even if the government is aiding the investment, it's a giant risk for anyone willing to open a business there; however, what may appear to be a roadblock toward progress might be the very thing Allied requires. Perhaps what Allied Drive needs most is an investor or group of investors from the neighborhood, who are involved not only in terms of monetary investment, but also emotional investment in the neighborhood's economy. Certainly, Hauk was not the first person to buy Allied property in the hope of having a success there only to have it fail, so why does the city believe things will be different this time? For starters, officials are going to work with the residents instead of merely for them. A series of planning meetings were scheduled over the summer at the Boys & Girls Club Allied Family Center between the city, designers and residents to determine what to do with the property. "One of the overall goals is sustaining the community," said mayoral spokesman George Twigg. "The employment and jobs aspect needs to be there." Added Boys & Girls Club Chief Professional Officer Marcia Hendrickson, "All the social programs in the world won't help unless the jobs are there." One way to accomplish this could be a community-owned business like a grocery co-op. Currently, to get to the nearest grocery store, Cub Foods, residents have to cross the busy Verona Road intersection. Community investment would increase the business' chances of success. Big box development seems unlikely. "The density, traffic pattern and income suggest to me that big box would stay away from Allied," said Ald. Ken Golden, District 10. "The best option is for some of the business to be operated by people who live in or lived in the neighborhood," he said. Obright agreed. "There needs to be a comfort level and a connection between the residents and the developer (owner)." According to Twigg, the project is still in the preliminary stages, with no firm plan to be set until after they meet with neighborhood residents. In the meantime, the focus will be on the current residents. Hendrickson and the Boys & Girls Club are starting the rebirth of Allied by working with children and helping people develop job skills. Will the city's $4.35 million investment breed success? We don't know. But for now, it has bred something else: hope. Mike Jones is a Madison freelance writer. Jonesy9872@gmail.com madison.com ©2009 Capital Newspapers. All rights reserved. |
|
|||||
