State progressing on joint history, veterans museum

MADISON — After a decade of anticipation, the state is moving forward to develop a $75 million joint Wisconsin Historical and Veterans museum that could be part of a larger private project with private offices, retail space and parking in Downtown Madison.

No site has been selected, but the state has studied the current Historical Museum property on Capitol Square coupled with private holdings behind it at the corner of North Fairchild and West Mifflin streets.

The development could provide 200,000 square feet of space for the museums, state documents say.

State Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch has convened a task force of community leaders, interested parties and experts - including Mayor Paul Soglin - to explore sites, financing and other issues. The task force had an initial meeting on Jan. 23 and will meet through the year.

"It's a project that has been discussed for years," DOA spokesperson Jocelyn Webster said. "It's time to move forward with it. The Walker administration is taking this very seriously."

The task force is expected to spend the year formulating advisory recommendations, Webster said.

"I think this is really exciting. It's going to present a tremendous opportunity for our Downtown. It's going to add to the vibrance and vitality," Soglin said. "And it's going to be a total challenge."

The project will likely trigger debate over density, historic buildings and parking, Soglin said, adding, "I welcome it."

In 2001, $131 million in state borrowing and gifts was budgeted for a Wisconsin History Center, but the project didn't move forward and most budgeted money was rescinded, state documents say. But planning resumed in 2007 and the state thus far has released $1.8 million for preliminary planning, the documents say.

The new state budget includes $10 million for the project in the 2011-13 biennium and $65 million in 2015-17, Webster said.

It's unclear if $75 million would cover the cost of the new museums. Private offices, retail and parking could add tens of thousands of square feet of space and tens of millions of value to the overall redevelopment.

Hovde site eyed

Although a site hasn't been selected, state and Hovde Property officials have long eyed the L-shaped part of the block that fronts the Square and hosts the Historical Society museum and several Hovde-owned properties behind the museum.

"We're excited about the potential redevelopment of the site," said Mike Slavish, president of Hovde Properties, which owns four of five properties behind the museum but not the Silver Dollar Tavern. "This would be a great use for the corner and complementary to Overture Center, the new library and the potential redevelopment of the 100 block of State Street."

Hovde's Churchill Building and two properties owned by attorney Fred Mohs, which face the Square on North Carroll Street, could be part of a private, second phase of redevelopment, Slavish said.

At the initial task force meeting, the state shared preliminary concept renderings for the state-Hovde site showing a high-density, mixed use project, said city Planning and Community and Economic Development Director Steve Cover, who attended for Soglin because the mayor was out of town.

But Webster cautioned the process is only beginning.

The Historical Museum has occupied its current 39,000-square-foot building, a converted hardware store, for 25 years.

The Historical Society needs to triple its space for permanent and changing exhibits, and also requires a building with higher ceilings, bigger elevators, and a separate entrance for school groups, said Alicia Goehring, director of special projects.

"The existing space is very inadequate for telling the story of the state," she said.

The Veterans Museum has occupied its 32,000-square-foot building, once a department store, since 1993.

The museum also needs to triple its exhibit space, director Michael Telzrow said. "We've simply run out of room," he said.

A preliminary schedule shows construction starting in 2016.

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State progressing on joint history, veterans museum