Elizabeth Cwik and Dave Danforth
Levitan: 'It makes the debate more real.'
Stu Levitan, chairman of the Landmarks Commission, will present an alternate vision for the 100 block of State Street to Madison's Plan Commission Monday evening.
The rendering was produced by illustrator Dave Danforth in cooperation with architect Elizabeth Cwik, who is active with the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation. The Trust supports Levitan's vision and had been working on a similar idea.
Levitan's vision saves the historic Castle & Doyle building, as well as the landmark Schubert building, 120 W. Mifflin St., and the Fairchild/Stark building at the corner of Mifflin and Fairchild streets. However, he sacrifices the Buell building at 121-123 State St. (currently Eye Contact) and the Haswell building at 117-119 State St. (formerly Frida restaurant).
The controversial plaza space, currently proposed for the corner of Mifflin and Fairchild Streets, would be moved to the center of the block.
Last week, Levitan told Isthmus that he wanted the Plan Commission to see an alternative to what Jerome Frautschi and Pleasant Rowland have proposed, which would demolish five buildings on the block, including the Schubert.
"If you put this vision up against their vision... one saves the Fairchild building, one doesn't. It makes the debate more real," Levitan said. "We could accomplish the things the developers want without demolishing the Fairchild building."
