PROJECT UPDATES

  • City of Madison Committed to Food Access for South Madison Residents
  • — Avoiding a grocery gap in South Madison is of paramount importance to the City of Madison and to ensure this, construction and open must happen on an aggressive timeline.
  • — To avoid a grocery gap, the developer (Rule Enterprises and Movin’ Out, Inc.) must close on their financing in 2021.
  • — The developer’s lenders require Luna’s Groceries to have financing in place for the grocery store space ($4.6m) and the build out to convert the shell into a grocery store ($4.3m), collectively $8.9m.
  • — The City is proposing to financially aid this timing gap, so that construction can commence, and the grocer can finalize their financing and ultimately occupy the commercial space.
  • — This approach allows the grocer to close on the developer-constructed grocery shell and commence build out in 2022.
  • — The City providing $4.6m to fund the close of the development deal allows the grocery store to be constructed and opened on time, mitigating a grocery gap for residents and providing much needed affordable housing units in South Madison.
  • Food access is a public good that has been prioritized by the City in the past and the proposed path of action for the Truman Olson grocery is right in line with that objective.
  • Proposed Timeline:
  • — Developer to close on their financing in 2021
  • — City to purchase grocery store space in 2021
  • — Grocer to finalize financing and ultimately occupy the commercial space in 2022
  • — Grocer to complete build out of grocery store in 2022

Check out the Madison.com article for more information about the City’s commitment to food access for South Madison Residents: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/madison-may-spend-4-7-million-for-grocery-condo-space-in-south-side-project/article_b8584414-859e-52dd-a71e-fdcf438bdb93.html

Project Schedule (including City-facilitated meetings):

  • Steering Committee Meeting #1 – 6/15/20
  • Neighborhood Meeting #1 – 6/25/20
  • Steering Committee Meeting #2 – 7/15/20
  • Neighborhood Meeting #2 – 7/30/20
  • Steering Committee Meeting #3 – 8/18/20
  • Cedar Street Neighborhood Meeting – 8/20/20 (City-facilitated)
  • Community Survey closes – 8/21/21
  • Cedar Street at Transportation Commission – 8/26/20 (City-facilitated)
  • Neighborhood Meeting #3 – 8/27/20
  • Steering Committee Meeting #4 – 9/14/20
  • Neighborhood Meeting #4 – 9/30/20
  • Urban Design Commission (UDC) Informational Meeting – 10/7/20
  • Urban Design Commission (UDC) Initial Meeting – 12/2/20
  • Plan Commission Meeting – 1/11/21
  • Urban Design Commission (UDC) Final Meeting – 1/13/21
  • PROJECT CONDITIONALLY APPROVED 1/13/21

Development Team:

Rule Enterprises, LLC – Co-Developer

Rule Enterprises specializes in strategic investing, and uses property development as a primary driver. Everything Rule Enterprises does is rooted in equity, equality, and dignity. Mission of solving problems that no one else may know exists all while creating high-caliber, distinctive development projects.

Rule Enterprises has a profound ability to study the cultural context within a particular neighborhood and incorporate those findings into an innovative, functional design.

  • Brandon Rule – President

Movin’ Out, Inc. – Co-Developer

Movin’ Out works with individuals and families to achieve long-term housing success, bringing people and housing solutions together in ways that help create inclusive communities. Movin’ Out develops new multi-family housing with most units affordable for low- to moderate-income households. Typically about 25% of the units are designed to be both the most affordable and the most accessible, affirmatively marketed to households that include members who qualify for long-term care due to their disabilities.

Movin’ Out approaches all work with attention to the ecological, social, and economic impacts of future development. As a proven non-profit housing developer, Movin’ Out has many decades of combined experience partnering with developers and working independently to build multi-family housing. To date, Movin’ Out has helped create more than 1,000 units of affordable rental housing in communities throughout Wisconsin.

  • Megan Schuetz – Real Estate Developer
  • Kathryne Auerback – Executive Director

Arc-Int Architecture – Architect

  • Edward Haydin – Managing Partner
  • Ryan Thacker – Partner

Urban Assets – Neighborhood & City Approvals

  • Melissa Huggins – Principal Planner
  • Marcus Pearson – Associate Planner

Development Process Overview:

Frequently Asked Questions & Comments:

  • Question: Will this grocery store have the same things as Pick N Save, a variety of foods at affordable prices?
  • Answer: The commitment from the development team is to provide a full-service grocery store. We will use research, including the community survey, to find out what the neighborhood needs. Customers will find typical items found at similar grocery stores around town.
  • Question: How much parking will be available for specifically for grocery store customers
  • Answer: We are committed to providing 60 covered parking stalls, which not only falls within zoning requirements, but the number of stalls Luna’s has expressed needing.
  • Question: Will the store be handicapped accessible?
  • Answer: Yes, the entire building will be accessible: grocery and residential units. Movin’ Out will go beyond the threshold for accessibility to make it accessible for all. Additionally, the development team is working with an accessibility consultant to identify areas accessibility can be improved in.
  • Question: How does the proposed square footage of the future store compare to the current Pick N Save?
  • Answer: The future store will be 24,000 square feet, which is close to the current Pick and Save. However, the new store will have a more efficient layout. Our space will actually feel larger.
  • Question: Will these be rental units or condos to purchase, or a mix?
  • Answer: There will be a total of 150 rental units, all of which will be affordable, utilizing tax credit financing.
  • Question: Will the grocery store include community space, or space to sit and eat?
  • Answer: The grocery store will include community space that can be rented for neighborhood events/meetings. Luna’s also plans to have a seating area for grocery store customers.
  • Question: What will be the targeted income range for future residents?
  • Answer: The development will include affordable housing units from 30% – 80% area median income (AMI)