Monday, September 16, 2024
The New London Economic Committee approved the city submitting a Community Design and Planning application to the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture at UW-Madison for a downtown placemaking project.
The approval for submitting the application came at the committee’s July 30 meeting. The area of the city that would be concentrated on for the project if the city is chosen, would be city property along West Wolf River Avenue. A new beer garden has also been proposed for part of that area.
Ginger Sowle, director of Parks and Recreation, said graduate students can do a two-semester project that includes working with municipalities. The first part of the semester would be research and analysis.
“They come to New London, they talk to us about our vision, look at the site, they do the research needed to go along with a project like this one,” Sowle said. “And then they go ahead and then in the second semester they do a vision framework plan and site design.”
She said the work involved would be similar to the work that would be done if the city hired an engineer.
“But it’s a very limited cost because it’s a student’s project,” Sowle said.
Once the information is assembled by the student, Sowle said the city would need to hire a licensed engineer.
“The final documents and drawings are a vision and concept design,” Sowle said.
The cost to the city for a UW-Madison student to work on this project would include covering the costs the student incurs while visiting New London to obtain information for the project. She said that typically amounts to $500-$1,500.
Sowle said the UW-Madison professor involved with the program thought this would be a good opportunity for the city.
“I think it would be a really great opportunity to take a look at that site,” Sowle said.
Hoerth said the city has funds in its Economic Development budget that have already been approved by the New London Common Council for consultants for projects like this one.
Hoerth told the committee applying for the program does not mean the city will by chosen to be part of the program.
“This would be a really cool opportunity to work with some university students, working on graduate projects, get some ideas, work in collaboration with what Kim’s (Chonos, who has proposed a new beer garden) project is, and see what the overall area could look like,” Hoerth said.
He added it would cost “quite a bit more” if the city were to hire a consulting firm to do the work, adding that professionals may need to be hired in the future if the city were to proceeds with any of the ideas.
