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A rendering of the roughly $35 million, 15-story mixed-use project that would replace the former Paisan's restaurant building, as seen from John Nolen Drive.

A developer hopes to begin demolishing the closed, 12-story Downtown building that housed Paisan's restaurant in October and start construction next summer on a roughly $35 million, 15-story housing and commercial project to replace it.

Wilson Street Redevelopment hopes to begin tearing down the compromised 1971 building at 131 W. Wilson St. in early October -- a process that will take about eight months -- and start building the new structure with 263 apartments, commercial space including coffee shop and bakery, and underground parking in June or July. It could open in the first or second quarter of 2025.

The new building, to be called "The Moment," would offer an array of housing units sizes, from "micro-units" to three bedrooms, with top-floor penthouse units offering special finishes and large balconies. It would provide a host of amenities including second-floor outdoor pool and hot tub, movie theater room, golf simulator, sauna, fitness center, bar area and community game room.

"This is going to be one of the best apartment buildings in the city," said Terrence Wall, manager for Wilson Street Redevelopment.

Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, said he's "generally comfortable" with the direction of the proposal and progression of the design, as well as the use.

"The proposed development has to be beautifully designed on all sides given its significant prominence as part of the Downtown skyline," Verveer said. "The design has to be excellent, period."

The development team made a presentation to a Capitol Neighborhoods, Inc. steering committee on Wednesday evening and heard concerns about design, affordability, traffic, and other issues. Wilson Street Redevelopment expects to submit initial land use plans to the city this week.

The coming demolition will end a long saga at 131 W. Wilson St.

In late June, after eight months of disagreement over the condition of the building, the city's Plan Commission unanimously approved a demolition permit for the structure. Wall hopes to close on the property soon, secure the permit and begin a roughly $4 million deconstruction in early October.

Wilson Street Redevelopment expects to close on the purchase of the former Paisan's restaurant building at 131 W. Wilson St. and begin a deconstruction of the structure in October.

"We're going to take it down floor by floor," he said. Imploding the structure, while quicker and likely less expensive, "is too messy," he said. "It would create too much dust in the neighborhood and for the lake."

As soon as Wilson Street Redevelopment secures the property, it intends to secure the perimeter of the site. "Safety is paramount for us," Wall said. 

Before a first building closure in September 2021, the current owner, Executive Management, was provided evidence and a report from Pierce Engineers that outlined dangerous and deteriorating conditions of the structure. At the same time, Building Inspection raised similar concerns.

Then, tenants reported feeling swaying and shaking inside the building, which prompted Building Inspection to close it and the owner to have its engineer design a temporary shoring system to stabilize the structure's underground parking garage. Another firm, Stone Mountain Access, installed the system of 3,200 posts and were to inspect it every two weeks while Pierce was to do quarterly inspections of the building and Building Inspection was to oversee the monitoring and maintenance of the full structure.

The building reopened in October but was closed again in December after the owners failed to provide documentation of ongoing monitoring of the temporary shoring system. The building was again reopened in January after required inspections and reports were completed.

On June 3, Executive Management and other owners of the building were found in contempt by a Dane County judge for again failing to perform inspections. They were ordered to have the shoring system inspected and to produce a report by noon June 6 or pay $1,000 per day until the inspection is done.

On June 6, for the third time since September, the city ordered the building closed after the owner failed to comply with city inspection requirements. City building inspector Matt Tucker said he believes the inspections have not been resumed under the current owner.

Paisan's is now removing equipment from the building but is still in litigation with Executive Management, said Ed Shinnick, co-owner of the restaurant and its sister establishment, Porta Bella, 425 N. Frances St. Paisan's is still exploring other locations, including at the Ovation 309 mixed-use building at 313 W. Johnson St., he said.

Executive Management president Greg Rice could not be reached.

When Wilson street Redevelopment takes control of the property, Wall said it intends to proceed with city inspection requirements until the structure is razed. Before demolition, Habitat for Humanity and other nonprofits will have an opportunity to salvage materials from the structure, he said.

"There's an opportunity to recycle a lot of stuff," he said.

The demolition should be complete by June or July and construction would begin shortly after, Wall said.

"I'm relieved we are finally turning the page on the very unfortunate saga of 131 West Wilson Street and starting with a fresh slate there," Verveer said. "So many people were tragically and adversely impacted because of carelessness and negligence of the current owners." 

The 15-story building would include a combination of champagne and bronze colored metal panel, faux wood panel and glass.

But the neighborhood steering committee isn't certain the design rises to the level of distinction for its highly visible site, chairman Ron Luskin said.

The project would include seven types of housing units with discussions continuing with the city on whether tax incremental financing (TIF) support might be available to create some lower-cost units, Wall said. Regardless, 32 micro units and 75 studios, the latter with walled off bedrooms, would be more affordable due to their smaller size, he said.

Both Verveer and the steering committee said it's important for developments to commit to some small portion of lower-cost units for those seeking to live and work in the service sector Downtown. 

The building would also include a patio and pool with seating, patio grilling and dining areas, co-working lounge with private rooms, catering kitchen and dining room, a two-story lobby with large package story and refrigerated storage for grocery delivery, and pet wash area and exterior dog run.

The roughly 6,800 square feet of commercial space would include the cafe/bakery on the first floor and offices space on the second floor.

The cafe would be an amenity for the West Wilson Street corridor, which is transitioning from offices to housing, Wall said.

The structure would provide 251 parking stalls on multiple levels, with an initial 10% of the spaces equipped with electric vehicle charges and 100% of the spaces equipped that way in the future, and charging stations for bikes and scooters, he said.

The steering committee, however, is concerned about traffic-related issues in the changing corridor, wants the pedestrian interaction to the building to be positive and uplifting, and wants the project to be solar powered right away, not at some future date, Luskin said. 

Verveer expects to schedule an online neighborhood meeting in October.

A customer selects a tomato at the Canopy Gardens booth during the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square in Madison, Wis., Saturday, April 16, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL

A customer samples cranberry chipotle chutney from Savory Accents at the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square in Madison, Wis., Saturday, April 16, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL

Ted Ballweg, left, of Savory Accents near Verona, talks with a customer at his stand that specializes in products made with organic hot peppers. Ballweg has been selling at the Dane County Farmers' Market since 1984.

Mark Olson reaches for an order of cinnamon sticks at his Renaissance Farm stand at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Olson, of Spring Green, is helping organize a little red wagon project and is recruiting 50 artists to take part in the effort that will be similar to the CowParade and Bucky on Parade.

A customer selects a basket of tomatoes from Don's Produce at the Dane County Farmers' Market. The tomatoes and cucumbers are grown in a hydroponic greenhouse near Arena by Don Uselman, who has been a vendor for 45 years. The potatoes were harvested last fall and stored over the winter.

The Koch family, from left, Eric, Soren and Mandy walk through the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square in Madison, Wis., Saturday, April 16, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL

Despite chilly temperatures, thousands came out Saturday for the season's first outdoor Dane County Farmers' Market on Capitol Square. It's the first April on the Square for the market since 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced officials to move the market to a more spread-out area at the Alliant Energy Center in 2020 and for part of 2021 before returning to the Square in June.

Garden plants from the Flower Factory were among the Wisconsin-produced items at the Dane County Farmers' Market on Saturday. Of the 230 members of the market, 49 vendors turned out, but that number will grow as the weather warms, market officials said. 

A colorful variety of tomatoes and cucumbers are displayed at the Canopy Gardens stand at the Dane County Farmers Market on Saturday.

Sandra Schroerlucke selects a bag of greens from Don's Produce at the Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square in Madison, Wis., Saturday, April 16, 2022. KAYLA WOLF, STATE JOURNAL

Renae Marsh of Canopy Gardens adds more tomatoes to a display at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Her family farm, which uses a ¾-acre greenhouse to grow tomatoes 11 months of the year, is located near Antigo, 162 miles north of Madison.

A hip crowd walks the Capitol Square in October 1975 for the Dane County Farmers' Market.

At the 1974 Dane County County Farmers' Market, Robert Mendenhall, left, and Tom Mendenhall came from Plainfield to sell cantaloupe.

One of the handful of vendors to show up for the inaugural Dane County Farmers' Market on Sept. 30, 1972, was a farmer from Black Earth who sold seven cases of honey. "I never dreamed we'd sell anywhere as much as we did today," owner Wesley Rolfs told the Wisconsin State Journal. 

DANE COUNTY FARMERS' MARKET 1993 (Published on Nov 7 1993) Melody Webster, Madison, selects a peacock feather Saturday as snow flies at the Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square.

DANE COUNTY FARMERS' MARKET 1975 (Published on 6/14/1975) Visitors to the Farmers' Market this morning gathered around the stand of Richard Salzman, of Fall River, who was one of many area farmers on the Square to sell their products. Salzman has a wide array of vegetables to sell.

The Wisconsin State Journal's Oct. 1, 1972, story about the first Dane County Farmers' Market, which was held on Sept. 30.

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Dean Mosiman covers Madison city government for the Wisconsin State Journal.

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The preliminary proposal calls for 240 to 260 apartments, retail space, offices, resident amenities including a deck top pool, and underground parking for the project at 131 W. Wilson St.

A rendering of the roughly $35 million, 15-story mixed-use project that would replace the former Paisan's restaurant building, as seen from John Nolen Drive.

Wilson Street Redevelopment expects to close on the purchase of the former Paisan's restaurant building at 131 W. Wilson St. and begin a deconstruction of the structure in October.

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