📝 Cop acquitted in Wilson shooting

🚧 What’s Next for the 400 Block of State?

• The city’s Plan Commission has once again denied demolition plans for three buildings along the 400 block of State Street. The buildings used to house B-Side Records, Freedom Skate Shop, and Sencha Tea Bar, all of which have found new storefronts on State Street.
• Local developer JD McCormick sought to tear down the buildings at 428-444 State Street and build a six-story, 26-unit apartment building, with first-floor retail space. McCormick had already presented this plan to the commission in 2023 and was ultimately denied.
• What changed in the new proposal? Well, nothing. The city expressed worry about the proposal’s height and chastised the developers for letting the buildings fall into disrepair, while the landlord blamed their previous tenants for the problems. The developers are considering legal action. In the meantime, all of the buildings remain unoccupied by commercial tenants. [Cap Times]

🌳 Crafting a Vision for Madison’s Parks and Open Spaces

• The city is hosting a series of events to gather public input as the Parks Division is updating its Parks and Open Space Plan. The purpose of the plan is to inform public park policies and facility decisions.
• There will be four events throughout April and May. The first one is April 4 at Vel Phillips Memorial High School. You can see all the other dates and details here. [City of Madison]

⚖️ State Agent Acquitted in Quadren Wilson Case

• A Dane County Jury found State Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mark Wagner not guilty of second-degree recklessly endangering safety. Wagner was charged following the high-profile February 2022 shooting of Quadren Wilson during Wilson’s arrest.
• Wagner said he thought Wilson had a gun during the attempted arrest, leading him to fire twice at Wilson and prompting another agent to shoot as well. Wilson was struck in the back by bullet fragments from the other agent. Wilson was unarmed. [Wisconsin State Journal]

⬆️ Last Week’s Answer

Last week I asked you where you can find this train in Madison. Our city may not have passenger rail (yet….), but we do have a piece of rail history downtown. This train sits outside the site of the historic Milwaukee Road Depot at 640 W. Washington Ave.

The site is now home to Bandit Tacos & Coffee and Motorless Motion (MoMo) Bicycles. Nearby is a rising star on the Madison dining scene, Harvey House. But from 1885 to 1996, the site was home to a hotel that bore many names in its lifetime but gained prominence as Hotel Washington, a community hub for the Midwest’s LBTQ+ community and home to Club de Wash, a music venue. Sadly, the hotel burned down in 1996.

🎉This week’s shout out goes to Bev H. for being the first to guess correctly!!

⬇️ This Week’s Clues

Where is this mural? Here are some hints.

• It’s in a park named for an activist who passed away in 1982.
• In 2010, the park underwent a $1.1 million renovation that brought a performance area, chess boards, and a small water fountain for summer months.

Why This Madison Bar Went All In On Cheese

Jacob Guyette is no stranger to Madison’s restaurant scene, having worked as a chef at Graze, L’Etoile and other fine dining spots. So what made him want to open his own classic Wisconsin tavern, and focus on some of the finest cheeses around?