🏗️ 16-story student housing proposed downtown

👷 More High-Rise Student Housing Proposed Downtown

• Another high-rise apartment building for UW-Madison students may be coming, as a Georgia developer is proposing to build a 16-story project near the corner of State and Gilman streets.
• Landmark Properties told city officials at an Urban Design Commission meeting last week that the project would have 261 apartments, ranging from studios to five bedrooms, with retail space on the first floor, a rooftop pool, and parking.
• It would be built next to the 12-story The James, and require the demolition of several buildings on the 400 block of Gilman Street, including Fugu Asian Fusion and the 110-year-old Stratford Atrium Apartments. [ 🔒 WSJ]

🧁 Gigi’s Cupcakes Closing, Jinx Coffee Coming to Sun Prairie

• Hilldale shoppers with a sweet tooth have less than a week to get a red velvet cupcake at Gigi’s Cupcakes. The owners of the Madison location announced on social media that they were not renewing their lease with Hilldale and would be closing Sept. 14 after 15 years in business.
• Meanwhile, the owners of Jinx Coffee, the University Avenue coffee truck, also took to social media to announce they are opening a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Sun Prairie. The owners estimate to open for business in November. [Instagram]

🚨 Police Monitor Criticized For Lack of Transparency

• Madison’s independent police monitor, Robin Copley, has lagged for months on releasing public records to the media, and ignored attempts by the city attorney’s office to intervene.
• Reporters from the Wisconsin State Journal and Isthmus asked in early May for communications between the monitor’s office and the Madison Police Department. Copley never responded, despite state law requiring that public documents be released “as soon as practicable and without delay.”
• 🎧 Dig deeper: After Isthmus reporter Liam Beran wrote a story about the records on Aug. 28, Copley’s office finally released the records. On the City Cast Madison podcast, Beran talks to host Bianca Martin about the months-long saga and what comes next. [Isthmus, 🎧 City Cast Madison]

Ever since I moved to Madison over a quarter-century ago, I heard legends and lore about The House on the Rock out in Iowa County near Spring Green. I heard that it was huge, eccentric, and that it was fascinating and disturbing in equal measure. I heard that I would not be able to get the sound of circus music out of my head for days afterwards.

While the City Cast Madison team went to The House of the Rock back in 2023, last week it was my turn to go for the first time. This is my best effort to describe what I saw there. It’s hilarious, it’s disturbing, it’s unforgettable. But the one thing that everybody told me is true. You have to see it to believe it.

What and Where Is The House on the Rock?

House on the Rock is a sprawling estate built on Deer Shelter Rock, located about an hour west of Madison on Highway 23. Basically, head to American Players Theatre, but then keep going on Highway 23 another six miles until you see the giant flowerpots flanking the entrance.

The breathtaking natural beauty of the location is balanced by the sheer eccentricity of what’s inside the house, which is dozens of rooms and passages crammed with all kinds of oddities.

Who Built This Place?

Alex Jordan was a Madison man who developed a fascination with both construction and electronic gadgets. On a family trip to Deer Shelter Rock as a child, he imagined building his dream house on the site.

He started building House on the Rock in the 1940s, and reportedly started charging curious onlookers 50 cents to visit, thinking it would drive them away. Instead, House on the Rock grew to become one of Wisconsin’s strangest and most popular tourist attractions.

What’s There To See?

You could spend a week at The House on the Rock and not see every little wind-up gimcrack, antique doll, or other curiosity. But here’s a few of the highlights you can’t miss. Buckle up, it’s about to get weird:

Infinity Room

This architectural marvel is a narrow, disorienting glass-covered room that extends over 200 feet out over the valley. We weren’t allowed to head out all the way to the very tip, but given that the room moves up and down about six inches, that was more than enough.

The Carousel

This massive merry-go-round features 269 animals (including disturbing animal-human hybrids) whizzing around underneath 10,000 lights and 182 chandeliers as circus music plays loudly. There’s also a pair of “doll carousels” in another room that are even more unsettling.

Heritage of the Sea

The walls of this three-story structure are covered in nautical oddities, maritime maps and over 200 model ships. But the centerpiece is a massive and terrifying sculpture of a sharp-toothed leviathan locked in mortal combat with an octopus.

Meet Reco! He’s a two-year-old pup who is looking for a calm, adult-only home where he can feel safe and loved. While shelter life has been a little stressful for Reco, his previous family said he’s a cuddly dog who loves giving kisses.

Reco can be a bit fearful at times, so he’s hoping to find a patient adopter who will give him the time and space he needs to come out of his shell. Once he feels comfortable, his silly and loyal personality shines — especially when toys are involved! Thanks to a generous donor, Reco’s adoption fee has been waived!