The City of Madison recently hired a team of professionals to explore the potential of a Madison Sustainability Commerce Center (MSCC). The MSCC concept is to showcase and nurture leading-edge green building technologies and businesses.

Targeted for the Capitol East District along E. Washington Avenue between Blair and First Streets, MSCC could also be a catalyst for urban revival and additional job growth in the area. Mayor Paul R. Soglin believes it is "important to continue growing employment along East Washington Avenue as a way to support a neighborhood where residents can both live and work. The MSCC could help to support this vision."

The first step is to prepare a Feasibility Study. Dorschner|Associates Inc. leads the project team that will explore tenant demand, green building technologies, and how the MSCC can best promote sustainability to the broader Madison community. Dorschner|Associates Inc. President, Diana Dorschner, "is excited about the knowledge that is being brought to the table for this project through the team that we have assembled." Other members of the consultant team include Baker Tilly, CBRE, Energy Center of Wisconsin, Farr Associates, Findorff, GreenLink Projects, Sustainable Engineering Group, and Sustainable Resource Group. This Feasibility Study phase of the project is expected to be completed in February 2013 and cost $154,000.

Funding for the study comes from a $300,000 grant received by the City through the Capital Region Sustainable Communities (CRSC) initiative. CRSC is funded by the Sustainable Communities Regional Planning (SCRP) Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Capital Area Regional Planning Commission (CARPC) was the grant applicant and serves as the lead agency. The preparation of a Feasibility Study is the first use of these funds, which will later include business planning, design, and pre-development work. Madison Alder and CARPC Chair, Larry Palm, notes that "innovative projects such as the MSCC within the Region's major transportation corridors advance the CRSC vision for a healthy, prosperous region. CARPC hopes that projects such as the MSCC can serve as models for future public-private partnerships throughout the Region."

The Feasibility Study team is particularly interested in learning about businesses interested in locating within a facility such as the MSCC. They also want to know how a sustainability-oriented building can serve the broader community, such as with community meeting facilities, educational opportunities, performance spaces, or other community gathering venues. The City and consultant team is interested in all ideas. Suggestions can be directed to Mr. Matthew Mikolajewski, Office of Business Resources Manager, at (608) 267-8737 or mmikolajewski@cityofmadison.com.

Businesses interested in potentially locating within the MSCC can also complete a short survey to provide the consultant team with additional information about their needs. The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PJJMCL8.

Additional information about the MSCC, to include future project updates, is available at www.cityofmadison.com/business. Information about Capital Region Sustainable Communities can be found at www.CapitalRegionSCRPG.org.