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The city of Madison issued the following statement and renderings.
After decades of planning, Madison will see the building of its long-awaited town square, bringing new life to downtown.
“For years, Madison has worked toward creating our town square that will be the heartbeat of our city. Now, it’s our time to create a beautiful, walkable downtown along Main Street that all our residents can enjoy with shops, restaurants and an entertainment center,” Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler said.
“This will be Madison’s crown jewel.”
The city is partnering with Greenstone Properties of Atlanta, Georgia, for “Madison at Main,” a history-making development. The 17-acres of land are located in the heart of the city at the intersection of Main Street and Highway 51, extending south to Madison Avenue. The historic Madison-Ridgeland High School that now houses the city’s arts center, and the old gymnasium, both of which are designated historic landmarks, will be preserved in new ways.
Madison at Main will offer a unique mixed-use site showcasing high-end condominiums and townhomes with the most sought-after retail establishments throughout the nation. Madison at Main will also feature a boutique hotel and a specialty food market alongside considerable office space. To accommodate residents and visitors to the development, Madison will get its first parking garage, a multi-level facility.
“We want to make the special quality of life Madison offers to be even more exceptional,” Mayor Butler said. “In addition to new shopping and dining options, we’ll also be providing some unique and exciting entertainment venues.”
The gymnasium of the old school, which now can hold 360 spectators, will be transformed into a 1,000 seat performing arts theatre that will showcase local, regional and national touring artists and productions. The historic Madison-Ridgeland High School building will become Madison’s new City Hall during the project’s first phase in the 2020-2021 timeline.
The buildings that housed the former Madison Station Elementary on the site will soon be razed to clear the way for the new development.
Mayor Butler said the design of the new development will honor Madison’s carefully thought-out architectural standards and guidelines. For more than 40 years, the city has set its sights on developing its town square to show the thriving economic opportunities available in this once small farming community, she said.
“We knew we had to do this the right way, the Madison way,” Mayor Butler said.
Finding the Greenstone team to develop Madison at Main ensures that the city will continue that sense of place and tradition that residents appreciate in their hometown, she said.
“We want Madison at Main to complement the city’s award-winning tradition. Our goal is for our neighbors in Madison to approve of what we’re doing and be excited to enjoy the tasteful enhancements,” said Chris Schoen, the managing principal of Greenstone Properties.
Greenstone develops and operates what it refers to as “exceptional places that inspire people.” Its website describes its core value as “listening to the client’s needs” and then executing to exceed expectations. The City of Madison and its Madison Square Redevelopment Authority, through the RFP process, selected the Greenstone team based on their extensive experience and success with similar projects and its expressed ability to meet the city’s high standards for the Madison at Main project. Wakefield Beasley and Associates of Alpharetta, Ga., is the renowned architectural design firm who completed the initial master plan and will be the lead architect for the project working alongside Greenstone.
Mayor Butler said Madison residents can expect more exciting news as Madison at Main progresses in 2020.
