Madison City PACE panel forwards four dilapidated-structure applications to Board of Public Works

Madison City’s PACE review committee on Sept. 29 recommended four property-rehabilitation projects for consideration by the Board of Public Works, voting unanimously to forward the applications after scoring them against the program’s 36-point minimum.

The committee met to review six applications for funds targeted to dilapidated structures. Committee members heard short presentations from applicants and inspected paperwork noting building-inspector or fire-marshal determinations of unsafe or dilapidated conditions. After independent scoring and averaging, staff announced four projects met or exceeded the 36-point threshold and two did not.

An unnamed applicant for 1126 West Second Street told the committee the house “has been vacant for some time” and described extensive water and structural damage: “It’s been raining into the interior of the building for a few years. It’s caused extensive damage to the foundation, the flooring, the west wall of the building, and the roof. Also, the electrical system needs replaced and most of the plumbing in the building.” That application scored 42.033 out of 36 and qualified for referral.

Brenda Cooper, representing the Mad Paddle and the applicant for 307 West Street, said her organization purchased the building in November and found mold and interior damage after a prior fire and firefighting efforts. “We’re gonna replace all of the heating and air, plumbing, electrical, and there’s some walls that…have to be tore out because of the black mold,” Cooper said. She told the panel the grant dollars being sought would pay only for exterior work and said the planned facade work would “go back to the original, what it would used to look like in the old pictures.” The 307 West Street application scored 41 out of 36 and qualified.

Representatives of Central Tavern spoke for a cluster of adjacent properties on Mulberry and Second streets: 301 Mulberry, 305 Mulberry, 307 Mulberry (different from 307 West Street), and 115 East Second Street. The speaker said the tavern and adjoining buildings were purchased beginning in 2021 and that most reinvestment to date has been interior work: “So far in the 4 years that we’ve had it, we’ve reinvested everything that we’ve made back into the building itself.” The applicants described plans to repair roofs and windows, expose or restore original brick where feasible, and convert an on-site laundromat into a nonsmoking dining area. Scores announced by staff were: 301 Mulberry — 36.33 (qualified); 305 Mulberry — 35.33 (did not qualify); 307 Mulberry — 33.67 (did not qualify); 115 East Second — 37.00 (qualified).

Staff reminded applicants that the PACE committee’s role is to score and recommend projects; final funding decisions are made by the Board of Public Works. Committee staff said applicants would be notified promptly of the committee’s preliminary recommendations and that the Board of Public Works would meet the following Monday to act on the referrals.

After the scores were announced, committee member Cara Fox moved to forward the four applications that met the minimum score to the Board of Public Works; Jim Bartlett seconded the motion. The committee voted unanimously (three yes votes) to forward the recommendations.

The meeting also briefly discussed scheduling a guideline-review meeting before year-end; no additional policy changes or funding commitments were made at the session. The committee adjourned following the vote and routine motions.