Madison council approves ERA for Clifty Madison LLC, clearing way for planned 84‑room Hampton Inn

Madison’s common council voted to approve Resolution 2026‑6C on June 16, confirming an Economic Revitalization Area and an assessed‑value deduction for Clifty Madison LLC to support a proposed Hampton Inn on a hilltop parcel.

Tony Steinhardt, who introduced the item on behalf of city staff, and developer representative Pratik Gupta described the project as an 84‑room Hampton Inn with roughly 25% of architectural and engineering work completed. Gupta told the council the team hopes to begin construction and open in the first quarter of 2028.

City staff presented a financial analysis tied to the tax abatement request: the current property produces about $2,500 a year in property taxes, while the new hotel, with a $15 million investment, was estimated to generate roughly $190,000 a year in property taxes (about $1.2 million over 10 years versus $25,000 currently). Staff also estimated roughly $1.8 million in innkeepers‑tax revenue over 10 years and noted that Jefferson County Board of Tourism support includes a roughly $200,000 infrastructure incentive to help cover water and fire‑suppression upgrades for the site.

Councilors asked for confirmation that the ERA and deduction covered only the hotel parcel; the city and developer confirmed the designation applies to the parcel where the hotel will sit and that existing easements provide connections through neighboring lots. The developer said easements through the Hardee’s and Rally’s parcels and land west of a former Speedway were recorded by prior developers; the Speedway site currently had no immediate plans.

After public comment and questions, a council member moved and the council approved Resolution 2026‑6C by roll‑call vote. The clerk read the roster and members present voted in the affirmative.

Not all attendees supported the project. During the meeting and later public comments, residents and at least one council member raised concerns about density, setbacks and impacts to the riverfront’s historic character. Diana Shelley, a resident at 120 Wall Street, told the council she opposed replacing “natural character with urban sprawl” and urged investment in rehabilitating existing riverfront structures instead of new apartments or increased traffic. A council member argued the recently proposed unit counts and building scale differed from earlier public discussions; the mayor responded that setbacks and zoning approvals were followed, described the current phase as a refinement to make the economics of the project viable, and outlined upcoming review steps (redevelopment commission sign‑offs and Historic District Board of Review design approvals).

The council’s approval authorizes staff to proceed with the ERA designation and associated abatement mechanism for the specified parcel; additional design approvals and further public review remain required before construction will begin.

The council set additional public hearings and review steps in coming weeks; the next regular council meeting is scheduled for July 7.