11.14.2023

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Today’s Forecast

35º | Cloudy | 15% chance of sleet | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 4:39 p.m.

Important Message

Readers, we’re excited to share that starting this week, we’ll send you daily emails, from Monday-Friday. It will be everything you’ve come to expect — events, fun facts, and MKT City happenings — just at a higher frequency.

What do you want to know about the city? Pop down to the Wrap and send us your ideas.

🏗️ Building community

Madison’s St. John’s Lutheran Church is tearing its building down to build community

St. John’s Lutheran Church, in downtown Madison, will include 108 affordable housing units. | Potter Lawson

Census data released late last year put into stark relief Madison’s income disparities. 10.8% of all Dane County residents lived in poverty. The median income for Black households was $39,800. For those households who reported to have Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origins, it was $53,800. White households had a median income of $82,300.

These statistics have not sat well with St. John’s Lutheran Church leadership. The church, established in 1856 and located downtown at the corner of East Washington Avenue and Hancock Street, recently announced that it will demolish its current building to expand its ministry.

It’ll do so by building a 10-story redevelopment with a new sanctuary, offices, community spaces, and 130 mostly low-income apartments, with a parking structure below.

St. John’s Lutheran Church has been on the corner of East Washington Avenue and Hancock Street since just after the Civil War. | Rendering via Potter Lawson

A closer look

Total cost:
$46.5 million. The church’s More for Madison fundraising campaign has been created to raise the final $3 million for the project.

Construction:
Begins in the summer of 2024 with a completion date targeted for late 2025.

Apartments:
108 of the 130 apartments will meet Dane County standards for affordability. Rents, depending on income level, will range from $568 a month for a studio apartment, to $2,285 for a two-bedroom market-rate unit.

Affordable housing units will be available for renters who earn less than 60% of the Dane County median income. | Renderings via Potter Lawson

Apartments will be available for renters who earn less than 60% of the Dane County median income ($55,680 for a family of three).

Low-income units will be financed with support from tax credits awarded by the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority and affordable housing funds from Madison and Dane County.

The church’s goal is to offer housing to those increasingly priced out of the downtown housing market, like those that work in restaurant, retail, and service industries.

Amenities:

Church sanctuary
Offices
Rooftop garden
Community rooms

A third of the first floor will be set aside for partner agencies including wellness and social service organizations. The church hopes that the facility will be used by neighbors and local nonprofits as a gathering place.

Asked

What types of new developments would you like to see in Madison?

A. Residential
B. Retail
C. Restaurants
D. Mixed-use

Let us know

Events

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Dog Rescue Blankets for Winter Drive | Tuesday, Nov. 14-Monday, Nov. 20 | 10 a.m.-7 p.m. | Nutzy Mutz and Crazy Cats, 1709 S. Park St. and 555 S. Midvale Blvd., Madison | Free | Drop off blankets, towels, or donations to either of the Nutzy Mutz locations.
Local All-Star Country Jam | Tuesday, Nov. 14 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Red Rooster Madison, 2513 Seiferth Rd., Madison | $5 | Bring your instrument, and your A-game.

Wednesday, Nov. 15

We’re Better Together | Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 5-8 p.m. | Hop Haus Brewing Co., 2975 Sub-Zero Pkwy., Fitchburg | Free | Celebrate diverse perspectives and how they lead to better solutions at this joint networking event.
Soul Karaoke | Wednesday, Nov. 15 | 7-10 p.m. | Cafe CODA, 1224 Williamson St., Madison | Free | Wednesday nights are now your time to shine and unwind.

Thursday, Nov. 16

Public Health Vaccine Clinic | Thursday, Nov. 16 | 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. | Goodman South Madison Library, 2222 S. Park St., Madison | Free | Free COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots for those who are uninsured or underinsured.
Madison College Women’s Basketball vs Western Technical College | Thursday, Nov. 16 | 5:30-7:30 p.m. | Madison Area Technical College, 1701 Wright St., Madison | Free | Cheer on the WolfPack as they face off against the Cavaliers.

Friday, Nov. 17

Miller / Hammes / Kleve | Friday, Nov. 17 | 7:30 a.m. | Arts + Literature Lab, 111 S. Livingston St., Madison | $10-$20 | Eric Miller, Sean Kleve, and Todd Hammes will perform the complete Couplets de folies written by Marin Marais in 1701.
Wisconsin Singers On-Campus Show | Friday, Nov. 17-Saturday Nov. 18 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St., Madison | $15-$25 | The Wisconsin Singers presents “When Opposites Attract!,” its 56th season show.

Saturday, Nov. 18

Dane County Holiday Market | Saturday, Nov. 18 | 7:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Dr., Madison | Cost of purchase | Stock up for Thanksgiving with Wisconsin-grown cranberries, vegetables, baked goods, and artisan cheese.
Art in the Wright Place | Saturday, Nov. 18-Sunday, Nov. 19 | 10 a.m.-5 p.m. | First Unitarian Society of Madison, 900 University Bay Dr., Madison | Free | An art sale housed in the historic Frank Lloyd Wright Unitarian Meeting House.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Environment

State environmental regulators are proposing to add 51 new water bodies to the state’s list of polluted waters for 2024. Statewide, the agency has identified 1,258 polluted waters. Madison’s lakes have PFAS chemicals. (WPR)

Cause

With the holidays approaching, local food pantries are seeking volunteers as they’re seeing more families than ever before. Organizations, including Neighborhood House Community Center and St. Vincent de Paul, are noting record numbers. They’re seeking donations and labor. (WMTV)

Opening

Garver Feed Mill will soon have 15 tenants with the addition of three local small businesses in its near East Side location. Locals can look forward to checking out GROW Greenhouse and the beaut.Studios hair salon, while Quince & Apple will take up office space for its preserves business. (WMTV)

Holiday

Fir this year’s theme of the Wisconsin State Capitol Holiday Tree, Gov. Evers announced that it will be “175 Years of Wisconsinites,” to celebrate those who have contributed to making Wisconsin the state it is today. The tree lighting ceremony takes place Friday, Dec. 1, at 12 p.m.

Edu

Research is being done to help transform Madison Metropolitan School District’s food programs. Three research projects are currently underway. One is to evaluate why elementary school students do, or do not, eat school meals. Another is on emotions centered around school food. The third is on decreasing food waste. (Cap Times)

Drink

Kombucha? You betcha. Rude Brew Kombucha is moving into The Bur Oak, in the space formerly occupied by Ahan. Lacy Rude, who founded the operation in 2017, wanted a new space to grow her operation. She currently makes about 200-300 gallons of kombucha a week. (Cap Times)

Eat

A historic supper club in Poynette, the Owl’s Nest, reopened this past weekend. First opened in 1937, the newly renovated Owl’s Nest has new owners, chefs, waitstaff, and bartenders. The original sign from the 1950s has also been relit for the first time in years. (WMTV)

State

The Food Network recently listed the dishes that most define every state in the US. Wisconsin’s? Fried cheese curds, of course. Culver’s will feel gouda about that. (Food Network)

Sports

🏐 A spike in volleyball greatness

A spike in Madison-area volleyball greatness

UW-Madison, Madison College, and Edgewood College’s women’s volleyball teams are all winners. |Photo by Aaron Frey

Madison area colleges are coming up with nothing but aces in regard to their women’s volleyball programs.

UW-Madison

Though the No. 2 Badgers recently lost a hard-fought battle to No. 15 Penn State, they’re 14-2 in conference play, and 23-2 overall. The 2021 national champions hope to repeat that feat with the coming NCAA tournament that begins at the end of the month. Their next match is at Purdue on Friday.

Madison College

Competing at the NJCAA Division II level for the first time in program history, the WolfPack reached the Region 4 finals for the first time in six years. The No. 2-seeded team defeated No. 7-seed Milwaukee Area Technical College in the semifinals, before falling to No. 3 Rock Valley College in the championship match. They ended their season with a 23-10 record.

Edgewood College

Edgewood College’s women’s volleyball team just won the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championship, defeating Aurora University. By doing so, they punched their ticket to the DIII NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011. They’ll be facing Northwestern-St. Paul in the first round.

The Buy

The Buy 11.14.23 (Affiliate + Six & Main)

Something to make sure you don’t forget yourself this holiday season. Here’s a little self-care gift just for you.

Answered

Yesterday we asked how our readers prefer to order their old fashioneds, and here’s what you said:

608 old fashioned qualtrics — Our readers like it sweet. | Graph by 608today

If you run into another 608today reader in the wild, buying them a brandy old fashioned sweet is a safe bet.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Jonathan

From the editor

It’s no surprise that fried cheese curds made the cut for most iconic food in the state. That said, I’m still a fairly new Wisconsinite and had never heard of the fabled Kringle until I bought one and ate it. Then, I bought another, happily so.

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