2006 Preservation Awards
City Ridge Condominiums
1023-1029 Williamson Street
[photo: Jason Tish]
1023-1029 Williamson Street
a. Renaissance Property Group, Michael Matty, owner
Destree Design Architects
Award: residential restoration and compatible new construction
b. Marsha Rummel, president, Marquette Neighborhood Assoc
Award: preservation advocacy
After suffering a debilitating kitchen fire, the circa-1900 vernacular home at 1023 Williamson Street, just east of Nature's Bakery, languished for several years as the owner contemplated what to do. A plan was put forth to demolish the residence and replace it with a new, larger housing project. Though the house lacked a flashy historical pedigree and had suffered fire damage, the scale and style contributed to the character of the Marquette neighborhood.
Marsha Rummel, president of the Marquette Neighborhood Association, spearheaded opposition that helped convince the Madison Landmarks Commission to deny the owner permission to demolish the home. This was a pivotal turnaround, given that a year earlier three similar working-class houses, also in the Third Lake Ridge local and national register historic districts, were allowed to be torn down on the same block.
Unified neighborhood opposition, sparked and sustained by Marsha, was a significant factor in that change of heart. Marsha also subsequently led discussion with builders on possible alternatives.
Things took another good turn in 2004, when neighborhood resident Michael Matty, owner of Renaissance Property Group, purchased the abandoned home. Matty proposed a much more compatible plan. He decided to save and repair the house while building a similar structure in the adjacent vacant lot, as well as carriage houses in back.
The final City Ridge Condominium project unveiled four harmonious structures more suited toward the scale and fabric of the neighborhood. Designed by Destree Design Architects, the project incorporated green building standards, on-site parking garages, and building styles that complement the charm of the surrounding area.
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Other 2006 Award Winners
William and Fryetta Burmeister Residence
American Tobacco Company Warehouses
Ellsworth Block
23 N. Pinckney Street
Adolf and Edna Kannenberg Residence
Maurice and Elanor Johnson Residence
