AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today October 15, 2026
Milwaukee Street Reconstruction Project Set to Begin
The city of Madison is preparing to start a major reconstruction and pipe replacement project on Milwaukee Street between Starkweather Creek and West Corporate Drive. The initiative, which is scheduled to begin in the fall and conclude by the end of 2027, will involve building a new shared-use path, eliminating street parking, and adding a median between Starkweather Creek and Schenk Street. Additionally, aging sewer pipes between Lansing Street and Schenk Street will be replaced as part of the city engineering project.
Property Owner Assessments and Funding Breakdown
Homeowners and business owners recently received preliminary property owner assessments to help fund the milwaukee street reconstruction. The city will cover approximately 92% of the project’s costs, while the remaining 8% will come from property owners along the stretch. According to assistant city engineer Chris Petykowski, the average preliminary assessment sent to both commercial and residential properties was about $12,500. However, assessments varied widely with at least one residence billed $1,245 and a commercial lot assessed at over $53,000. The city estimates the overall project cost at just under $5.6 million, with approximately $450,000 paid by property owners. These assessments will fund the street pavement replacement and private storm drain improvements, while the city will cover sidewalks, intersection pavement, and most new piping. Some costs for driveway aprons, green terraces, new street lamps, and sanitary pipes will be split between the city and property owners.
Resident Reactions to Assessment Costs
For long-time property owners like Joe Pajac, the preliminary bill of more than $10,000 caused concern and the postponement of home improvement projects. "This road needs to be replaced," said Pajac. "I am excited about that, but asking the residents to foot the bill like that just doesn’t sit well." In early October, Isthmus interviewed eight residents living along Milwaukee Street, all of whom opposed the current plans and associated residential assessments. Pajac was the only resident willing to speak publicly. Property owners can choose to pay their assessment in a lump sum or spread payments over 15 years via their property taxes, at a 4.5% interest rate.
City Engineer Responds: Voit Farms Development Not Driving Assessments
Some residents blamed the upcoming Voit Farms development for the increase in their bills. Voit Farms is a nearby agricultural lot that the city recently purchased for redevelopment into a mixed-use community that could house over 1,000 residences. However, city engineer Jim Wolfe clarified during a city council meeting on September 22 that the voit farms development was not influencing the property owner assessments for the Milwaukee Street project. "It only has anything to do with the Voit farm redevelopment in that we’re coordinating construction activities there, and making sure that if we reconstruct the street it doesn’t just immediately get torn up again," Wolfe explained. He further stated that Milwaukee Street reconstruction plans predated the Voit Farms project.
City Council and Project Justification
During the same council meeting, Ald. Dina Nina Martinez-Rutherford expressed her belief that the milwaukee street project would benefit the community, citing decades-old clay water mains in need of replacement. However, she also shared concerns about the economic burden on property owners. "I know that this specific project is coming at a time when people are feeling the crunch in ways that they haven’t had to in a long time," Martinez-Rutherford said. "I feel terrible that people are feeling the stress of the economy and what this will do."
Next Steps and Timeline
The city plans to bid out the reconstruction work this winter, with the ultimate goal of completing the construction costs and improvements by fall 2027. City engineers anticipate that initial estimates on assessments may be higher than final bills, often due to inaccuracies in records regarding property sewage lines. As the project advances, property owners and city officials will continue to discuss options for managing funding and minimizing impacts amid the necessary upgrades to Milwaukee Street’s infrastructure.
Source: isthmus.com.
