Ideas Sought For Vacant Ken Kopp's

By Jane Riley, Tess Mulrooney, Howard Mandeville

Wisconsin State Journal

January 20, 2001

Riley is the president of the Dudgeon-Monroe Neighborhood Association, Mulrooney is chairwoman of the Vilas Neighborhood Long Range Planning Committee, and Mandeville is president of the Regent Neighborhood Association.

It isn't often that more than 350 people come out on a snowy December evening to give their neighborhood grocer a standing ovation. But that's just what happened when our three Near West Side neighborhood associations met at West High School to discuss the sale of Ken Kopp's store to Walgreen's. We saluted Kopp for his years of personalized, hands-on, day-to-day service to our families and to our community. We salute him for carrying on a long tradition of small grocery stores in the neighborhood.

People in our neighborhood, and plenty of other communities around the country, appreciate having a grocery store they can walk to, but it's more than a matter of meat and potatoes. It's a quality of life issue to us. Ken Kopp's serves as a focal point for our area.

It's an anchor for other local businesses - including two pharmacies within half a mile of each other on Monroe Street. It's a place where neighbors can exchange greetings and news.

Kopp has a right to retire and to get the best price for his business. That's why our three neighborhood associations are exploring alternative plans in case Kopp's agreement with Walgreen's doesn't go through. Although Kopp and Walgreen's have an agreement, there are contingencies, and Walgreen's plan - as yet undefined - will have to satisfy city concerns regarding zoning and traffic, especially if Walgreen's includes a drive-up window as part of its plan. We hope our efforts at encouraging some other options will be helpful to Kopp and spark financial interest in his property, if the sale to Walgreen's doesn't materialize.

At last month's meeting, several people came forward with alternatives to a Walgreen's. Cameron Ramsay of the former Madison Sourdough Co. proposed an entrepreneurial artisan food emporium with different kinds of grocery and deli items. Steven McKenzie, owner of the full-service Jenifer Street Market, expressed interest in placing a similar store offering groceries, meat, produce and baked goods at the Ken Kopp's site. The Regent Market Co-op said it would consider extending its operations to Monroe Street. There was a suggestion to move the local branch of the public library to Kopp's location, adding a community room for neighborhood meetings plus housing on two or three upper floors.

Since the meeting, city planners and representatives of our three neighborhood associations have discussed these and other ideas. We have had conversations with Trader Joe's, a specialized grocery with stores opening across the country. We've also listened to proposals for condominium or extended stay developments.

We understand that UW-Madison might offer its support for a project that includes housing for retired alumni and visiting professors who want to be close to the university's academic, cultural and athletic facilities. Neighborhood leaders say there is an interest in having a hardware store return to Monroe Street. Many who rely on the coin-operated laundry nestled next to Kopp's grocery store hope it remains in some form. Readers can survey the growing list of ideas at the Dudgeon-Monroe Web site at www.dmna.org.

We have $100,000 pledged toward finding a solution (plus another $100,000 for library redevelopment). Many residents are giving valuable time and professional expertise. Decisions do not need to be made - whether by individuals, national chains, or governments - in a vacuum, without citizen input. We love our neighborhood and are working to keep it a vital and exciting place to live, work and visit.

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Last Modified: 22-Apr-08 12:30 PM

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