600 new luxury student housing units proposed in downtown Madison

By Brynn Mancusi STAFF WRITER

Core Spaces, the luxury student housing developer for the Hub and Oliv near campus, proposed two new developments in downtown Madison in March.

One of the buildings would be located on North Broom between West Gorham and West Johnson called “Johnson and Broom,” not taken a formal position for or against them.

“On one hand, these additional beds obviously will help with the supply and demand need with student housing,” he said. “On the other hand, with the rich level of amenities proposed, it doesn’t yield a ordable housing to most students.”

Oliv, another Core Spaces project currently in development on W

“I would say one thing in all of these developments, it’s not just building luxury high rises — it’s also demolishing our a ordable housing stock,” she said.

Despite this, the project was still approved by the UDC. Bennett said the Common Council is limited in its ability to impose a ordable housing requirements on new developments.

“We cannot look at a proposal, issues with UHS are not with the providers or the services themselves — UHS is working with Hermus on his petition, which he clarified “was not made with malicious intent [towards UHS], it’s really just to get the students the help they need and what they deserve.”

Hermus believes students’ issues with UHS generally stem from a lack of funding, which frustrates them and providers alike, and he urged the university to rectify it.

“Our budget is very large,” he said. “And having more mental health support for our students should be a top priority, not something that’s lower on the list. That should be the first thing they look at next year when they try to figure out where they’re putting all their money.”

UW System President Jay Rothman recently proposed a 5% tuition hike, and Hermus urged students to look at whether their money will be “going towards something that benefits us” — namely, mental health resources.

When it comes to the university’s budgeting priorities, Hermus asks UW-Madison, “How important are your students? How important is our mental health?”