The multi-family apartment development and hotel proposed by JCap Development in the heart of downtown will come before the Sun Prairie Plan Commission with a public hearing once more on Tuesday, April 9.
The proposal last came before the commission in December 2023, where it failed a vote of approval 1-5. At the time, JCap presented a six-story, 149-unit apartment complex and a four-story Cobblestone Hotel and Wissota Chophouse with surface-level parking.
According to the city’s ‘Current Planning Projects’ webpage , the developer has adjusted the plan by reducing the apartment building to four stories in height with 100 units.
At the previous meeting where the proposal was stifled, multiple residents voiced concerns regarding traffic impacts as well as the height and look of the development.
JCap attempted to compromise by lowering the height of the structure at the corner of the intersection to allow for old City Hall to still be visible from certain viewing angles. Meanwhile, city staff have stated that they believe current infrastructure in the area will suffice for the development’s addition after reviewing JCap’s Traffic Impact Assessment for the project.
These gripes with the proposal were present at the development’s first public presentation on June 28, 2023. At the time, plans entailed a four-story apartment building, similar to what will be brought forth again on April 9.
At the December meeting, Joshua Clements, the city’s Planning Director, said that staff worked with the developer to find ways to eliminate surface level parking on the site to use the space more efficiently. Moving parking below ground while increasing the density of the housing development, and in turn its height, was the solution that was found at the time.
Throughout the process, small businesses in Sun Prairie have been in favor of the development. Last June, Downtown Sun Prairie Business Improvement District (BID) Board members submitted a letter of support for the project to City Council and the Plan Commission.
In the letter, BID members reasoned that a development like JCap’s proposal could bring a needed influx of economic revitalization to the area.
The proposed site for the development was one affected by a 2018 gas explosion that destroyed many previously existing buildings in the area. Subsequently, the city’s 2019-2039 Comprehensive Plan has identified the site as high priority for redevelopment.
The nine parcels that JCap is hoping to combine to bring the project to fruition are comprised of a vacant lot, a municipal parking lot, two homes and The Baehr Haus Boutique Hotel.
If the Plan Commission approves JCap’s General Development and Precise Implementation Plans, as well as the Certified Survey Map to combine the existing nine parcels, the project will come before City Council.
The second public hearing on Tuesday, April 9, will give the community an opportunity to see and comment on the adjusted plans for the project.
To view these materials prior to the hearing, residents can keep their eyes out for an agenda packet on Sun Prairie’s Agenda Center website . These documents are typically uploaded a week before the scheduled meeting.
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