Selling land around WisDOT office site up for approval

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — About 14 acres of land around the state Department of Transportation headquarters in Madison would be sold for private development under a proposal up for legislative approval.

The Legislature’s budget committee planned to vote Thursday on selling the land for just over $12 million to developer Smith Gilbane Co. It plans private developments on the 14 acres adjacent to where a new state office building will be located.

The state is in the process of replacing the 56-year-old WisDOT building as part of a $179 million property redevelopment. The new 600,000-square-foot office building would house WisDOT and six other state agencies, including the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

The consolidation of agencies at the site would result in an estimated reduction of about 54,300 square feet of office space.