Madison officials are weighing plans to repurpose a former city-subsidized downtown bicycle commuter center that closed more than two years ago, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Madison Freewheel Bicycle Co. had been housed at 202 S. Pinckney St. in a ground floor, city-owned space. Just off the Capitol Square, the nonprofit sold bikes, offered repairs in return for donations as well as classes for cyclists and provided space for commuters to rent and stow their bikes during work hours.
There were also showers, lockers, a bike wash station and a key card system allowing 24/7 access.
The center’s retail operation never broke even, however, and the COVID-19 pandemic — and subsequent increase in employees working from home — decimated membership.
After three years, the city chose not to renew the group’s $1 lease and was unsuccessful in securing a new operator for the bike center.
The current proposal would allocate $200,000 to a future tenant to reconfigure the 3,000-square-foot space. Stone House Development, which owns the apartment building above it, is among potentially interested renters but doesn’t yet have specific plans for its use.
Matthew Mikolajewski, the city’s economic development director, said his office plans to present options for the space to the City Council and mayor by the end of 2025.
Access to the up to $200,000 in city funds would likely be dependent on the future tenant’s ability to repay that money over time, he said. They would pay a full market rate for the space and commit to a multiyear lease guaranteeing that the city would ultimately make money on the deal.
