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| What Madison's Talking About |
|  | The proposed Amtrak station on West Wilson Street moved one big step closer to reality this week. (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison) |
| 🚆 Sale of Future Amtrak Station Gets Final Approval | - The state’s Republican-controlled legislative budget committee voted unanimously to approve the sale of the historic State Office Building at 1 West Wilson St. to a private developer, who aims to transform it into the city’s future Amtrak rail station.
- The state is selling the 11-story Art Deco building to Landmark Development for $10 million as part of its “Vision 2030” plan to sell off a quarter of state-owned property in downtown Madison.
- Amtrak recently announced that it plans to bring rail service back to Madison by 2030. The building would serve as both the train station and a mix of retail, entertainment, and office space. [ 🔒WSJ, WPR]
| | 🧑🍳 Baking Supply Store Will Rise Again in Middleton | - Some sweet relief for Madison bakers: A longtime baking supply store on Madison’s far west side that is closing this month will reopen this fall in Middleton under new ownership.
- Earlier this year, the original owners of Vanilla Bean announced that high rent increases would force them to close in mid-June. But longtime customers Kate and Chuck Teasdale, who previously owned Riley Tavern, have decided to reopen the store under the same name on Hubbard Avenue in Middleton. [Cap Times]
| | 🏳️🌈 Gov. Evers Raises Pride Flag Over Capitol for Last Time | - On Tuesday, Gov. Tony Evers raised the LGBTQ+ pride flag over the Capitol dome in honor of Pride Month for the last time in his gubernatorial tenure.
- Evers was the first Wisconsin governor to fly the LGBTQ+ pride flag over the Capitol, which he has done every year since he took office in 2019. Evers is retiring at the end of the year.
- Republican lawmakers have objected over the years to the raising of the flag and others as divisive. But speakers at Tuesday’s ceremony said the symbol is more important than ever as the Trump administration and other governments around the world have pushed to curtail the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. [Wisconsin Examiner, 🎧 City Cast Madison]
| | “We celebrate Pride Month because we know what it took to get here. We also know what is at stake.” | Gov. Tony Evers |
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| Your Guide to Frank Lloyd Wright's Madison |
|  | The Unitarian Meeting House in Shorewood Hills celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026. (Warren LeMay / Flickr) |
| Frank Lloyd Wright may be the most famous architect who ever lived. He called Madison home and his influence and artistic eye has made an impact throughout the city, from our most iconic buildings to hidden gems in residential neighborhoods. | | On the City Cast Madison podcast today, host Bianca Martin talks to March Sweitzer about Wright’s Unitarian Meeting House, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year with an array of events starting this week. | | Here’s your guide to some of his architectural feats in and around Madison, from iconic public buildings to private homes. | | | Wright transformed downtown Madison with his vision for Monona Terrace, with panoramic views of Lake Monona and a terrace that leads directly to the Capitol Square. He drafted the plans in 1938, but wasn’t finished until 1997, nearly 40 years after his death. Check out “Inspired by Wright,” a fourth-floor exhibit detailing Wright’s vision for Monona Terrace and for Madison. | | | One of our favorite buildings in Madison is this gorgeous structure Wright built for his congregation in 1946, whose triangular design is meant to evoke both a farm plow and a pair of praying hands. | | | Any Wright fans will plan a trip out to the Driftless Region to see Wright’s home and studio on a beautiful 800-acre piece of land near Spring Green. |  | The Herbert Jacobs House was Frank Lloyd Wright's first attempt at creating what he called a "Usonian" home. (Keith Ewing / Flickr) |
| | | One of Wright’s visions was to build affordable housing that had an uniquely American aesthetic. His first attempt (made for just $5,000) at “Usonian” (United States of North America) architecture was at 441 Toepfer St. for Herbert Jacobs, featuring natural materials in harmony with the environment and an open-plan interior. Wright would go on to build 140 “Usonian” homes, and his designs influenced ranch home architecture of the ‘50s and ‘60s. | | | Wright won a competition in 1893, when he was only 26, to design this boathouse, featuring two towers connected by an arch. He also designed a boathouse for Lake Monona that was never built, but in recent years there’s been a groundswell of interest in finally building it. |  | The Robert Lamp House on Butler Street was once known as the Rocky Roost. (James Steakley / Wikimedia Commons) |
| | | This 1903 residence at 22 N. Butler Street was once known as the Rocky Roost, and features an asymmetrical design and a third story roof garden. Its mix of styles lead some to speculate that one of Wright’s employees, Walter Burley Griffin, actually oversaw the design while Wright was immersed in other projects. | | | In contrast to Wright’s sprawling Prairie homes, this private residence near Camp Randall sits on a hill and is a two-story monolith. Because it’s built across two axes converging on a central fireplace, it’s earned the nickname “The Airplane House.” | | | It can be hard to find this modest private home at 3650 Lake Mendota Drive, nestled on the shore of Lake Mendota in the Shorewood Hills neighborhood. The design and natural materials blend in perfectly with its natural surroundings, and features floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the lake. | | | Wright’s passion for affordable Usonian housing for the middle class led to his interest in “prefab” housing packages. This one at 110 Marinette Place was built for a pair of married UW-Madison mathematicians. |
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| |  | This location is in the news today! Did you know where it is? (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison) |
| ⬆️ Last Week’s Photo | | This bench and Art Deco lamps are outside the State Office Building on West Wilson Street, which is planned to be the site of the future Amtrak station! | | 🎉 Congratulations to Nancy S., Doug O., and JoAnn R. (who worked there in the ‘70s!) for being the first three people to guess right! | | ⬇️ This Week’s Photo |  | Where can you chill out on a vintage coach and watch a photo of an old video game? (Rob Thomas / City Cast Madison) |
| Where is this located? A few clues: | | - It’s on the far east side
- It’s an oasis of creativity in a neighborhood that’s more industrial. (For example, this space just hosted an exhibit of movie posters from Ghana.)
- Catch the ‘Wave’ and tell me where this is!
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