Isthmus: CUNA Mutual Land Deal Debated. UW Screwed?

In the early 1980's, faced with the threat that an expanding CUNA Mutual could leave the city of Madison, civic, political, university, and business leaders gathered. It was decided that the University of Wisconsin Research Park would sell 60 acres to CUNA Mutual for the company's expansion.

With new technology, downsizing, and outsourcing, CUNA Mutual no longer needs the land for expansion.  The UW Research Park is bursting and the UW would like the land back and is willing to pay. Now CUNA Mutual plans to develop the land as housing and a shopping mall.

From Isthmus, Madison's weekly newspaper,

CUNA Mutual plans draw flak: Company to develop land provided for expansion

CUNA Mutual Group is planning a major mixed-use project on and around its west-side Madison campus, reopening old wounds over how some of this land was acquired...

..."Back in the early 1980s," he says, "the entire community — the city of Madison and the university — did the right thing to help CUNA Mutual, thinking of the greater good. Now that the university would like the land back, CUNA Mutual is only looking at one thing: how it can maximize the value of that land to CUNA Mutual. There is no consideration for the larger community."...

Two relevant points:

• While CUNA Mutual and the University of Wisconsin do plan a swap of land, that is not the first choice of the UW, or the choice that is in the best interest of the greater community.
• CUNA Mutual's Rick Uhlmann makes the point that

...the company's land buys in the early 1980s provided critical "seed money" to the research park. It (CUNA Mutual) acquired the land "not just for expansion" but also as an investment...

Ullmann must think that you and I are the dimmest rubes since the Russians sold Alaska. The UW only sold the property because of the threat of CUNA Mutual leaving. The so called 'seed money' may have helped in the early years, but it was not necessary or desired. Otherwise the UW would have sold acreage at public auction and raised some real money.

Of course the UW never intended to sell the property in question to CUNA Mutual or anyone else for 'investment' purposes.

CUNA Mutual owns the land. They paid fair dollar for it, though they never had to compete in the open market to pay for the purchase of public  property - they got a deal.

CUNA Mutual has every right, within the law and the zoning codes, to do with that property as they see fit. But their handling of this matter makes it clear that they do not approach this issue with the same civic concern that led them to its ownership.

Disclosure: I am a paid consultant working with OPEIU Local 39 which represents the organized employees at CUNA Mutual.

Comments

[Dan Sebald]

"The UW Research Park is bursting"

Bursting because the park is so poorly laid out. Swooping roads, buildings at all different angles, faux ponds, huge parking lots that are probably never full. Watching that land slowly consumed over the past fifteen years was kind of tough, actually. Seemed to be natural, rolling, prairie-like land.

Then there is the building that was stuck right amidst that nice wooded area by the sculpted land at the corner of Whitney Way and Mineral Point Road. Err!!

This could have been much better planned, don't you agree? You said yourself that public transit works best when it connects things. We'll, here there would have been something to connect. A Metro transfer point was placed right near the park but in no way was integrated into the business park. How difficult would it have been to do that? Not very.

Plus, some of the businesses in there don't seem exactly research oriented. I think I've seen at least one financial building.

It's difficult to feel pro-UW on this one.

[Sonia Dubielzig]

I totally agree with Dan Sebald's comments. The UW Research Park has no one to blame but itself. From the very beginning they had the opportunity to develop a compact, walkable and mixed use area--something more like a *campus*, even--which would facilitate interaction between the incubating firms and generate employment and commercial densities that would be supportive of transit. Instead, they developed a single-use office park with suburban-style density in the middle of the city. AAARRGGGH!

As an urban planner, I think that a mixed-use housing/commercial development would be perfect in the location CUNA proposes. It might actually provide the poor business park employees with lunch spots they could *walk* to, instead of drive to. Or perhaps employees will actually choose to live near where they work. In any case, from a holistic urban development standpoint, CUNA's proposal sounds better than an extension of the business park.

[Unconvinced]

I'd like to believe your account about CUNA. All my friends argue that you're a hired gun working against CUNA (the Isthmus itself identified you as such) and that your information can't be trusted (your own blog acknowledged misstatements about CUNA). What other facts can you share that shows CUNA acted improperly -- and how the current leadership is involved, because there have been a number of leaders in the past 30 years at CUNA who didn't build on that property?

[Trusting]

I think the underlying point is that the University sold the land for the better interest of Madison and Dane County. And now that the situation seems to be back (in reverse), CUNA Mutual doesn't want to sell the land back to the University. I know some might argue about which is a better civic purpose for the land. I'm not a developer, so I don't know. But this situation, coupled with other decisions by CUNA Mutual, seem to point to a trend of theirs of caring less about the local community (see: layoffs, outsourcing to India, transfer of work out-of-state) than profits.

[unconvinced-er]

"Of course the UW never intended to sell the property in question to CUNA Mutual or anyone else for 'investment' purposes."

Who said that UW intended to sell the property for invetment purposes,,??

the quote you posted says..."It (CUNA Mutual) acquired the land "not just for expansion" but also as an investment... " He didn't say UW sold it for an investment. He is speaking of CUNA ..bizarre...
is this a propaganda site?

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