As Madison drivers adjust to a single lane of traffic along John Nolen Drive this winter, down the street toward the Beltline, developers and planners are imagining how to turn the area near the Alliant Energy Center into a pedestrian- and bike-friendly gateway to downtown — over the next 20 years or so.
The area around the Alliant Energy Center, a local convention center nestled between John Nolen and Rimrock Road, is zoned for parks and recreation for events like Brat Fest that bring people from the Dane County region and beyond to the isthmus downtown.
The reconstruction of John Nolen Drive is part of a larger vision to transform part of Madison’s south side into a vibrant, bustling waterfront walkway, complete with an updated entertainment campus…