Just blocks from the UW-Madison campus, Brothers Bar and Grill is a classic college tavern with sports-crazed patrons, 10-cent chicken wings and a line out the door on Saturday nights. But it now stands in the way of the very institution that has been feeding it a steady stream of customers over the years. The university has moved to take the land on which the bar sits at 704 University Ave. to build a new School of Music performance hall.Bar owners Marc and Eric Fortney sued the university, sparking a debate about when itâ??s appropriate and legal for government institutions to condemn private property for public purpose. The two sidesâ?? arguments will be aired in court during a trial scheduled for this week. Given the schoolâ??s ambitious long-term building plans that seep into surrounding neighborhoods, the results of this case could inform the way UW-Madison acquires property for future expansion. “If this works for them now, why wouldnâ??t they use it again?” asked UW-Madison political science professor Donald Downs.
Office of Strategic Communication