Hi All –

I wanted to introduce myself. I submitted the hotel proposal along with my business partner. My family has lived in Madison for over thirty years. I grew up here — I went to Ryerson, Jeffrey, and Polson — and my mom has owned a business on our Main Street for many years. After college, and a decade working elsewhere, my husband and I moved back two years ago to raise our daughter here and to contribute to the community that shaped me. Madison isn’t just where I’m from — it’s where I want to build my family’s future. I am not some out of town developer who only sees this as a financial play. On the contrary, I am deeply invested in this community.

My business partner, Elissia Sigalow, and I run a development and design company, and we have designed and delivered hospitality and mixed-use projects across the country — from 1,200 room resorts to boutique developments. In our former lives, my business partner was a top financial lawyer, and I was a management consultant and Fortune 500 strategist — together we bring the kind of experience, relationships, and discipline it takes to make a complex project like this successful.

What we’re proposing is to bring the Academy building back to life as a boutique hotel — not an oversized chain, but a place rooted in Madison’s character. Our concept includes a restaurant, rooftop bar, café, and event space with subsidized access for town and community programming — public spaces where residents and visitors can gather daily, celebrate milestones, and reconnect with our town’s history. Amenities that our town is currently lacking. The project will allow Madison to gain a vibrant new destination, ~50 new jobs, and significant annual tax revenue, while adding community amenities. Importantly, our vision is for The Academy to feel like it belongs to Madison — a thoughtful, beautiful space that honors our past, strengthens our local economy, and gives us something lasting to be proud of.

I have spent a lot of time with many folks across town talking about this idea, and both me and my partner want to extend an invitation to grab a coffee and speak with anyone who has ideas, constructive criticism, or support for the concept. Regardless of whether this proposal goes forward, I feel strongly that this project needs to be built with the community not just in it. I know there are a lot of strong feelings about this building, and I understand this proposal won’t be for everyone. I do believe this project can be something we’re all proud to say was born right here in Madison.

Sincerely,

Ashley Rocha-Rinere

MADISON RESIDENT