Madison’s Plan Commission unanimously approved a demolition application Monday for the Wonder Bar and nearby Coliseum Bar, clearing a major hurdle for redevelopment of the long-vacant property near Olin Park. Range Hill Partners has proposed replacing the bars with a seven-story apartment building containing about 190 units, from studios to three-bedroom apartments, and more than 1,600 square feet of ground-floor commercial space. The site is at the intersection of Olin Avenue and John Nolen Drive. The company submitted a land-use application Monday and is seeking potential approvals from the Urban Design Commission and Plan Commission by the end of November. The proposed building has not yet been approved. The property has been vacant for five years. Developer Dan Kennelly said its buildings have deteriorating facades, damaged mechanical systems and hazardous materials, including asbestos and lead-based paint. He said the company examined ways to retain the Wonder Bar but concluded that site constraints and the building’s condition made reuse unworkable, citing challenges with parking, fire access, deliveries and pedestrian connections. Public comments to the city reflected a sharp divide: 233 residents registered opposition to demolition, while 41 registered support, planning director Meagan Tuttle told commissioners. Preservation advocates argued the Wonder Bar is part of Madison’s history and sense of place. The building’s history includes a period when it operated as a roadhouse before becoming a supper club in the 1940s. Preservation advocate John Rolling said its story from 1932 to 1962 offers a window into Prohibition enforcement, the region’s growth and the spread of automobile culture. Although the city’s Landmarks Commission found the building had historic value in August, it recommended against designating it a local landmark. The site has been the focus of several redevelopment proposals. Commissioners rejected an 18-story plan in 2021, citing concerns that included demolition of the Wonder Bar and the building’s height. A 12-story proposal approved in 2022 would have kept the bar, but that project did not move forward. Some residents warned that removing older buildings one by one would erode the city’s historic character. Commission members, however, said preserving the structure was not feasible and would constrain the more intensive use envisioned for the property under city plans. Commissioner Patrick Heck said he was not persuaded by arguments that opposition to the project was primarily resistance to change.