Ken's Bar and Grill - 117 S. Butler St.

July 29, 2003 - Charges Sought In Demolition – Ken's Bar Was In Historic District –

Razed a 1863 Wood-framed building in downtown Madison without city permission.

Originally built for a downtown property owner named Ole Thompson.

Neglected to get Landmarks Commission approval, needed before any building within a historic district is demolished.

After a year and a half of haggling with the city, property owner Dale W. Beck intends to begin final demolition work next week and then start building a new two-story structure that will host a New Orleans-style tavern called The Bayou.

Beck got a remodeling permit in late 2002 to make improvements to the structure in the First Settlement Historic District.

But the city Landmarks Commission later found the renovation had drifted into a demolition and the city stopped work on the project in July 2003.

Beck and his representatives negotiated with the neighborhood and commission for a year until the commission approved a design for a new building in June 2004.