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March 7-14, 2008 | March 14-21, 2008 | March 21-28, 2008
Development News for the week 03/21/08 – 03/28/08
VILLAGER PROPOSAL LETDOWN FOR SOME MANY RESIDENTS HAD HOPED THE PLAN WOULD INCLUDE A GROCERY AND NEW RESTAURANT
The city's long-awaited redevelopment of Villager Mall - intended to be an economic catalyst for Madison's South Side - is close to getting under way, but neighborhood residents are questioning the latest plans for the project. "I think people do feel a certain sense of disappointment," said Julie Yearling, one of more than 70 residents who attended a community meeting Monday at the South Park Street site where many had hoped to see a new restaurant and grocery store.
A SMALLER VILLAGER SOME GRIPING AS CITY CUTS BACK ON PARK STREET MALL REHAB PLAN
A pared-down redevelopment plan for the worn-out Villager Mall, to be unveiled to the community Monday, has some of its south side neighbors grumbling over a drift from hoped-for commercial uses in favor of new spaces for the service providers now located there. What was once envisioned as nine buildings is now sketched out as four. Gone are the 39 condominiums once planned, the free-standing restaurant and grocery store. Also wiped from the drawing board are an interior street to bring traffic into the site and underground parking.
SOUTH-SIDERS SPLIT ON WHERE TO PUT LIBRARY
When south side residents and business owners tucked in knee to knee in a newly decorated meeting room at the Villager Mall to discuss redevelopment of the tired shopping center, it was the location of a planned new library branch that stirred the most discussion. No doubt, the renovated mall would include a new and larger library space, the 80 people who turned out Monday for a community meeting agreed.
VERONA BOUNDARY SKETCH EMERGING TENTATIVE AGREEMENT REACHED
Residents in the city and town of Verona won't know exactly what they're voting for in next Tuesday's referendum to consolidate the two municipalities. But they can get a pretty good idea Wednesday, when a tentative boundary agreement with Madison will be on view. The proposed intergovernmental agreement still needs to go to a public hearing and be approved by the Verona City Council and the Verona Town Board, along with the Madison City Council. But it's a start.
PROPOSAL TO CHANGE BILLBOARD BAN STALLS
The ban on new billboards in Madison is going to remain, at least for the time being. The Plan Commission on Monday granted Ald. Jed Sanborn's request to place his proposed ordinance to alter the ban on file, but a different proposal could be on the way.
SIGN FROM THE CITY MADISON WON'T BUDGE ON BILLBOARD BAN
Those who abhor giant lighted billboards can breathe a sign of relief. The effort to ease Madison's 40-year ban on erecting new billboards has apparently run out of steam - although officials with Adams Outdoor Advertising said today they won't give up.
GROUPS OFFER IDEAS FOR CLOSED ROTC SITE
The site of a shuttered ROTC training center on South Park Street could become permanent housing for mentally ill homeless people or a school, under proposals aired Wednesday at the Labor Temple. Porchlight Inc., Goodwill Industries of South Central Wisconsin, African-American Ethnic Academy and Madison Central Montessori School presented proposals for the Truman Olson Army Reserve Center, 1402 S. Park St.
Sugar-fuel idea simmers
Sugar-fuel idea simmers. Madison firm seeks gas alternative. Europe's largest oil company, Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and Madison-based Virent Energy Systems Inc. are teaming up to find ways to produce gasoline directly from plant sugars, a move that could eventually reduce costs.
VIRENT, SHELL EXTEND PACT
Extending a partnership that began last year, Madison-based Virent Energy Systems and oil giant Shell today announced a joint research and development effort to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components, rather than ethanol. The goal is to produce biofuels that can be used at high blend rates in standard gasoline engines, eliminating the need for specialized infrastructure, new engine designs and blending equipment.
IT'S CURTAINS FOR OLD HOUSE NEAR CAMPUS 1905 STRUCTURE IN TH WAY OF DEVELOPMENT
Developers of a $24 million high-rise apartment building near UW-Madison have been unable to find a place to relocate one historic building, causing them to move forward with plans to demolish it. The Madison City Council in January approved the Ten-Twenty-Two housing project - which would feature a 14-story tower with 162 apartments and underground parking - with the expectation that new locations would be found for two old homes on the site at 1022 W. Johnson St. at West Johnson and North Mills streets.
THIRD WAVE UNVEILS PARTNERSHIP THE MADISON COMPANY WILL WORK WITH DCL MEDICAL LABORATORIES
This is turning into a pretty good month for Third Wave Technologies. Less than a week after getting approval for its cystic-fibrosis genetic test, the Madison company announced Thursday the formation of a strategic partnership with DCL Medical Laboratories of Indianapolis, which will serve as a product development, demonstration and marketing partner with Third Wave.
ECONOMY TAKING TOLL ON OVERTURE
The financial outlook for the Overture Center continues to slip as its trust fund's return on investments shows no sign of improving, which could potentially put Madison taxpayers on the hook for millions more. The trust fund, which pays debt on the facility's construction and provides cash for long-term capital projects, stood at $100.1 million as of March 14, according to mayoral aide George Twigg, dipping nearly to the point where emergency funding mechanisms would be called into play.
CO-OP GIVES UP ON CONDO LOCATION WILL STREET CO-OP HAS LOST ABOUT $500,000
Layoffs. About $500,000 in debt. No new store. That's been the cost to the Willy Street Co-op over the past six months as it got caught in the middle of a financial mess between the developer of a Downtown condominium tower and his banks.
CO-OP CUTS TIES TO METRO PLACE
The Willy Street Co-op's long-sought second location will have to wait longer still. The cooperative's board of directors has voted unanimously to end its lease with Metropolitan Place Phase II, the financially-strapped downtown condominium project currently in receivership.
DECISION COMING ON GARVER BUILDING THE COMMITTEE HAS HAD A HARD TIME DECIDING BETWEEN AN ARTS INCUBATOR AND SUSTAINABILITY CENTER
Both say their visions will work in harmony with nearby Olbrich Botanical Gardens. Both hope to become an example for the rest of the nation to follow.
POTTER LAWSON HAS HAND IN BUILDINGS PAST, PRESENT THE ARCHITECTURE FIRM KEEPS ITS FOCUS ON DESIGNING BUILDINGS IN WISCONSIN
Potter Lawson, one of the Madison area's oldest architectural firms, is a designer of Madison landmarks. Early projects included the Tenney Building (1913), Madison's Masonic Temple (1925) and the nine-story Gay Building (1915), which was Madison's first high-rise. The company also designed homes in Maple Bluff and the University Heights neighborhood.
TRANSIT PAPERS NOT SUBMITTED MADISON AND DANE COUNTY ARE FINE-TUNING THE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR A TRANSIT AUTHORITY
More than six months after Madison and Dane County approved the concept fo r a local source of money to pay for commuter trains, officials have yet to submit an application for federal rail funding. The delay has fueled the arguments of rail opponents during an election season in which regional transportation has been the top issue. Planners will update Dane County Board members today on the project.
WOULD-BE LANDMARKS THREATEN HIGH-RISE
Three buildings on Capitol Square got one step closer to becoming landmarks Monday night, as the city's Landmarks Commission unanimously approved their historic status. The Hobbins Block/Olson and Veerhusen Building, the Maeder Building/Ellsworth Block, and the Winterbotham Building, all on North Pinckney Street, will be recommended as landmarks to the City Council.
OVERTURE ACCOUNT HITS A NEW LOW THE ARTS CENTER'S TRUST FUND IS SO LOW IT MAY NEED "FIREWALLS" TO MEET DEBT OBLIGATIONS
The Overture Center's special trust fund has fallen to its lowest point, barely above partial default. A group of private citizens, in fact, is now quietly forming to consider alternatives for the long-range financial security of the facility. No names are yet available.
Madison company partners with Shell to develop new biogasoline
Madison-based Virent Energy Systems Inc. today announced it has launched a joint research and development effort with Shell to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components, rather than ethanol.
Madison and Brookfield are on list of 'Best Places'
Madison and Brookfield rank among the "100 Best Places to Live and Launch" a new small business in a new report by CNNMoney.com and Fortune magazine.
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
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ARTS CENTER FAVORED FOR OLD GARVER SITE THE CREATIVE SPACE STILL FACES APPROVAL BY CITY COUNCIL
An arts incubator that will create space for local artists and give visitors the chance to participate in the arts should inhabit the old Garver Feed Mill, the building's reuse committee recommended to the City Council in a 5-3 vote Tuesday. After the eight-member committee was split between proposals for an arts incubator and a sustainability center this month, the committee heard final public comments and met in closed session to decide the development would go to the proposal submitted by Common Wealth Development.
PANEL BACKS ARTS FACILITY FOR GARVER MILL
A belief in the potential of the arts to transform the community won out over the promise of a hothouse for green strategies when a city advisory panel backed a plan to convert the former Garver Feed Mill into an arts incubator. Marianne Morton, whose Common Wealth Development's arts incubator proposal won the hard-fought battle Tuesday, cast the choice in terms of a more experienced team with a fully fleshed out development plan.
ALLIANT MOVING OFFICES IN CITY THE ENERGY COMPANY IS MOVING TO THE EDGE OF BARABOO, OPENING RIVERFRONT PROPERTY FOR DEVELOPMENT
The city of Baraboo and Alliant Energy officials have agreed the utility will move its offices and equipment yard from the Ringling Riverfront to a business park on the southwest edge of the city, representatives announced last week. The move opens up about four acres of formerly industrial property for commercial or residential use as part of the city's revitalization of the area along the river between Lynn and Water streets.
DISTRESSED IN THE DELLS ACTIVISTS SAY RESORT PROJECT WILL HARM WISCONSIN RIVER NATURAL AREA
Hiroshi Kanno doesn't buy it - not for a minute. Contrary to what the developers of the proposed $160 million Grand Cambrian Resort on the lower dells of the Wisconsin River claim, Kanno says, there's just no way a massive condominium-hotel with two waterparks won't end up harming the river. Or, for that matter, the adjacent state natural area that's home to many rare plants and animals and a favorite habitat of the bald eagle.
CHEVY AIMS TO LAUNCH VOLT PLUG-IN LATE 2010
The competition to become the battery supplier for the Chevrolet Volt is a "horse race" between two competing developers, and plans are on schedule for a late 2010 launch of the plug-in electric vehicle, a top General Motors Corp. executive said. Vice Chairman Bob Lutz, who is overseeing the development of the Volt, said the automaker had hoped to name a battery supplier in April but GM wants to "run the two in parallel for a while longer" as it continues to test the battery packs under a variety of conditions.
REPORT: BOTTLENECKS HARM BORDER TRADE BETTER TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE IN GREAT LAKES REGION KEY
Bottlenecks along the U.S.-Canadian border resulting from efforts to prevent terrorism are hampering economic growth in the Great Lakes region and should be a front-burner issue in the presidential campaign, says a report released Sunday. It urges the two nations to develop a "border of the future," using advanced technology to quicken the movement of people, goods and services without sacrificing needed security measures. They also should upgrade border-area infrastructure such as bridges, rail lines and ports, says the analysis by the Brookings Institution, a policy research organization based in Washington, D.C.
IOWA ETHANOL FIRM EYES LOCAL PARTNERSHIP
A Mason City ethanol plant is working with Madison-based BEST BioDiesel Inc. for possible expansion into biodiesel by the end of the year. Walt Wendland, president of Golden Grain Energy, said it would be a "first-of-its kind" partnership that would use BESTs technology to take Golden Grain's corn oil and process it into biodiesel.
Asian funds sought for redevelopment
Asian funds sought for redevelopment. Pabst Brewing site owner seeks Chinese funding for international trade center. The Pabst Brewing Co. complex, perhaps the most conspicuous symbol of Milwaukee's urban decay, is reaching out for redevelopment funding from an unexpected source: the Chinese...
Hospital postpones rezoning proposal for parking lot
Hospital postpones rezoning proposal for parking lot. CMH officials to seek input from neighbors, district. After a proposal by Community Memorial Hospital to rezone a parcel on Town Hall Road for a 243-stall parking lot drew fire, hospital officials have decided to revise their plans...
Tosa site for campus opposed
Tosa site for campus opposed. Some say UWM research park should be built downtown. "UWM Downtown, not UW-Tosa."...
Milwaukee is still losing jobs
Milwaukee is still losing jobs. Study finds city is faring worse than most of its peers. The national economic slowdown is taking a toll locally, according to the latest comparison of Milwaukee's employment with other large cities...
Big development plans divide city
Big development plans divide city. Lake Geneva voters to advise aldermen. Residents who oppose real estate development in their communities often complain loudly, organize protests or circulate petitions...
Husco may trim jobs
Husco may trim jobs. Iowa's gain may mean losses at Waukesha factory. Husco International's decision to expand in Iowa is not only an economic development loss for Wisconsin but probably will mean job cuts at the firm's Waukesha factory, the firm's chairman and chief executive...
Green Lake golf course to be sold at auction
Inland Real Estate Auctions Inc. announced today it will auction Tuscumbia Country Club in Green Lake, Wis., home to the state's oldest golf course.
BizTimes Real Estate Weekly: Another distribution center for Kenosha County
Kenosha County is attracting yet another major industrial development. Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), plans to build a 692,000-square-foot distribution center on a vacant 100-acre site southeast of 52nd Street and 88th Avenue for Norfolk, Neb.-based Affiliated Foods Midwest.
Kenosha will get another huge distribution center
Chicago-based First Industrial Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT), plans to build a 692,000-square-foot distribution center on a vacant 100-acre site southeast of 52nd Street and 88th Avenue for Norfolk, Neb.-based Affiliated Foods Midwest.
More hotel
Ed Eldridge, the owner of People's Choice Corp. car wash at 7700 W. Rawson Ave., plans to build a five-story, 99-room hotel with 1,600 to 2,500 square feet of meeting space, on a vacant site just north of a gas station at the northwest corner of South 76th Street and Rawson Avenue in Franklin.
Kohl's to open new Grafton store
Menomonee Falls-based Kohl's Corp. will open its new Grafton store on Wednesday, April 9, in the Grafton Commons development at I-43 and Highway 60
County to sell parcel for Pabst site project today
Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker will officially sign a resolution today for the sale of a parcel that will become the "gateway" for the redevelopment of the former Pabst Brewery site in downtown Milwaukee.
Development News for the week 03/14/08 to 03/21/08
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MONROE ST. CONDO PROJECT ON HOLD
A tenuous market for new homes is delaying construction of the $15 million Wingra Shores condominiums on the city's near west side. Billed as a "transit-oriented development," the project from local landlord Jim Corcoran is planned just west of the Laurel Tavern and Michael's Frozen Custard, running through the entire block to Arbor Drive. It calls for 45 condo units in a three- and four-story building with 57 underground parking spaces, offering views of Lake Wingra and nearby UW Arboretum.
ROYSTER SITE CONTAMINATED REDEMPTION OF SOIL, WATER NECESSARY
Soil tests last spring at the site of the former Royster-Clark fertilizer plant on Madison's east side found concentrations of benzene, a petrochemical carcinogen, more than 175 times the level at which cleanup is required, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Tests taken by a private engineering firm in April 2007 at the site at Cottage Grove and Dempsey roads showed benzene concentrations of 890 parts per billion, DNR hydrogeologist Wendell Wojner said this week. State laws require cleanup of benzene at a concentration of 5 parts per billion.
DEVELOPERS PULL OUT OF PROJECT
Neighbors will wait a little longer to know the future of the 26.7-acre Royster Clark property on the corner of Dempsey and Cottage Grove roads. Ald. Larry Palm, 15th District, said Thursday that Urban Solutions Inc., a Madison-based real estate development firm, and Silverstone Partners have pulled out of a deal with Agrium U.S. to buy the site of the former East Side fertilizer plant.
HOME LISTING SUCCESS RATES HAVE DECREASED
One way to gauge the relative effort required to sell a home or condo is to track the listing success rate over time. The listing success rate is the number of listings that sell relative to the number of listings that sell or expire during a given time period. According to MLS data compiled by DaneCountyMarket.com, listing success rates for Dane County homes and condos ranged between 68 and 78 percent during the first half of the decade. In other words, many more listings sold than expired through the year 2005.
COUNCIL NEAR OK OF DEMOLITION RULES
A remodeling of Madison's building demolition ordinance is ready for City Council approval Tuesday, though some objections remain. The changes were drafted in response to an increasing number of demolition requests in recent years, some of which were granted without a proposed use for the site, according to Ald. Brenda Konkel, 2nd District, who introduced the ordinance in July.
TOUGH TIMES FOR INCUBATOR ONLY HALF THE SPACE AT THE GENESIS ENTERPRISE CENTER IS OCCUPIED, AND SOME BELIEVE THE NONPROFIT GROUP IS A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS
For years, DeAngelo Jackson watched as the construction companies he worked for prospered. Now Jackson, 46, has stepped out front. Last year, he co-founded his own firm, Urban Construction Administration Inc. Helping him the whole way has been Genesis Development Corp., a Madison nonprofit organization that aids start-up companies, especially those led by minorities and lower-income people.
GENESIS BUSINESSES
Genesis Enterprise Center , 313 W. Beltline, has housed dozens of businesses over the years. Here's a closer look at a few of them. TeachingBooks.net: This Internet-based subscription service became the first true start-up company at Genesis when it moved there in 2002 from the home of founder Nick Glass. The company creates and catalogs information and videos about authors and books. The service is now in almost one-fifth of all schools nationally, said Glass, 43. The company employs six people and plans to add more soon. Over the years, Glass said he has hired three people, including an intern, from within a six-block area. "I'm a South Side resident, and I want to support the growth of my community," he said. "I believe in this concept."
A GREEN VILLAGE FOR FITCHBURG GROUP PROPSES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
A "sustainable village," complete with natural sewage treatment, a school of organic agriculture and businesses powered by the sun, wind and renewable organic fuel could find a home in Fitchburg. But first local organizers need to raise about $25 million for the 250-acre project.
A RECEIVER IS APPOINTED FOR CONDO TOWER FISHER OUT AT PHASE II OF METROPOLITAN PLACE
Downtown developer Cliff Fisher is out as manager of Phase II of Metropolitan Place, replaced by a Milwaukee lawyer who was appointed as receiver, under terms of a settlement reached with lenders on Friday. Michael Polsky will take over management duties from Fisher's company, Buckingham LLC, which built the 164-unit condominium tower, as part of an agreement that dismissed a foreclosure action against Buckingham by La Salle National Bank and Associated Bank.
COUNTY, STATE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED
Foreclosures rose last month in Dane County and Wisconsin, according to a report issued Thursday by RealtyTrac, an online database for foreclosure properties. The county had 131 foreclosure filings in February, including default notices, auction sales and repossessions, or one for every 1,545 households. The number was up about 3 percent from 127 filings in January and about 134 percent higher than the 56 filings in February 2007.
MACHINES WILL FIGHT ANIMALS' CANCERS
Madison-based TomoTherapy, which went public and installed its first cancer treatment machines in China and India last year, is poised to embark on another venture: pet therapy. UW-Madison's School of Veterinary Medicine plans next year to install the first TomoTherapy machine anywhere designated for veterinary use.
2 UW PROJECTS OK'D BY STATE
Two UW-Madison projects were approved by a state commission on Wednesday - a coffee shop at Memorial Union and a holding facility for mice and rats at the future Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery. Construction on Peet's Coffee & Tea, a national chain based in California, will begin in August on the first floor of Memorial Union, in the space formerly occupied by STA Travel. The shop will open by mid-October, said Paul Brodhead, assistant director of facilities. The state Building Commission approved $550,000 in funds.
Around the State and Points Elsewhere
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CONTROVERSIAL DELLS RESORT GAINS APPROVAL FROM DNR
The $163 million Grand Cambrian Resort proposed for 112 acres adjacent to 1,300 acres of the lower dells of the Wisconsin River owned by the state Department of Natural Resources has been granted a construction permit by the DNR. "We've been working cooperatively with DNR officials to ensure appropriate protections have been incorporated into the permit," Cambrian Development managing partner Mac R. McDonald said in a statement. "Agreements with both the city of Wisconsin Dells and now the DNR will minimize the impact with the 75-foot no disturbance zone and the minimum 120-foot set back from the high water mark. . . . A substantial amount of research and a great deal of thought has gone into the public's concern over erosion control and preserving the natural scenic beauty of the lower dells. We are confident that our development plans will be a model of balance between nature and commerce that the city of Wisconsin Dells and tourists can take pride in."
GIANT RESORT PROJECT APPROVED FOR DELLS
Construction of a $163 million resort in Wisconsin Dells has been approved. The state Department of Natural Resources has granted a construction permit for the Grand Cambrian Resort, a 112-acre condominium resort, waterpark and convention center on the city's south side.
ATC goes 'green' with new headquarters
ATC goes 'green' with new headquarters. When ground is broken later this month for a new Pewaukee headquarters building for American Transmission Co. (ATC), the building will be one of the first in the city to be certified as a "green" building.. When ground is broken later this month for...
Forbes names Milwaukee one of U.S.'s "Top 10 Up-And-Coming Tech Cities
Forbes magazine has named Milwaukee to its list of Top 10 Up-And Coming Tech Cities. The magazine reports that, "globalization and poor training may have gutted America's manufacturing base, but stalwart metal-bender Milwaukee is not backing down. 'Some places believe that manufacturing is dead or dying. We don't,' says Jim Paetsch, director of corporate relocation, expansion and attraction at Milwaukee 7, an economic development organization. 'Manufacturing is certainly different today than it was even 10 years ago. Our strategy is to become the leading global center for the technology-intensive manufacturing enterprises of the future.' Rather than just crank out widgets, local companies are attacking bottlenecks in the manufacturing process itself. For example, Rockwell Automation makes snazzy sensors and controls that boost assembly-line productivity. Johnson Controls, inventor of the thermostat in 1883, has produced energy-efficient heating, air-conditioning and lighting systems running throughout 1 billion square feet of commercial real estate. Chief Executive Stephen Roell plans to expand Johnson's workforce 35 percent, to 190,000 employees, in the next three to four years."
SPECTRUM TO ADD JOBS IN FENNIMORE
New alkaline battery technology is bringing 50 jobs back to the Rayovac plant in Fennimore, Spectrum Brands announced today. Spectrum last year cut 100 of the plant's 275 jobs by moving production of some of its alkaline batteries to China in a move that was announced in December 2006.
GRANT TO AID PLATTEVILLE IMPROVEMENTS
If you're heading to Platteville in the near future, you may find Main Street brighter and less bumpy. Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thursday that the city is set to receive a $422,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce's Community Development Block Grant program.
LEGISLATURE ENDS WITH FINGER-POINTING
Health care reform will have to wait. So will a statewide smoking ban and a deal to protect Great Lakes water.
WISCONSIN LED LIGHT MANUFACTURER SEES BRIGHT FUTURE
Ruud Lighting has good reason to believe this country is on the brink of a revolution in lighting technology, with Ruud as the vanguard. That premise hinges on the light-emitting diode and Ruud's place at the forefront as a designer and manufacturer of LED light fixtures.
CORE INFLATION RISES AT FAST PACE
Wholesale prices rose again in February as another hefty increase in energy costs offset falling food prices. Outside of food and energy, prices shot up at the fastest pace in 15 months. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that wholesale prices were up 0.3 percent last month, following a 1 percent jump in January. Outside of food and energy, the rise in inflation was 0.5 percent, the biggest increase for core inflation since a rise of 0.9 percent in November 2006.
City might check out hotel for key development site
City might check out hotel for key development site. Developer cites promising study on conceptual plan. The owner of a Franklin car wash has proposed a $10 million hotel for a triangular parcel sided by South 76th Street, Rawson Avenue and Loomis Road...
Construction at former power plant to start soon
Construction at former power plant to start soon. Construction of Trestle Creek subdivisions' first phase is anticipated to start this spring...
Ground broken on mega GE facility
Ground broken on mega GE facility. The mood was festive March 14 at the Gingerbread House restaurant March 14, where groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new $25 million, 486,000-square-foot GE Healthcare facility that will be constructed on a 35-acre site next door...
City might seek lake water
City might seek lake water. City officials are taking steps to start discussions with the city of Milwaukee on potentially providing Lake Michigan water to the southeastern corner of Brookfield...
Condo project put on hold
Condo project put on hold. Village to share costs with developer. Shorewood's Community Development Authority has entered into an agreement with a private developer in an effort to keep the prospects of a condominium project alive amid the challenging state of the real estate...
Judge OKs addition to proposed New Berlin hotel
Judge OKs addition to proposed New Berlin hotel. Development's height had drawn opposition. A judge has approved the addition of two floors on a proposed hotel and conference center, saying the height is within the parameters provided by city ordinance...
Developer balks at water; Town Board passes conditional zoning change anyway
Developer balks at water; Town Board passes conditional zoning change anyway. The owner of a proposed 45-acre industrial park on the town's eastern border is confident he and town officials can agree on how the land will be developed, but he said the project will not include municipal water.. The owner of a proposed 45-acre industrial...
Lake-water talks authorized
Lake-water talks authorized. Brookfield council votes to negotiate with Milwaukee to tap Lake Michigan. Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday to seek negotiations with Milwaukee to buy Lake Michigan water to serve a southeastern corner of Brookfield, under a joint project with Elm...
Condo plans get planners support
Condo plans get planners support. A condominium development on the former Sentry site on Oakton Avenue was embraced by the Plan Commission on Thursday.. A condominium development on the former Sentry site on Oakton Avenue was embraced by the Plan Commission on Thursday...
Developers finding lenders pickier
Developers finding lenders pickier. Highly leveraged construction projects may be out of luck. Developers, take heart. There are lenders willing to fund major commercial projects...
Delinquent deluge
Delinquent deluge. Banks cite real estate downturn for loan, lease troubles. Delinquent loans and leases at Wisconsin banks rose 80% last year, a surge bankers say can be traced back mostly to one thing: the downturn in the residential real estate market...
Riverwalk plan on hold
Riverwalk plan on hold. Council panel delays action on city funding proposal. A Common Council committee Friday delayed acting on a proposal to provide city funds for a riverwalk that would be built in connection with a new downtown hotel...
Quad/Graphics to expand West Allis facility
Quad/Graphics Inc. will expand its Wisconsin operations with two major construction projects: a 192,000-square-foot expansion of its West Allis plant for the company's growing direct mail operations; and, as previously announced, a new 388,800-square-foot distribution center in Menomonee Falls for cross-docking freight produced in its five Wisconsin plants. – Updated March 17, 2008
Report backs more aid to project
Report backs more aid to project. City predicts higher value for Fleming site. Expanding a special financing district to encompass the proposed Shoppes at Fox River could increase the value of the western part of the former Fleming Co. property from $7.5 million to $62 million, a report...
New RedPrairie CEO says company will remain in Wisconsin
Mike Mayoras, the new chief executive officer of Town of Brookfield-based RedPrairie Corp., is bringing a different attitude to leading the high tech company than former CEO John Jazwiec. For one thing, unlike Jazwiec, he is not threatening to the move the company out of state.
"We enjoy our Wisconsin home," Mayoras told SBT Monday.
QPS acquires another Wisconsin staffing company
Brookfield-based QPS Companies Inc. has acquired N.E.W. Contracting, which has offices in Green Bay and Appleton. With the acquisition, QPS, a staffing company, will add an estimated 20 percent to the business already generated by its own locations in Appleton and Green Bay.
Developer proposes 21-story building for downtown Racine
Kenosha developer Robert Watring wants to build a 21-story condominium and hotel development at 73 Eighth St. in downtown Racine.
Development News for the week 03/07/08 – 03/14/08
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PANEL SPLITS ON GARVER MILL'S USE
Just too close to call. That was the report Thursday from a city of Madison panel on two competing proposals for the redevelopment of the old Garver Feed Mill site adjacent to Olbrich Botanical Gardens on the city's east side.
BACK TO DRAWING BOARD ON FERTILIZER PLANT SITE
The prospective redeveloper of the site of the abandoned Royster-Clark fertilizer plant has pulled out of a project that eyed a mix of non-industrial uses for the 26-acre site on Cottage Grove and Dempsey roads. Ald. Larry Palm, whose east side District 15 includes the site, confirmed Wednesday that the prospective developer had pulled out. He speculated that the cost of demolishing the building and cleaning up the site may have cut profit margins to an unattractive level.
LOOK OUT BELOW! BUILDINGS' DEMISE ON TABLE CITY COUNCIL EYES REVISIONS TO DEMOLITION RULES
The Madison City Council is going to look Tuesday at revising the rules for demolishing buildings in Madison. Ald. Brenda Konkel's reworking of the regulations is meant to solve problems the fourth-term council member has seen in the increasing number of demolition requests in recent years. For example, she said, it adds a new requirement that neighbors must be informed before a building is demolished by fire.
LAND SWAP PROPOSAL IN WORKS
The University Research Park and CUNA Mutual Group are working on a land swap that would be the first step for a mixed-use development between Mineral Point and Odana roads. The swap, which depends on developing a master development plan for 52 acres CUNA Mutual will own after the swap, also would provide an additional 20 acres for research park expansion.
DIVIDED HEIGHTS? OWNERS SEEK SPLIT OF HISTORIC N. PROSPECT PARCEL
Trudy and Harvey Barash have a good track record in restoring historic Madison properties and are now asking their neighbors for a bit of understanding as they propose to build a new home in University Heights. The only hangup is getting the city to go along with plans to subdivide a large wooded lot, home to the national landmark Ely House they own at 205 N. Prospect Ave.
SENATE OKS DEMS' ECONOMIC PLAN LEGISLATURE ROUNDUP
An economic development plan designed to spur job growth and close tax loopholes passed the Democratic-controlled Senate. The proposal differs from what Gov. Jim Doyle wants and is not expected to pass the Republican-controlled Assembly before it adjourns for the year.
CITY EYES A SHIFT IN TIF NEW EMPHASIS SHOULD BE ON ATTRACTING GOOD JOBS, WITH AN ANNUAL REVIEW, ALDERMEN SAY
After years of channeling financial aid to office towers and upscale condos, Madison may focus on economic development, blighted neighborhoods and home ownership. A special city committee is considering a new set of tax incremental financing goals that would guide the investment of millions of dollars.
FALLING IN LOVE WITH A PARK
William Barker, chairman of Madison's Central Park Design and Implementation Task Force, summed up the challenge that must be met if the downtown is to have "a first-class urban park" at its heart. Developing the park on a 17-acre site in the East Washington rail corridor will require a dramatic level of commitment from not just residents of surrounding neighborhoods but from all Madisonians.
BOARD HOPEFULS NOTE DIFFERENCES\ LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE COUNTY BOARD CANDIDATES DISAGREE ON KEY ISSUES
Both conservative and liberal Dane County Board candidates say they want to keep your property taxes down and the county's "quality of life" robust, so what distinguishes them? Here's a hint - it starts with the letter "R."
IN THE AREA STATE AND COUNTY JOBLESS RATE RISES
In Dane County and statewide, unemployment in January was higher than in December, but it was equal to the level in January 2007. Dane County's jobless rate was 3.6 percent in January, up from 3.1 percent in December, while Wisconsin's unemployment rate was 5.5 percent in January, up from 4.6 percent in December, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.
MADISON PUBLIC MARKET ENVISIONED BACKERS MUST RAISE $16 MILLION IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDS
Imagine buying fresh asparagus, artisan cheeses or flowers, having a microbrew or dinner with regional ingredients, listening to live jazz or taking a cooking class. Among a diverse crowd.
HOUSING PLANNED FOR VERY POOR UNITS WILL START AT $250 A MONTH
With an economy gone soft and money and credit tight, a local nonprofit is developing housing for very poor families. Calling the effort "Housing and Hope," the Interfaith Hospitality Network of the Madison Area is trying to raise $4 million to buy, renovate and operate four existing eight-unit buildings that would be rented to homeless families that can pay about $250 a month or less for a place to live.
BUS SYSTEM HAS GROWTH PLAN METRO TRANSIT IS PROPOSING ROUTE CHANGES
Seeing its highest ridership in 25 years, Metro Transit is proposing service changes to ease crowding on buses and make them more on time. Metro, which has faced budget strains due mainly to rising fuel prices, has restructured routes three times since 2000, each time including service cuts as part of the package.
ROUNDABOUT ON EAST SIDE IS PLANNED THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE IS PLANNED FOR A BUSY INTERSECTION NEAR EAST TOWNE MALL
In an attempt to fix a notoriously dangerous intersection, Madison officials plan to build what will be one of the city's busiest roundabouts yet. Construction on the intersection at Lien, Thompson and Zeier roads near East Towne Mall is set to begin next year. Madison traffic engineer David Dryer estimated the cost to be near $2.3 million and said it should prove to be more efficient than traffic lights.
METRO PLACE II MAY SOON GET BACK ON TRACK
A deal is pending between developers of the second phase of the Metropolitan Place condominiums and two lenders to complete the building, avoid a mortgage foreclosure and bring the Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative in as an anchor tenant. Attorneys for a group headed by local landlord Cliff Fisher are meeting today with attorneys from Associated Bank and LaSalle Bank in a telephone conference before Dane County Circuit Judge Michael Nowakowski.
MAYOR HOPING TO MOVE UP PROJECTS TO REBUILD STREETS (FIRST EDITION) SPEEDUP SOUGHT ON REPAIRS TO CITY ROADS (SECOND EDITION)
Drivers in this year's pothole derby take note: It's officially shaping up to be a record season in Madison, and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and city staffers want to fill you in on what they're doing about it. A new city Web site - www.cityofmadison.com/potholepatrol - now offers one-stop shopping for information on all things pothole, including what causes them, how to report them, where the most pothole-ridden streets are and when they will be fixed by something more than a temporary patch that, at this time of year, pops right back out.
MATC MAY ADD CENTER TO TRAIN POLICE
Madison Area Technical College hopes to house its police, fire and emergency medical training programs in a new building that also would offer a firing range and training space for law enforcement agencies. The proposed 70,500-square-foot Protective Services Center would be built between Packers Avenue and Pankratz Street, south of International Lane. The site is less than a mile from MATC's main Truax campus on Madison's East Side.
DEAL PENDING IN CONDO LAWSUIT THE RESULT MIGHT BE A NEW MANAGING PARTNER FOR PHASE 2 OF METROPOLITAN PLACE
Cliff Fisher might be out as the managing partner of Phase 2 of Metropolitan Place, according to the terms of a settlement deal with his banks that could be finalized as early as Friday, Fisher's attorney said Tuesday. The deal could also enable Willy Street Co-op to resume construction on the store it is trying to build on the first level of the 164-unit condominium tower at the corner of Broom and West Mifflin streets.
State headlines: Land swap could spur development in Madison
The University Research Park in Madison and CUNA Mutual Group are working on a land swap that would be the first step for a mixed-use development between Mineral Point and Odana roads on the west side of the city.
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
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PLAN FOR QUARRY DRAWING PROTEST OPPONENTS SAY IT WOULD ENDANGER PROTECTION OF RESOURCES IN THE TOWN OF BARABOO
For most local people who live in the folded landscape of the Baraboo Hills' North Range, the high rock outcropping known as Mushroom Hill or Brennan's Knob is a familiar sight. But on March 18, the Sauk County Board will consider a proposal that would see the stony hilltop northeast of Baraboo leveled by a quartzite quarry over the next 30 years. In an area known for its scenic beauty and for its many protected natural areas, including nearby Devil's Lake State Park, the quarry proposal has galvanized dozens of opponents who say the idea flies in the face of a town comprehensive plan that emphasizes natural resource protection.
FARMLAND COST SEARS IN MIDWEST RECORD CROP PRICES PLAY KEY ROLE
A federal report showing a sharp rise in the value of Midwestern farmland last year rings true for Wisconsin farmers and agriculture industry observers, who say high commodity prices are a main factor in a yearslong trend that in some places has doubled or tripled the per-acre price of tillable land. Farmland values rose 16 percent in 2007 in an area that covers Iowa, Michigan and most of Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve. It's the biggest one-year increase in almost 30 years.
FORECLOSURES UP HERE, BUT BELOW U.S. RATE
While foreclosures fell slightly nationally in February from January, they continued to increase locally and statewide, RealtyTrac Inc. reported. However, the local and state rates of foreclosures per household remain well below the national rate, the Irvine, Calif.-based research firm said Wednesday.
SURVEY: QUARTER OF COMPANIES WILL HIRE STAFFING COMPANY MANPOWER FINDS 26 PERCENT OF COMPANIES PLAN TO ADD EMPLOYEES, 9 PERCENT PLAN TO CUT
Even as employers nationwide slashed 63,000 jobs last month, more than a quarter of U.S. companies say they plan to hire within the next three months, according to a survey of 14,000 companies. Across the country, 26 percent of companies expect to increase the size of their work force between April and June, according to the survey by global staffing firm Manpower. Nine percent plan a decrease, while 60 percent predict no change and 5 percent are unsure, the Milwaukee-based company found.
Housing troubles touch everyone, experts say
Housing troubles touch everyone, experts say. The mess in the nation's real estate market will require shared sacrifice and a broad effort to reorganize how mortgages are financed, experts said Thursday at a conference on foreclosures...
Water taxis to ply river downtown
Water taxis to ply river downtown. Daily service set for summer. In popularity, it likely won't rival the gondolas of Venice - or even the ducks at Wisconsin Dells. But Milwaukee is adding a new way for people to get around via the local waters..
Condos eyed for Sentry site again
Condos eyed for Sentry site again. Less than a week after its owner began an 18-month prison sentence, representatives of Grandview Development Group will present plans to the Plan Commission tonight for a condominium development on Oakton Avenue.. Less than a week after its owner began...
Condos gaining high ground
Condos gaining high ground. Council approves rezoning near school. The city of Greenfield has taken another step to allow a 14-building, 28-unit condominium development near Greenfield High School...
Fifth set of plans wins approval
Fifth set of plans wins approval. Concept calls for 30 units, street extension. A 30-unit condominium development for 7.5 vacant acres on 49th Street at Donges Lane received conceptual approval from the Plan Commission this week...
Plan Commission approves subdivision on Burleigh
Plan Commission approves subdivision on Burleigh. The city's Plan Commission on March 10 approved a preliminary plat for a six-lot subdivision that will be built at the northeast intersection of Burleigh Road and Estate Circle east of Brookfield Road...
Council to review Town Center TIF proposal
Council to review Town Center TIF proposal. The proposed tax-incremental financing district for Mequon's Town Center moved one step closer to final go-ahead March 10 with the unanimous approval of the Planning Commission...
Medical center wins approval
Medical center wins approval. ProHealth Care clinic will feature doctor offices, day surgery. A new 160,000-square-foot ProHealth Care facility proposed for the east side of the 1700 block of Moorland Road has received New Berlin Plan Commission approval...
Office allocation deleted from Park East hotel plan
Office allocation deleted from Park East hotel plan. 22-story building to have nightclub, restaurant. A hotel and condominium tower planned for downtown Milwaukee's Park East area will not include office space, as originally proposed, but will seek a "celebrity chef" for its restaurant and high-end operators...
Sign size less than a monumental issue
Sign size less than a monumental issue. Planners OK larger displays at Shoppes. Using new guidelines for multitenant commercial developments, the Franklin Plan Commission has approved a plus-sized master sign plan for the Shoppes at Wyndham Village...
Developer balks at water
Developer balks at water. The owner of a proposed 45-acre industrial park on the town's eastern border is confident he and town officials can agree on how the land will be developed, but he said the project will not include municipal water.. The owner of a proposed 45-acre industrial...
8-story building could expand
8-story building could expand. Downtown offices may grow to side. A local development firm is considering a major expansion of an eight-story office building that it operates in downtown Milwaukee...
City, tower close to settling
City, tower close to settling. Kilbourn Tower would pay $950,000 owed for land. The owners of the Kilbourn Tower condominium high-rise will pay $950,000 owed to the City of Milwaukee, and the city will give up $300,000 worth of overdue interest payments, to settle a legal dispute...
Park East tower work tied to condo sales
Park East tower work tied to condo sales. Construction now predicted to begin in fall. Construction could begin this fall on a $160 million hotel and condominium tower planned for downtown Milwaukee's Park East area, if the project's developers can sell enough condos by that time...
Hotels ascend around airport
Hotels ascend around airport. Developers line up to provide lodging for airline travelers. Travelers looking for a hotel room near Mitchell International Airport may have a lot more choices over the next few years...
Tower's new life stalls
Tower's new life stalls. Dispute with city over plans for redevelopment leaves site vacant. The single biggest industrial site in Milwaukee remains largely vacant, even as the investors who bought the property more than a year ago insist that they have plenty of ideas for infusing...
Court upholds moratorium on development
Court upholds moratorium on development. Town had put hold on land splits. Wisconsin towns are praising a legal victory that allows them to control development within their borders by imposing building moratoriums..
Manufacturer shuts doors with no notice to workers
Manufacturer shuts doors with no notice to workers. Wisconsin Die Casting, a manufacturer on Milwaukee's south side, has shut down with virtually no notice...
Immelt advises American companies to go green now
American companies such as manufacturers, distributors and builders that do not embrace and invest in green Technologies now will soon be at a competitive disadvantage, according to Jeffrey Immelt, chief executive officer and chairman of General Electric Co.
City to purchase land for Terry Porter's Bronzeville development
The City of Milwaukee's Redevelopment Authority plans to purchase two vacant properties from Milwaukee County to assist a mixed-use development planned by former Milwaukee Bucks coach Terry Porter in the Bronzeville district
Groundbreaking set for GE Healthcare facility in Muskego
A groundbreaking ceremony will by held Friday, March 14, to celebrate the beginning of construction for the 500,000-square-foot distribution center for GE Healthcare, which will be built on a 35-acre site southwest of Moorland Road and College Avenue in Muskego.
Zilber to buy property from Milwaukee County for Pabst brewery project
Joseph Zilber, the founder of Milwaukee-based Zilber Ltd., plans to purchase two small pieces of vacant property from Milwaukee County for his redevelopment of the former Pabst brewery property in downtown Milwaukee.
Wangard to build new downtown office tower
Wangard Properties LLC announced plans Monday to build an eight-story, downtown office tower just south of 875 E. Wisconsin Ave.
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