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Development News 7/20/07 to 7/27/07
Roaring Retail
Thursday, July 26, 2007 - Supertarget Is The First In A Line Of Five Super-big Boxes Bound For Dane County. The 180,000-square-foot SuperTarget that opened Wednesday near Verona Road and Highway PD is just the start of what will become one of the largest
retail developments in Dane County over the next few years. Plans for the Orchard Pointe development call for an additional 620,000 square feet of restaurants, banks and smaller big-box stores. When the project is finished, it will rival the size of East Towne Mall (839,608 square feet) and West Towne Mall (915,307 square feet) in floor space. The development is Fitchburg's first major shopping center. It's also the first
in a line of five supercenter-style stores to combine retail and a full-service grocery that are either open, under construction or proposed in Dane County…
Editors Note: I visited opening day. It is bigger -- I am not sure about better. As for groceries, try pilgrimages to Trader Joe’s or Miller’s in Verona - I actually chant for good tuna and great steak ohmmmm...
Parade Of Condominiums Starts Next Saturday
The Madison Area Builders Association's 12th annual Parade of Condominiums runs through Aug. 5. The event features 28 condo projects in Madison, Fitchburg, McFarland, Middleton, Oregon, Sun Prairie, Verona and Waunakee. For details, go to www.paradeofcondosmadison.com.
Tickets are $9 in advance, $10 at the sites. Hours will be 3-8 p.m. weekdays and noon-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays…
Great Wolf signs deal for indoor waterpark at Mall of America
7/26/2007 BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Mall of America today announced that it has signed a letter of intent with Madison-based Great Wolf Resorts to incorporate an indoor waterpark in Mall of America's pending Phase II expansion. The Great Wolf Lodge
participation is contingent upon the finalization and approval of Phase II plans. Mall of America spokesman Dan Jasper said the $1.9 billion project needs state approval for about $181 million in infrastructure funding…
Editors Note: Doesn’t the Madison area need a destination attraction? Send me your ideas and I will put together a list… Editor@WisconsinDevelopment.com.
Nicer digs on campus
TUE., JUL 24, 2007 - The newest multimillion-dollar residence halls on Madison campuses feature semi-private bathrooms, walk-in closets, wireless Internet connections and even spots for professors to hold office hours. Such perks aren 't luxuries these
days, university officials say. They 're essential for recruiting the best students and helping students to succeed. "It 's funny to think that one year…
Madison.com Gets New Look, Now More User-friendly
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - A redesigned Web site intended to be more user-friendly will be unveiled today at www.madison.com to offer information on life in the Madison area. "Users will have a much easier time and spend much less time finding what
they're looking for," said Jon Friesch, marketing director of Capital Newspapers, which owns the site…
Editors Note: Very nice look, congrats. And the archives of News and Notes found @ www.WisconsinDevelopment.com
still work.
Large Property Transactions
Power Systems to see a boost
THU., JUL 26, 2007 - A $70 million order for American Superconductor, to provide wind turbine electrical systems for Sinovel Wind Corp., in China, will be a boost to Power Systems, American Superconductor's division based in Middleton and New Berlin,
company spokesman Jason Fredette said. "Our Wisconsin operations are certainly in the middle of that," said Fredette, at company headquarters in Westborough, Mass. "We're scaling up hiring in Wisconsin and overseas."…
House Sales Off, But Prices Inch Up
Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Sales prices for existing homes and condominiums showed modest gains over a year ago despite the slower real estate market, according to the latest report from South Central Wisconsin MLS. The median home sale price in June was
$219,650 in Dane County, up from $217,900 a year ago. In the region, the median sale price was $184,000, up from $180,050 in June 2006. Median sales prices declined since last year in Grant and Sauk counties, but were higher in Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa and Rock counties. Dane County had 894 sales in June, down about 6 percent from 951 a year ago, while the region's 1,680 sales were down 11.6 percent from 1,900 last
year. Through the first half of 2007, Dane County had 3,480 sales, down 9.1 percent from 3,827 last year, while the region had 7,239 sales, down 8.4 percent from 7,901 last year…
Other Retail Hot Spots In Dane County
Thursday, July 26, 2007 - Monona: Dane County's first Wal-Mart Supercenter is scheduled to open in September at South Towne Drive… Stoughton: The City Council in November approved a neighborhood plan for a 180-acre retail and housing… Sun Prairie:
Prairie Lakes development, which would have about 890,000-square-feet of retail space… Middleton: A 152,000-square-foot Costco is under construction in Discovery Springs… Verona: The city is considering a proposal for a mix of retail, restaurants, public space and housing called The West End…
Economy growth is best in a year
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The economy snapped out of a lethargic spell and grew at a 3.4 percent pace in the second quarter, the strongest showing in more than a year. A revival in business spending was a main force behind the energized performance. The new
reading on gross domestic product, released by the Commerce Department on Friday, marked a big improvement from the first three months of this year…
No Nicey-nice On State Budget
Thursday, July 26, 2007 - Compromise Is Out The Window As Legislators Battle On Health Care. It took less than an hour for legislative leaders trying to negotiate a state budget deal to switch from promises of cooperation to attacks on one another. At
their first meeting of the budget conference committee, leaders of the Democrat-controlled Senate and Republican-controlled Assembly squared off Wednesday over the Democrats' $15 billion universal health care proposal, which appears to be the biggest sticking point between the two sides. After declaring "We have to demonstrate the fine art of negotiating," Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson, D-Beloit, appeared to
suggest that, for Democrats, the health plan was not negotiable…
6 Condos Ok'd For Sensitive Cherokee Site
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - In January, owners of Cherokee Park Inc. and the city agreed on a concept plan to allow future development while protecting sensitive marshland on Madison's north side. At the time it was hailed as opening the way for the largest
open space purchase in city history. Now come the messy details of approving specific developments in an environmental corridor. Monday night, the Madison Plan Commission unanimously approved…
Commission Sees Hill Farms Plan
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 - Plans to change the zoning of a 20-acre plot in the Hill Farms neighborhood on Madison's West Side to allow a multiuse development were presented Monday night to the Plan Commission. Also Monday, the commission OK'd the purchase
of land for another bike path that would connect the Military Ridge Trail to Madison. The Hill Farms proposal has been in development since last fall, when remodeling the headquarters of the state Department of Transportation was deemed "extremely expensive," said Brian Munson, principal of Vandewalle & Associates, the firm hired by the state to come up with a plan to redevelop the property. "The state
recognized early on this was an opportunity both to facilitate a new state headquarters for the DOT…
Condos Perched In Prime Spot
Sunday, July 22, 2007 - Whispering Pines Condominiums In Middleton Was Designed As "workforce Housing." A nearly 11-acre parcel of land - too high to become part of surrounding parkland - is enjoying a more appropriate life as Whispering Pines
Condominiums. The condominiums, off Pleasant View Road and Airport Road, are designed as "workforce housing," a natural designation given they are next to Middleton Business Park. The first buyer noticed the sign for the condominiums on his way home from work at the business park. "I was really intrigued," said Sean Penrice, who works across the street at Electronic Theatre Controls. "It's hard to
find anything for that price, much less for brand new."…
Developer Hopes To Create Biotech Community
Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Welton Enterprise Center Seeking Specialized Companies. A new business center aimed at young biotechnology companies is being established on the Far West Side. Developer Welton Enterprises hopes to create a biotech community at
Welton Enterprise Center, 802 Deming Way. "It's unique building space, very attractively priced, at $20 per square foot," said Welton marketing director Dan Ramsey. Two young biotechs, Centrose and BioSystem Development, have leased space at the center so far, Ramsey said…
Linnerud tract plans taking shape
7/19/07 - Slowly but surely, Stoughton city staff members, the Stoughton Plan Commission and teams of consultants with expertise in everything from traffic to landscaping to light poles are making headway on the proposal to develop the 183-acre Linnerud
tract at USH Hwy. 51 and CTH B. Starting last month, the Plan Commission began meeting twice monthly to review and recommend changes to voluminous development plans submitted for the tract as a whole…
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
The Park condos receive final council approval
The Park condos receive final council approval. A proposed condominium development that drew criticism for what some said was lackluster design received final approval from the Common Council...
Condo plan for Loomis a no-go
Condo plan for Loomis a no-go. Rezoning land not in city's best interest, say mayor, alderman. A proposed 175-unit condominium development could cost Muskego too much precious land for future business development, according to city leaders...
Pieper plots Milwaukee redevelopments
Ann Pieper Eisenbrown, the president and founder of Milwaukee-based Pieper Properties Inc., is redeveloping buildings in the Third Ward and in the Fifth Ward in Milwaukee. Earlier this year, a group of investors organized by Pieper, called 234 Florida LLC, purchased the
100,000-square-foot, 115-year-old former Allen D. Everitt Knitting Co. building at 234 W. Florida St. for about $1.9 million from Mitchell B. Van Dyke LLC…
Getting into a TIF
Getting into a TIF. Village officials learn more about development tool. Greendale officials received a crash course in tax-incremental financing at a joint meeting of the Village Board, Plan Commission and Community Development Authority on July 23...
Jazz club planned for King Drive
Tina Chang, chief executive officer of Brookfield-based SysLogic Inc., plans to open a jazz club called Jazzmine in a two-story building at 1821 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive that she and jazz musician Steve Peplin purchased three years ago. Chang and Peplin live on the
building's second floor. Peplin will be the jazz club's creative director. He and Chang…
Officials want resident input on land use plan
Officials want resident input on land use plan. 'Blueprint' for future redevelopment. The first of what will be many public meetings on updating the city's comprehensive land use plan will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at City Hall and officials are hoping residents show
up to share their...
Condo sales at a trickle due to stagnant market
Condo sales at a trickle due to stagnant market. Officials cite concern over construction sites as hangouts. Although there have been some snags, plans are proceeding to construct three separate condominium developments along Buckhorn Avenue...
Best places to live
Best places to live. Money Magazine ranks Germantown 30th in country. Its people, parks and businesses are among the reasons why Germantown was ranked the 30th best place to live in the country by Money Magazine...
Carroll officials not ready to back developer's plan
Carroll officials not ready to back developer's plan. Waukesha - Carroll College officials are uncertain how interested they are in a proposed student housing development at the corner of Maple and College avenues brought to the Plan Commission on July 11 by developer Bill Huelsman,
a college spokeswoman...
Downtown office repair project stalls
Downtown office repair project stalls. Council panel rejects $3 million financing. Plans to redevelop one of downtown Milwaukee's oldest office buildings are in limbo after a Common Council committee Tuesday rejected a proposal for about $3 million in city financing for the $23
million project...
He'll focus on both research, economic development
He'll focus on both research, economic development. New UWM official aims to create entrepreneurial environment here. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has recruited the chief economic development strategist from Mississippi State University with the goal of transforming UWM into
a research-driven...
Paying the bill for development
Paying the bill for development. Germantown wrestles with debt repayment after revenue from business park falls short. When the village borrowed nearly $21 million to create the Germantown Business Park, the aim was to attract employers and ease the burden on property taxpayers...
Rebirth of Old World 3rd St.
Rebirth of Old World 3rd St.. Hotels, condos planned. In July 2006, three people were shot - two fatally - outside a bar on N. Old World 3rd St. Three months later, one of the street's longest-running restaurants closed, followed by another business shutdown earlier this year...
Some suburbs not hit by slump
Some suburbs not hit by slump. New construction holding its own in some smaller towns. The home building industry hasn't had an easy year, and it's likely to get worse. But the slowdown is playing out unevenly in the Milwaukee area, with some communities - especially those on the...
Park East developer downsizes plans
Park East developer downsizes plans. Developer also drops pursuit of aid from city. The developer of a controversial project proposed for Milwaukee's Park East area has decided not to pursue city financial assistance and is scaling back his plans...
Dept. of Commerce. Governor Doyle announces $200,000 in Technology Zone tax
credits for Zepnick Solutions, Inc…
Governor Doyle. Announces over $7 million to benefit homeless people…
Rep. Moore. Announce $600,000 to boost inner-city entrepreneurs and bus system in Milwaukee…
Development News 7/13/07 to 7/20/07
Money Magazine Likes Middleton, Wis.
MIDDLETON, Wis. - This small town in the shadow of Madison has its own reason to boast. Money magazine announced Monday that Middleton is the "Best Place to Live" in America for 2007, citing its tight-knit community and proximity to the cultural
and economic benefits of Madison. That city, the state capital and roughly 14 times larger than Middleton, was named by Money as the best place to live in 1998…
Editors Note: CONGRATULATIONS!!! And only one week after I told Forbes they were nuts (44th Best Place To Do Business my @#%). Of course Middleton is well deserving of this honor and I hope to see Verona on the list soon. Wisconsin is
a GREAT place to live and do business and we will prove it one great city at a time!
Middleton Tops Money's List
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - The City Is Dubbed The Best Place To Live In The U.s., And Shares The Love. The Good Neighbor City is being quite neighborly. Instead of taking all the credit for its top spot in Money Magazine's annual best place to live list,
Middleton officials say the award announced Monday will be good for the Dane County area and wouldn't have happened without the amenities offered in Madison and other nearby communities. The city of more than 17,000 that abuts Madison's Far West Side was ranked seventh in 2005, the last time the magazine ranked cities with between 7,500 and 50,000 people. Madison got the top nod for all cities in 1998. "It's good for
the Capital region," said Van Nutt…
An editorial —
Middleton is the best
7/18/2007 -- When Money magazine's editors were putting together this year's "Best Places to Live" issue, they decided to look at 2,876 communities with populations between 7,500 and 50,000. That ruled out great small towns like Mount Horeb and
great cities like Madison. But it ruled in Middleton, which was ranked No. 1 in the nation. That will come as no surprise to Dane County residents, who have watched as Middleton has strived and thrived in recent years, attracting a smart mix of new urbanist development while maintaining the charming historic character of the city's residential neighborhoods and downtown…
Let's promote
our state as a great place to do business
7/17/07 - Forbes Magazine just ranked the "Best States For Business," and I for one am outraged at the 44th-place ranking Wisconsin received. And before we all point the proverbial finger at someone else for this, we need to take a long hard
look at ourselves. We are not good at doing what needs to be done to attract new business to the state and promote and nurture the businesses that are already here…
Editors Note: Who wrote this? Let me know what you think… editor@wisconsindevelopment.com
BUILDING
PERMITS From Wisconsin State Journal, Thu Jul 19 2007
New Commercial Listings From PropertyDrive.com
PropertyDrive Adds 28 New Listings
Madison, Wisconsin – July 18, 2007 – PropertyDrive Adds 28 New Commercial Listings to Its State-Wide Database from July 11 – July 17, 2007PropertyDrive, an online listing service for commercial real estate in Wisconsin, added 28 new listings to its
database of over 1,300 commercial listings during the period July 11 – July 17. PropertyDrive (www.PropertyDrive.com) is available to anyone to perform free searches for buildings, land or businesses for sale or lease…
Editors Note: I will include the new listings link each week.
Is this what we’ve been missing?
7/12/07 - Now you can really shop. SuperTarget opens July 25. SuperTarget has arrived. After several years of planning and months of construction, the grand opening of the gargantuan new store at 6321 McKee Road is set for Sunday, July 29. You can stop by
sooner than that, however, since it will be open for business on Wednesday, July 25. Target’s grand openings tend to be rather low-key events, a way of welcoming the community, said Joshua Thomas, a public affairs specialist with Target. The SuperTarget in Fitchburg is one of approximately 40 new Target stores to open in July…
Local Housing Market Steadies
Thursday, July 19, 2007 - While still below a year ago, the local real estate market showed some signs of stabilizing in June, the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin reported. The 894 sales of homes and condominiums reported in June in Dane
County were 5.9 percent fewer than the 951 last June, but that was not as bad as the 15.8 percent decline in May sales compared to last May. The 3,480 sales reported in the first half of the year here were 9 percent below the 3,827 a year ago, but that is not as poor as the 11.2 percent decline in May…
Small banks can compete with big ones
WED., JUL 18, 2007 - Size doesn't matter when it comes to a bank's financial strength. "The smaller ones are just as likely to perform as well as the bigger ones and can be better from an earnings perspective," said Phllip Van Doorn, senior
banking analyst with TheStreet.com Ratings. The Bank of Prairie du Sac and Premier Bank of Fort Atkinson, each with assets of less than $250 million, were among six Wisconsin banks recently to receive the highest A+ ratings from TheStreet.com, based on 2007 first-quarter data…
Bank Rankings Don’t Tell the Whole Story
As a banking professional with more than 20 years in the industry, I feel I must offer my opinion on your recent ranking of a number of Wisconsin banks (“How Strong Is Your Bank?” WSJ, July 19, 2007). As the accompanying article states, the chart
reflects rankings by TheStreet.com and Bauer Financial based on banks’ first quarter 2007 profitability. To rank or “grade” banks on the basis of such limited data does a great disservice to local financial institutions, and misleads consumers as well. First, it concerns me to see that the rankings are based on financial data from just one quarter…
Forget High-tech, Wisconsin Thrives On Beer And Cheese
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - While economic development officials tout Wisconsin as a hotbed for biofuels and biotech, it's the beer and cheese business that really puts us in the spotlight. One case making national news is the trademark fight between tiny
Capital Brewery of Middleton and Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, the world's leading beer maker. The other involves price manipulation on the spot cheese market. OK. Maybe beer and cheese don't hold the key to Wisconsin's economic future like stem cells or fuel cells. But at least I know what they are. On the beer front, Capital is definitely fighting an uphill battle in trying to trademark its slogan "America's #1 Rated
Brewer," according to a local trademark attorney…
Editors Note: News and Notes and WisconsinDevelopment.com is pleased to award Capitol Brewery it’s own “America's #1 Rated Brewer” award based on extensive personal taste testing.
Timeshares Get Boost From State - License Swaps Made Easier
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - Timeshare vacationing in Wisconsin just got modernized. A bill signed by Gov. Jim Doyle Tuesday allows the resort industry to sell blocks of vacation time without requiring consumers to purchase an actual piece of real estate.
The law change is aimed at attracting visitors who may already hold a timeshare "license" for a resort in another state. It also brings Wisconsin in line with the 49 other states that allow the sale of timeshare licenses without a registered real estate deed…
OPINION Consider Residents When Siting Industry
Thursday, July 19, 2007 - Sparta-area farmer David Rundahl sees a perfect location for a $115 million ethanol plan, according to a July 9 State Journal article. If it is a perfect location, why is there opposition? Maybe "perfect" is a
loosely-used term with preference behind it. Another perfect location for an ethanol plant might be in Gov. Jim Doyle's front yard, to some. Wasn't it our governor who invited ethanol plants to Wisconsin and never addressed the obvious battle of location? It is time to wake up developers, council members and government officials. These "smoke stack" industries with negative impacts are never perfectly located when
in close proximity of people. Long battles result…
EDITORIAL Economy Is Dependent On Good Road System
Wednesday, July 18, 2007 - Here's a novel idea: How about if we start spending our transportation tax dollars on projects that will actually improve transportation in the Madison area? Although that seems obvious, it's not happening. Our elected officials
want to use our hard-earned tax dollars on projects that have nothing to do with the real transportation problem: congestion. In fact, they want to use our taxes to increase congestion.
Uw Hosting Global Turfgrass Conference
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - The University of Wisconsin-Madison next week is hosting more than 1,100 attendees of an international turfgrass industry convention, symposium and trade show. The events include a field day July 26 at the UW-Madison's O.J. Noer
Turfgrass Research and Education Facility near Verona. The largest contingent will come from Turfgrass Producers International, comprised of turfgrass sod producers from more than 40 countries around the world…
Editors Note: I new people were coming to Madison for the grass. We need a grant for this.
Organization Nears Fundraising Goal
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - The Yahara River Grocery Cooperative in Stoughton is nearing its fundraising goal of $100,000. Officials have said that $90,000 has been raised but another $10,000 is needed to open the doors of the store in the city's downtown. A
fundraiser for the co-op, which has about 400 members, is scheduled for July 29 at Vincenzo's Wine Bar, 176 E. Main St., in Stoughton. Tickets are…
City To Decide On Park Funds
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - The Madison City Council will consider tonight whether to use about $340,000 earmarked for east Isthmus parks to complete improvements at Breese Stevens Field. The Board of Estimates last week endorsed a Parks Division plan to use
money from the Law-Tenney parks improvement fund, along with $100,000 from general citywide development fees, to pay for additional costs imposed by handicapped-accessible ramps, restrooms, and seating and concession areas at the field. But Ald. Brenda Konkel, whose 2nd District includes Breese Stevens Field, said while the field needs to be renovated, the funding should not be diverted from other parks…
Danisco Expansion Work Starts
Saturday, July 14, 2007 - The Madison division of Danisco, a Danish producer of food ingredients, began construction Thursday on another expansion project at its Southeast Side location. The 19,200-square-foot building at 3322 Agriculture Drive will house
an ultra-cold storage facility and packaging operation for frozen dairy cultures. It is part of a larger expansion Danisco began last year with the construction of new offices and research labs. The local staff has increased from 83 to 125. The division, which started as Marschall Dairy Laboratory in 1906…
Condos To Have French Features
Saturday, July 14, 2007 - A bit of Europe is coming to Madison's Far West Side, and the developer of the luxury condominium project thinks it will stand out in the highly competitive market. The $52 million Bentley Green project could have up to 164 units
priced between $279,900 and $700,000 and is in the Hawks Landing subdivision west of Highway M and south of Valley View Road. But what separates the project from others, according to developer and builder Jason DeNoble of Hart DeNoble Builders, will be the four design choices, which include a combination of wood and stone building…
Mayor: Beware Of Big Metal Boxes
Tuesday, July 17, 2007 - On a grassy terrace on West Lawn Avenue Monday was a vision of the future Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and state Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, hope to avoid.\ The metallic gray refrigerator-size box at Monday's news conference
was a replica of the 60-by-42-by-20-inch metal boxes AT&T would install to bring its video services to the area. "These can be graffiti magnets throughout the city," said Cieslewicz…
Editors Note: Hmmm… - Graffiti bad - mass transit good – Has Dave been to NYC? For the record, that is an observation not my personal opinion.
Old Wood, New Space
Sunday, July 15, 2007 - Home Builders Finally Erect Their Timber-frame Dream House Of Reclaimed Materials. After two decades of building dream homes for others, Tom and Sue Holmes of Glenville Timberwrights decided it was time to create one for
themselves. In 2004, they purchased an old farm a half mile south of their shop on Highway 113 in the town of Greenfield. About a mile outside of Baraboo…
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
Eminent domain's use for developments argued again
Eminent domain's use for developments argued again. House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner of Menomonee Falls teamed up with California House Democrat Maxine Waters last week to tout their remedy to the controversial 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo vs. City of New London...
30-story Park East tower wins zoning approval
30-story Park East tower wins zoning approval. Development would combine hotel, condos, retail space. A $73 million, 30-story development planned for the southwest corner of W. Juneau Ave. and N. Old World 3rd St. received zoning approval Thursday from the city Redevelopment
Authority...
Rezoning approved for Rivianna, BreakWater
The Milwaukee Common Council recently approved the re-zoning requests for the Rivianna and The BreakWater Condominiums projects. Rivianna is the $100 million development proposed by Bob Schultz along the Milwaukee River just south of the Third Ward. The project would feature three
towers, each 16 stories high, with a total of 165 condos and a 60-room boutique hotel. The project was opposed by several residents in the area who said it would be too tall and out of scale with the neighborhood. However, aldermen voted 13-1 in favor of the re-zoning…
'Back
to the City' will be theme of Commercial Real Estate and Development conference
After a decades-long exodus from downtowns into the suburbs, Americans are returning to the city. Why? What are the driving motivators for people to move downtown? What are the driving motivators for developers to invest their dollars downtown? What are the driving motivators for
companies to move their offices downtown? Furthermore, what types of commercial real estate development are needed in downtown Milwaukee, according to the people who live there?
Cities try to market 27th Street
Cities try to market 27th Street. Corridor's future awaits firm ideas. An effort to have a marketing firm brand the future South 27th Street Corridor Plan has crept forward as two communities continue to seek a forward-looking concept...
Zoning compromise leaves homes, businesses neighbors
Zoning compromise leaves homes, businesses neighbors. The Common Council on July 10 amended the zoning and land-use maps for two Mequon neighborhoods, easing some problems raised by residents in both areas...
Comprehensive plan off to rocky start with council members
Comprehensive plan off to rocky start with council members. The first chapter of Mequon's comprehensive plan drew so many comments from aldermen last week that it was sent to the Public Welfare Committee for review and possible action...
New restaurant to join party at Old World 3rd
New restaurant to join party at Old World 3rd. Kincaid's is one of 3 changes to nightlife scene. A Seattle-based company that operates high-end restaurants in 13 states will open a seafood and steak eatery in downtown Milwaukee...
Fate of Silver Lake eatery unclear
Fate of Silver Lake eatery unclear. Judge reverses zoning variance that had allowed construction to start. A Waukesha County circuit judge has reversed a city zoning variance that had allowed a long-vacant restaurant just 17 feet from the waterline of Silver Lake to begin
remodeling...
Comprehensive plan nearly complete
Comprehensive plan nearly complete. Goal is to keep high quality of life while plotting future needs. The process of creating Elm Grove's first Comprehensive Plan is nearing its completion as village officials met for the third and final plan review July 12...
Town Center zoning OK'd after traffic debate
Town Center zoning OK'd after traffic debate. Traffic likely will increase on Mequon and Cedarburg roads whether the Town Center is developed or not...
Delayed condo project approved
Delayed condo project approved. Oconomowoc council OKs changes. After a feud with developers of an adjacent property stalled the project for a year, the Common Council on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to a condo, townhouse and retail project on a prominent downtown site next to City
Hall...
Too-high bid could spell end of bike bridge plan
Too-high bid could spell end of bike bridge plan. Interurban Trail project over I-43 goes back to the drawing board. It's back to the drawing board, or maybe the death knell of the project altogether, after a bid for construction of a 430-foot-long bike bridge over I-43 in Ozaukee
County came in at...
Printer ponders move to valley
Printer ponders move to valley. Splat Digital is seeking $690,000 loan. A digital printing firm is considering a move from downtown Milwaukee to the city's Menomonee Valley Industrial Center, the company's owner said Monday...
For towers, good design is high priority
For towers, good design is high priority. Suburbs spread out. Cities, where buildable land is at a premium, go vertical. But where planners and developers see taller buildings and density as signs of urban vitality - expanded tax base, cultural diversity, a market for new restaurants
and shops...
Union Grove opening up downtown
Union Grove opening up downtown. Panel seeking ideas for new look of village hub. Residents are being asked this week to imagine what they'd like the village hub to look like as downtown redevelopment efforts take shape...
Group continues Wal-Mart fight
Group continues Wal-Mart fight. Battle focuses on permit for store's oil-change bay. The opponents of a Wal-Mart Supercenter on the city's west side are still fighting, taking their case to a three-judge state appeals panel hoping to get their "day in court."...
Oak Creek industrial building sells for $18 million
Oak Creek industrial building sells for $18 million. Illinois company buys it from Opus North. A new industrial building in Oak Creek has been sold for just more than $18 million, the latest in a series of recent industrial property sales in the Milwaukee area...
Rep. Kind. Announces $618,000 for Driftless Area Renewable Energy Institute.
Dept. of Commerce. Governor announces $54,000 for Custom Metal
Fabrication, Inc.
Dept. of Commerce. Governor announces $250,000 Brownfield grant to City
of Lake Mills.
Development News 7/06/07 to 7/13/07
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Mayor Wants 3% Spending Cut - Police, Fire Would Be Exempt
Thursday, July 12, 2007 - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz issued instructions to city agencies Wednesday for the 2008 operating budget that are a repeat of last year's orders. He is asking all department heads, except the police and fire chiefs, to prepare plans to
cut departmental spending by 3 percent. Cieslewicz instructed the police and fire departments to submit budgets at "adjusted 2007 levels." Some other agencies' targets were also adjusted to…
Affordable difference: 91-unit condo project proposed at Market Square
7/12/2007 - Retail. Condos. Movie theater. The multimillion dollar makeover at Hilldale? No, we're talking about Market Square, the 1980s-era shopping center on Odana Road that features a budget cinema with cheap seats on second-run films, and Steep &
Brew coffee as its longest-running tenant. An ambitious plan is now moving forward to build 91 budget-priced condominium units in a new four-story building in the 150-space parking lot in front of the theater. The theater will remain but parking for the balance of the shopping center will be reduced overall to 510 spaces. Plans call for a four-story building with 20 one-bedroom and 71 two-bedroom units ranging in size from
875 to 1,300 square feet. Parking is provided underground with 137 spaces on two levels…
Editors Note: Market driven affordable housing, no mandates, great planning, good use of existing space… hmmm…
YOUNG PLANNERS PRESENT IDEAS
THU., JUL 12, 2007 - Making Madison more bike- and pedestrian-friendly, cutting taxes and eliminating Lisa Link Peace Park were three of the ideas that middle schoolers presented to the mayor Thursday after working as city planners for four weeks through
a UW-Madison computer simulation. The Madison students were split into groups and focused on three areas of the city: State Street, the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood and the North Side…
FORBES The Best States For Business
You use its products every day--when you take a cross-country flight on a Boeing jet, when you sip your morning Starbucks coffee, when you order the latest Harry Potter book from Amazon.com and when you use the Microsoft operating system on your PC.
Washington state is home to these companies and more, befitting the state's tagline, "Innovation is in our nature." In Forbes.com's second annual Top States for Business, Virginia… Table:
The Best States For Business
Editors Note: I included this article as a challenge to all of us. Wisconsin should be a great state for business. Especially the Madison Region. The state ranked 44th -- give me a break, -- and we were 8th in quality of life. We
need to deal with this now! Write Forbes, call your reps, CEO’s share your success stories…
BUILDING
PERMITS - From Wisconsin State Journal, Thu Jul 12 2007
Supertarget Eyed For Sun Prairie
Monday, July 9, 2007 - A second SuperTarget could be headed for Dane County. Prairie Development Ltd. on Tuesday will seek approval from the Sun Prairie Plan Commission to locate a SuperTarget store on 16 acres at the northwest corner of South Grand
Avenue (County C) and Hoepker Road. Target Corp. is planning to open its first SuperTarget in Fitchburg later this month. "We chose Target because we believe it is a better fit with what we're trying to accomplish," Prairie Development President Jerry Connery said of the proposal…
Condoldrums
Sunday, July 8, 2007 - The Sluggish Housing Market Extends To Many Of The Area's New Condominium Projects. Like the single-family housing market, the Dane County condominium market suffers from excessive inventory. A total of 2,470 condos were on the
market during the first quarter of 2007, more than double the number two years earlier, and 252 were sold…
Editors Note: What I see is a great opportunity to encourage the 60somthings from the Midwest to move to “Madison” where their carefree lifestyle awaits. Cappuccino, lakes, parks, theatre, shopping, great food, health care, education, and a great
place for the grandkids to visit, plus in the winter you can lock the door and travel. I’m ready!…
The Crossing - condominium project is targeting aging baby boomers
Sunday, July 8, 2007 - A Fitchburg condominium project is targeting aging baby boomers with what the developer calls "step-less design." The Crossing along Lacy Road, where construction began last July, eventually will have 62 condominiums in
duplex and four-unit buildings, said Scott Berger, senior vice president of Appletree, the developer…
Editors Note: see I told you…
Condominiums Cater To Pets
Sunday, July 8, 2007 - Metropolitan Place Opens Its Second Phase With A Dog Run And An Elevator Just For Pets And Their Owners. The recent opening of the second phase of Metropolitan Place is anything but old hat. Residents just started moving into the
new 164-unit building Downtown and along with it came an adjacent dog run, a one-acre, two-tiered rooftop garden and a grocery store in the near future…
Editors Note: I could live here…
Fieldhouse Gridlock - Regent-monroe Plan Still Stalled
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - Madison architect Bob Sieger isn't sure what's next for his proposed $12 million retail/condominium project at the corner of Regent and Monroe streets across from Camp Randall Stadium. "I'm just about ready to throw in the
towel," Sieger said after the Madison Plan Commission Monday night delayed action for another 120 days on "Fieldhouse Station." Sieger has spent the past two years…
Madison's Central Park: Figment of imagination?
THU., JUL 12, 2007 - There 's a new status symbol for American cities, and it's not a soaring office tower. To many civic leaders, nothing says progressiveness and prosperity like an elaborate urban park. In Irvine, Calif., work has begun on a $1.1
billion recreational area that will be 60 percent larger than New York 's Central Park. Private donors in Houston financed the bulk of a $93 million downtown greensward, while the mayor of Louisville, Ky., wants to ring the city 's borders with 100 miles of trails…
Todd Drive Renewal Advances
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - After a series of delays, the redevelopment of the Todd Drive/Beltline interchange is moving forward rather quickly. The Madison Plan Commission Monday night approved without objection plans for a pair of six-story, mixed use
buildings at 2501 W. Beltline Hwy. The project from Arbor Gate Development involves seven different parcels of land on the east side of Todd Drive south of the Beltline…
Fischl scores hotel, City Hall
7/10/2007 - Monday was a good night for Fischl Construction, as long as it didn’t mind a little criticism. The Common Council approved two major projects for the Verona-based contractor, including a highly competitive bid for the $7.5 million City Hall,
which Fischl won by just over $1,000 and one vote. The other, a 114-room Holiday Inn Express on West Verona Avenue that was originally planned for Rex Fletcher and Jerry Wuebben’s Home Towne Center development before it became the West End, earned a unanimous vote after alders spent several minutes offering suggestions for improving it. But the 43,000-square-foot City Hall/police station bid was the real jackpot,
particularly because it was anything but a sure bet….
'THE FARM' CLEARS PLANNING HURDLES
Thu Jul 12 2007 - After being rebuffed twice before, Doug and Jim Bradt have won a battle in their campaign to turn their overgrown former golf course into a residential development. Despite neighborhood opposition, the Cottage Grove Village Board and
Plan Commission each voted 4-3 Wednesday in favor of the Bradts' request to change the future use of the land from parks and open space to a planned neighborhood in the village's long-range Smart Growth comprehensive plan…
Jobs Key In Effort To Revive Allied Dr.
Thursday, July 12, 2007 - It's telling - and disturbing - that your recent editorial on how to "revive" Allied Drive barely mentions the word "jobs." We can create countless units of improved housing, but if low-income residents lack
income sufficient to afford these new homes, we have ultimately failed. It's true that under Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's leadership we have made great strides in addressing safety issues and improving Allied's physical appearance…
Competitor with Botox plans Madison factory
WED., JUL 11, 2007 - Madison will become an outpost in the war on frown lines. Mentor Corp., a Santa Barbara, Calif., company that makes face- and body-enhancing products, is building a factory at University Research Park that will make PurTox, a
botulinum toxin product to compete with the popular Botox. The two-story, 37,000-square-foot building is…
Sluggish
housing market extends to many of the area's condominium projects
July 6, 2007 - Like the single-family housing market, the Dane County condominium market suffers from excessive inventory. A total of 2,470 condos were on the market during the first quarter of 2007, more than double the number two years earlier, and 252
were sold, according to statistics compiled by the South Central Wisconsin MLS. The high inventory is the result of slower sales and a boom in condominium construction. The number of Madison condominium parcels in new and converted buildings rose 12 percent last year to 14,012, representing about 21.4 percent of all residential and commercial properties, according to the city assessor's office. About $194 million worth of
condo projects were completed last year in the city, more than six times the $32 million in projects completed in 1997…
Anchor BanCorp expands
7/12/2007 - Madison-based Anchor BanCorp Wisconsin Inc. today announced that it has reached a deal to acquire New Richmond-based S&C Bank. Terms were not disclosed. S&C Bank is a $400 million community bank with 17 banking locations in
northwestern Wisconsin and the Twin Cities area. Anchor has branches in that area in Chippewa Falls and Hudson…
Market memo
7/12/2007 Organic Valley adds distribution center. Organic Valley will celebrate the grand opening of its new $17.5 million primary warehouse and distribution center in Cashton on July 27…Alliant pledges aid biomass study. Alliant Energy today announced
that its Wisconsin Power and Light Co. unit has pledged $12,000 to the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council… The Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Bureau has launched a new advertising campaign…
Compromise Sought On South Side Park - Meeting Gets Testy As City Explains Plan
Wednesday, July 11, 2007 - Neighbors should envision the type of park where before or after Thanksgiving dinner the cousins could gather to throw a football around, Madison Parks Superintendent Jim Morgan said after a sometimes contentious meeting about
the future of Thut Park in the city's south side Waunona neighborhood. "We are trying to get the right balance so the flavor of the park stays as a neighborhood park," Morgan said…
Venture Funding In Demand
Tuesday, July 10, 2007 - Patrick Genn is bullish on Wisconsin's new economy. And he's putting money where his mouth is. As managing director of the Middleton-based Continuum Investment Partners, Genn has been working the past two years connecting local
"angel" investors with new companies in need of working capital. Flying largely below the radar screen, Continuum invested more than $16 million in its first two years in 15 different ventures. The firm's other principal is Bruce Neviaser, a well-known local businessman whose successes include…
Fitchburg in 50?
6/28/07 - Several Fitchburg residents aren’t pleased with the city’s 50-year land use plan, but the Plan Commission is sticking to its guns. When it met June 19, the Commission solidly endorsed the proposed borders, after making a few modifications.
It attributed some of the opposition to the failure of residents to understand how it arrived at the map. The Commission asked the City Council to extend the Aug. 1 deadline to approve a final version until Oct. 1…
Badger State Trail Link 'a Beautiful Addition'
Saturday, July 7, 2007 - The trail between Fitchburg and Madison remains a missing link, but the Department of Natural Resources and Friends of the Badger State Trail are holding a grand opening Sunday to celebrate the completion of the trail between
Basco - about four miles north of Belleville - and the Illinois state line. The Badger State Trail is a 40-mile, $1.8 million trail extending from Madison to Illinois…
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
Tosa building sells for $96.5 million
Tosa building sells for $96.5 million. Home to GE workers is half-million square feet. The Wauwatosa office building that houses much of GE Healthcare's local operations has been sold for $96.5 million, the largest commercial property sale in the Milwaukee area so far this year...
Rivianna developer 'gets no respect'
Bob Schultz, the developer who has proposed the mixed-use Rivianna project along the Milwaukee River just south of the Historic Third Ward, said he feels like the "Rodney Dangerfield of developers in Milwaukee." Schultz believes he ought to get a little more respect for
proposing a $100 million development, which would feature three towers, each 16 stories high, with a total of 165 condominiums and a 60-room boutique hotel…
Prime land along U.S. 45 is sold
Prime land along U.S. 45 is sold. Warehouse sites bring $8.5 million. A prime development spot along U.S. Highway 45 in Wauwatosa has been sold to Chicago-based investors...
For sale: Real estate in search of a plan
For sale: Real estate in search of a plan. Waukesha may solicit development proposals for downtown property. Tim Davies is selling six downtown properties that occupy nearly a city block, providing business and city leaders a rare chance to directly oversee redevelopment of a central
city area...
West Allis complex to house seniors
West Allis complex to house seniors. Developer plans 200 apartments. A Minnesota-based housing developer plans to build nearly 200 apartments for elderly people in West Allis...
Committee backs café at former Locker's site
Committee backs café at former Locker's site. The Wauwatosa Community Development Committee this week recommended approval of a conditional-use permit to operate an Alterra Café in the new Locker's Pointe condominium/retail building at Swan Boulevard and North Avenue...
Village master plan leaves many hungry for details
Elm Grove - Village master plan leaves many hungry for details. Guide for Elm Grove offers an overview of directions the municipality could take. Elm Grove should preserve its quaint but upscale, small-town ambience while allowing for some
new commercial growth and road improvements, a first-ever village master plan...
China trade outpost may join Pabst site
China trade outpost may join Pabst site. Business agents would offer goods to U.S. wholesalers. It seems Milwaukee Bucks draft pick Yi Jianlian isn't the only hot Chinese import considering a move to Milwaukee...
Most details of retail/office building accepted
Franklin - Most details of retail/office building accepted. The Franklin Plan Commission has unanimously approved a site plan for a proposed 9,040-square-foot multi-tenant retail/office building in the 7200 block of West Rawson Avenue...
Little Switzerland ski resort to go on the auction block
Little Switzerland ski resort to go on the auction block. Owner dispels rumors by posting notice online. The landmark Little Switzerland ski resort in Slinger is for sale and scheduled to be auctioned in August, according to notices posted online...
Effort to revamp mall site proceeds
Effort to revamp mall site proceeds. Firm hired to find new life for Northridge area. The owner of Milwaukee's former Northridge Mall has hired a new broker to pursue redevelopment prospects for that property...
Celebrating Harley-style
Celebrating Harley-style. New, updated bikes commemorate 105 years. Harley-Davidson Inc. on Monday rolled out plans for limited-edition motorcycles to commemorate its 105th anniversary...
Citizens need to speak up about development
Citizens need to speak up about development. On Thursday, Mayor Tom Barrett will unveil his Milwaukee Economic Opportunities Vision and Strategic Framework for public comment at the annual Urban Economic Development Association Community Development Summit...
Apartment building changes owners
Apartment building changes owners. Purchasers plan condo conversion. One of Milwaukee's biggest developers of housing in and near downtown has sold another apartment building on the city's east side, with the buyer planning to convert the rental units to condominiums...
Tenant leaves Park East plan
Tenant leaves Park East plan. Development too slow, firm says. A large development planned for Milwaukee's Park East area has lost an anchor tenant, leading the developer to drop the project's office segment and expand plans for a hotel at the site...
Tower land may be sold
Tower land may be sold. Non-profit city-linked agency considers purchase of 85 acres. A non-profit business lending agency affiliated with the City of Milwaukee is exploring the possible purchase of around 85 acres at the former Tower Automotive complex, with plans to eventually...
Fate of old fire stations debated
Fate of old fire stations debated. Proceeds could go to new stations or future development. Debate is starting about what to do with two city fire stations closing in 2009, with one city official proposing to sell or lease the stations to fund redevelopment...
Dept. of Tourism. Tomahawk region
awarded $34,200 Tourism Marketing Grant.
Dept. of Tourism. St. Germain Rib Fest
awarded $23.350 Tourism Marketing Grant.
Development News 6/29/07 to 7/06/07
Parmenter Circle
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - Construction began late last year on this 50-unit apartment building along Parmenter Street, south of the roundabout in Middleton. When the $6.4 million project, called Parmenter Circle, is completed in August, it will have 23
two-bedroom, 16 one-bedroom and four three-bedroom apartments and three studio loft apartments. All apartments have balconies and the building will have underground parking, a community patio and a tot playground…
Calm Comes To Middleton's Parmenter
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - Middleton Is Studying How To Develop The Street That Used To Be A Highway. The name has changed and so has the focus. The three-quarter-mile stretch of road that for years was Highway 12 is now Parmenter Street. What was a
thoroughfare with more than 30,000 vehicles a day is now a more laid-back destination with just a fraction of the traffic…
Corporate Subsidy Oversight Urged
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 - To better monitor state subsidies to corporations, a UW-Madison think tank is calling for a searchable database to track whether those monies actually benefit the Wisconsin economy. Patterned after a system recently implemented
in Illinois, the database would include how much companies pay in state taxes, how much business they do in the state and how much financial help they get. Illinois in 2003 passed a Corporate Accountability Act…
Editors Note: But Mike, I publish most of these grants in the bottom of News and Notes every week and they are archived at www.WisconsinDevelopment.com. For the record in my next career I am
going into the airport improvement business where the governor hands out large sums of money like candy.
I also think I can turn old news paper into ethanol…
I am not positive -- but for a couple hundred million I can get you a definitive answer…
Grant Fuels Doyle's Energy Plan Governor Hopes Federal Money Will Persuade Lawmakers To Spend $30 Million
Mon Jul 2 2007 - Gov. Jim Doyle and renewable energy proponents are hoping the announcement of a landmark $125 million federal grant for UW-Madison to study ways to convert plants into fuel will persuade state lawmakers to fund the governor's initiative
to spur other scientific advances among Wisconsin companies. Doyle has proposed spending $30 million over the next two years on grants and loans for companies developing renewable energy. He said the money would help reduce the state's dependence on foreign oil and help make Wisconsin a leader in the fledgling bioenergy industry, leading to more jobs and possibly lower energy costs for consumers…
Editors Note: I hereby revise my funding request to explore waste paper to biofuel to a mere 10 million… I may have appeared greedy in my first request…
State To Expand Forest
Friday, June 29, 2007 - Don Polkinghorne loves to hunt in the Brule River State Forest. Now he'll have a lot more room to roam. The state Natural Resources Board gave the go-ahead Wednesday to purchase about 5,900 additional acres for the state forest in
northwestern Douglas County. "That's huge," said Polkinghorne, 39, of Superior. "I think it's a great, great thing. A lot of guys don't have the large hunting tract they used to." The Brule River deal is only part of a sweeping land-buy package…
Verona’s Home Grown Growth Good For Community
Thursday, July 5, 2007 - It's human nature to focus on the latest, newest thing. But when it comes to Verona's current growth, don't overlook the "homegrown" businesses that are adding space – and employees – this summer, said Ald. Ken
Harwood. Recently, three companies – Park Printing House, Coating Place and the MAC Center – gained city approval to significantly expand their operations. And that's a good sign for Verona, Harwood says. Bigger projects like Epic Systems or the looming West End development led by Terrence Wall may get most of the attention. But the health of existing Verona businesses "is extremely important to the
community," he said…
Editors Note: A brilliantly written article – Thanks Seth
Am Superconductor Gets $21.7m Funding
Wednesday, July 4, 2007 - American Superconductor Corp., which has its Power Systems unit based in Middleton, announced that the U.S. Department of Energy is providing up to $21.7 million in funding for two of its new high temperature superconductor (HTS)
projects. HTS power cables have the ability to conduct up to 10 times the power of copper cables of the same diameter. In one, American Superconductor has been selected to lead the development of key components required to commercially deploy an HTS…
136-room Hotel To Open In Middleton
Saturday, June 30, 2007 - A 136-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel opens Monday at 2266 Deming Way in Middleton. Located in the Discovery Springs development, the $9.9 million hotel will be managed by North Central Management of Middleton. Courtyard by
Marriott has more than 700…
Economic Snapshot - Big-box Store Comparison In Madison
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - Within the next year, a Wal-Mart Supercenter will open in Monona, a Super Target will open in Fitchburg and Costco will open in Middleton. These three stores will add over 500,000 square feet of retail space to the Madison market.
For comparison, the 110 stores in West Towne Mall comprise a little over 900,000 square feet. Total combined average annual sales for the three new locations will be an estimated $285 million per year. That is an average of $780,000 per day. Currently, there are 74 Wal-Mart stores and 32 Target stores in Wisconsin. The Costco in Middleton will be only the second to open in the state…
TRANSACTIONS From Wisconsin State Journal, Sun
Jul 1 2007
Landlord Of Low-income Properties Faces Bankruptcy
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - A changing rental market stretched him too thin and forced him into bankruptcy, says Richard V. Brown Sr., a member of the Dane County Board and a landlord with properties on the city's south and west sides. As low mortgage loan
rates in the past several years opened the option of home ownership to lower wage earners, Brown said, vacancies in his buildings soared, and he found himself renting to tenants with patchy rental histories, some of whom left owing him money. Brown was unable to make his mortgage payments, and after lenders refused to refinance, he filed for Chapter 11…
Madison's A 'fast City' In Magazine Rankings
Monday, July 2, 2007 - Madison is one fast city. So says Fast Company magazine in its article examining worldwide centers that offer the best in economic innovation and opportunity. Madison is named a Startup Hub in the listing of Fast Cities 2007 at www.FastCompany.com/cities.
"If you want a hint at cities that will be able to compete in the next decade, Madison is right in there," said Keith Hammonds, Fast Company executive editor. According to the magazine, "Fast Cities" are considered worldwide centers of creativity where the most important ideas and organizations of the future are located. They attract the best and brightest. They are great places to work and live…
OPINION Put State Budget On Pork-free Diet
Monday, July 2, 2007 - Every day, hardworking families across Wisconsin have to separate their needs from their wants. That's how they make ends meet on a budget. It's time for state lawmakers to do the same thing as they consider Wisconsin's two-year
budget. But that's not what happened last week. Senate Democrats brought out their list of wants in a budget amendment that distributes about $3 million in political favors…
First Weber adds Tomah, Mauston firm
Madison-based First Weber Group announced that is has acquired Advantage Barian Realty, which has offices in Tomah and Mauston. Terms were not disclosed. The offices will remain open under the First Weber banner, with Advantage Barian's 25 agents and
principals Barbara Clinard, Diana Gerke and Darlene Wahls joining First Weber…
EDITORIAL Wisconsin Must Invest More In Transportation
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - If you had to guess which Midwest state is the least expensive to drive in when it comes to taxes and fees, which would it be? It's not the Wolverine state or the Hoosier state, nor is it the states that the Hawkeyes, Golden
Gophers or Fighting Illini call home. It's the Badger state. That's right; you pay less in taxes and fees to drive in Wisconsin than any of our neighboring states. You are probably astounded by this answer because you have repeatedly been told that our gas tax is among the highest in the country…
Think tank: UW, system should split
7/05/2007 - A conservative Milwaukee-based "free market" think tank recommended today that the UW-Madison should be broken off from the University of Wisconsin System, which should also be reorganized to create clearer lines of management
authority. The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute says that in the 35 years since the former University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin State University systems were merged, the result has become "an outdated, inefficient management structure." David Giroux, a spokesman for the UW System…
Different spokes: Builders of handmade bike frames open shop here
7/05/2007 - Jon Kendziera, a lean 33-year-old wearing glasses and grease-stained worker's pants, says that his career as a custom bicycle frame builder started "by chance." But when one glances from the boxes of steel tubing under his workbench
to the naked frames that are hanging on the shop wall and eagerly awaiting paint and finally to the pristine coral-red beauty he's nearly completed, it's clear that his success is no accident. Kendziera is one of Madison's three…
Duluth Trading Company Joins High-flying Travel-gear Catalogs
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - Got-to-have Gadgets, Clothing Help Make Trips Wrinkle Free. I freely admit that I am a travel gear junky. There's an intriguing new travel gear catalog on the market and based on early reviews, it will give longtime travel catalog
retailers strong competition. Titled "Travelogue," it's the latest offering from Dane County's own Duluth Trading Company ( www.DuluthTrading.com ), a catalog retailer of highly regarded no-nonsense work clothing and gear for tradesmen, outdoorsmen (and more recently, women) and professional contractors. The segue into the travel arena is the brainchild of owner Steve
Schlecht, a longtime business traveler in his own right…
A Well-rounded Biotech Portfolio - Consider Stem-cell Licenses As Temporary 'loss Leaders'
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - In retail terms, a "loss leader" is merchandise sold below cost in order to increase store traffic and sales of other items on shelves. A store owner might lose a few bucks selling one heavily discounted gadget, but make
up for it handsomely through other sales. Wisconsin's high-tech loss leader these days are human embryonic stem cells. No one is making much money - yet - on sales of stem-cell licenses or products, but the state's highly advertised expertise in the technology is forcing others to look at what else is inside the store…
Southern Wisconsin's Big Kitchen - Region's Ingredients For Growth Attracting Food Companies
Sunday, July 1, 2007 - When Kettle Foods was looking for a place to locate its third potato chip plant - the others are in Salem, Ore. and England - the company narrowed the list to eight finalist sites. The sites were among a growing cluster of food
processing and manufacturing businesses which includes more than 130 companies that make or contribute to food sold worldwide. Some are household names and some fill lower-profile, highly specialized niches in the food industry. That cluster is centered in eight counties along the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. Kettle officials eventually selected Beloit for the $18 million, 70,000-square-foot facility that started
production this spring in Gateway Business Park, hiring 88 new employees. A grand opening will be held in September…
Around The State and Points Elsewhere
CK pulls out of Park East development
Cramer-Krasselt, a Chicago-based advertising and marketing firm, is dropping its plans to move its Milwaukee office to a new development in the Park East corridor and is looking for another downtown Milwaukee location. The company is looking for 50,000 square feet of office space in
downtown Milwaukee and needs to move in by the fall of 2008, said Susanna Homan, vice president of agency communication. "We don't have a final decision yet," she said. "I think one of the spaces we are considering is in the Third Ward, but we are considering other spaces as well." Cramer-Krasselt was planning to move to a 10-story building that Mequon-based Ruvin Development Inc. and Dallas-based
Gatehouse Capital Corp. plan to build northeast of Old World Third Street and Juneau Avenue in the Park East corridor…
Apartment building changes owners
Apartment building changes owners. Purchasers plan condo conversion. One of Milwaukee's biggest developers of housing in and near downtown has sold another apartment building on the city's east side, with the buyer planning to convert the rental units to condominiums...
Tower land may be sold
Tower land may be sold. Non-profit city-linked agency considers purchase of 85 acres. A non-profit business lending agency affiliated with the City of Milwaukee is exploring the possible purchase of around 85 acres at the former Tower Automotive complex, with plans to eventually...
Plotting a new course
Plotting a new course. Longtime golf club might become nature preserve. Squires Country Club owners cited a dwindling number of golf rounds being played in the region as the primary reason they are negotiating the sale of the historic golf course overlooking Lake Michigan...
Rezoning would allow hotels
Rezoning would allow hotels. Development viewed as improving look of city entryway. The Oak Creek Plan Commission has backed a proposal that would allow the development of two hotels near what local officials consider to be the entryway to the city...
Colleges, businesses interested in 440th site
Colleges, businesses interested in 440th site. County wants 60 acres of former base for runway. Area colleges and businesses are among the groups showing interest in land at Mitchell International Airport that formerly housed an Air Force Reserve base, according to city officials...
Pendulum about to swing in Falls residents' favor
Pendulum about to swing in Falls residents' favor. "It will take time. Everything is a pendulum," Menomonee Falls Village President Rick Rechlicz said...
Volunteers needed for district's long-range planning process
Volunteers needed for district's long-range planning process. Action teams will address diverse topics. The Wauwatosa School District is inviting parents and community members to become part of the district's long-range plan implementation process...
Goodwill gains goodwill of city officials and public
Goodwill gains goodwill of city officials and public. Council OKs training center for rezoned Rawson Avenue site. Skeptics became believers in Goodwill Industries's mission, dissipating previous concerns, as the Oak Creek Common Council unanimously approved a rezoning on June 19
that would allow a training...
Business subsidy reforms backed
Business subsidy reforms backed. Legislation planned to revamp programs. Wisconsin needs to toughen its standards for parceling out millions of dollars in business subsidies, including tighter scrutiny of who gets aid and better monitoring to ensure the money is used effectively,
state...
Triple towers project gets first zoning OK
Triple towers project gets first zoning OK. Hotel, condos proposed for Walker's Point. A condominium and hotel project proposed for the Walker's Point area won conceptual zoning approval Tuesday from a Common Council committee, despite opposition from nearby residents who say it
would be too tall...
Panel's streetcar vote has strings attached
Panel's streetcar vote has strings attached. Funding for other public transit sought. A Milwaukee Common Council committee on Tuesday narrowly endorsed Mayor Tom Barrett's streetcar plan, and called for new funding sources for both commuter trains and public buses...
Buyer sees new life for tannery
Buyer sees new life for tannery. Plans for Water St. site include housing, restaurants, shops. The former Gallun tannery, overlooking the Milwaukee River north of downtown, is being sold to a Denver firm that specializes in redeveloping former industrial properties into housing
and...
Developer learns patience
Developer learns patience. Corrections officer turned developer is passionate about cities. Melissa Goins, a former appraiser and state corrections officer, is among the few black developers in Milwaukee...
Developer plans major retail center in Pleasant Prairie
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - Indianapolis-based Gershman Brown Associates Inc. plans to build a 364,677-square-foot retail development, anchored by Target and JCPenney stores, southeast of Highway 50 and 104th Avenue in Pleasant Prairie. In addition to the 126,842-square-foot Target
store and the 104,175-square-foot JC Penney store, the development would include a 19,686-square-foot Petsmart store and a 50,000-square-foot Dick's Sporting Goods store. The Target store would move to the development from its current location in Kenosha at 7450 S. Green Bay Road. The Petsmart, Dick's Sporting Goods and JCPenney stores will be the first for those retail chains in Kenosha County.The development is planned
for vacant land south of a Famous Dave's restaurant and the future site of a 5,520-square-foot TGI Friday's restaurant…
Country Springs Completes Renovation
Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - The Country Springs Hotel, Water Park and Conference Center in Waukesha recently completed a renovation of its deluxe guestrooms. The makeover of each of the deluxe guestrooms includes entirely new bathrooms with updated bathtubs, flooring, tile, granite
countertops and fixtures. In the sleeping areas of each room, new mattresses and box springs, carpet, desks, end tables and armoires were added, as well as wall and window coverings. New microwaves and refrigerators were added to most of the rooms. "We want our guests to stay in a relaxing environment," said Nancy Richards, general manager of The Country Springs Hotel. "With these renovations, we have
created rooms that are both exceedingly comfortable and beautiful.
Part 1: Subsidies without scrutiny: Millions for jobs worth it?
Part 1: Subsidies without scrutiny: Millions for jobs worth it?. State parcels out business aid without evidence of effectiveness. First of two parts...
WisDOT. $750,000 project at Prairie du Chien Municipal Airport (paving).
WisDOT. $158,000 project at Rice Lake Regional Airport (storage hangar).
WisDOT. $1,157,895 project at Manitowoc County Airport (pavement/design).
WisDOT. $30,000 project at Palmyra Municipal Airport (taxiway).
WisDOT. $50,000 project at Middleton Municipal Airport (planning).
PERSONAL EDITORIAL
Forbes Magazine just ranked the “Best States For Business” and I for one am outraged at the 44th place ranking Wisconsin Received. And before we all point the proverbial finger at someone else for this, we need to take a long hard look at ourselves. We are not good at doing what needs to be done to attract new business
to the state and promote and nurture the businesses that are already here.
How is it that the state with the 8th best quality of life ranking (in the same article) cannot be more attractive to business? High taxes, not really we are up there but so are states ranked in the top ten. Growth, not as bad as some. Production, nope we do well here. Marketing, no we spend a fair amount. The Numbers don’t tell the story -- we do.
The real problem is that we are far better at complaining than we are at promoting. Virginia, Utah and Washington, the “leaders” and movers on the list, are committed to talking about their success stories. These states promote their quality of life, they encourage businesses to visit and test the waters, they respect growth, and they have enlisted their existing businesses as partners in all out self-promotion. We seem
to enlist our businesses to complain about the status quo. It now appears that companies in other states are hearing the message and staying away.
So how do we fix this, simple first change the message, second change the messenger. We cannot rely on Madison or a public relations firm to repair the damage. We need to fix this.
I issue a personal challenge to all of us. Call someone outside the state and tell him or her why Wisconsin is in fact a great place to do business. Then quietly call your state and local officials and tell them quietly to prove you right!
Ken Harwood
Full Forbes article can be found here:
http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/07/10/
washington-virginia-utah-biz-cz_kb_0711bizstates.html
Table of Results can be found here:
http://www.forbes.com/2007/07/10/
washington-virginia-utah-biz-cz_kb_0711bizstates-table_print.html
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