Editor Ken Harwood
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Every week I pull together several news articles and press releases on economic development and government issues affecting real estate and development in Dane County and Wisconsin for the staff at Park Towne Development. The links should take you to the original article and should remain active for a few months (depending on the source). 

To include a development related press release forward a PDF, MS Word document or active link to me by 1PM Thursday for inclusion in that Friday's release. We do not include offers of property for sale or other solely promotional material.

Occasionally I include Editorial or Opinion pieces from other publications. Unless I am the actual author, these articles do not reflect my personal opinion or that of Park Towne Development. My goal is to make my colleagues aware of opinions being expressed in the media.

If you would like a copy every Friday drop me a note and I will add you the list. If you would like others to receive this data you may email me their address and I will add them to our list. If you are really interested I have “back issues” from June 1^st 2005, but hey that’s old news.

Please let me know what you think.

Ken  

Ken Harwood

News&Notes Development News for Dane County and Wisconsin

UPDATE: Get latest News & Note on mobile device at:
www.Wisconsindevelopment.com/mobi

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Forward Wisconsin chief quits

Posted: Feb. 1, 2007 - Randolph to stay on through March, then join Potawatomi. The president of Forward Wisconsin is leaving the state economic development organization, and its board has not decided how or whether to replace him, officials said Thursday. Eugene "Pepi" Randolph, 45, will become national vice president of sales and marketing for the Potawatomi Business Development Corp. The entity is the investment arm of the Forest County Potawatomi tribe, which operates the Potawatomi Bingo and Casino in Milwaukee. Randolph's new job will include government relations. He intends to leave Forward at the end of March. "There is nothing at Forward that is pushing me out, this is just an opportunity that came my way that I found pretty attractive," Randolph said…

Mazo printing plant finds buyer

THU., FEB 1, 2007 - More than a month after Sunny Industries went out of business in Mazomanie, resulting in the loss of nearly 400 jobs, the printing plant is expected to be back in operation by Feb. 10. A Minnesota company purchased the plant's assets out of receivership for $7.8 million during an auction Wednesday night. There were 14 registered bidders…

Doa Building To Hit Market

Saturday, January 27, 2007 - The state government is hoping to cash in on downtown Madison's real estate boom by selling its 10-story downtown office building that overlooks Lake Monona. Scott Larrivee, spokesman for the Department of Administration, said Friday that the building will soon be put on the market. The building at 101 E. Wilson St. houses about 600 state workers. State officials hope to make about $20 million in a sale and then lease the building for five to seven years while seeking another downtown location, Larrivee said…

Money, Land Offered For New Library

Veridian Homes Will Donate Land And More Than $200,000 If Plans For An Far East Side Library Are Approved By The City.  Residents on Madison's Far East Side may benefit from the construction of a new public library following a donation by a Madison homebuilding company. Veridian Homes will donate a 30,000-square-foot plot in the Grandview Commons neighborhood and $75,000 toward the project if it is approved. The company is offering an additional $150,000 on the condition that the library receive a zoning permit within two years…

A Closer Look: Holiday Inn, 5109 West Terrace Drive

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - When designing this Holiday Inn, architectural company Durrant based the plans on a prototype used by the hotel chain geared more towards the business traveler. The hotel features a variety of meeting spaces with room for up to 350 people. There is also a smaller board room/conference room that can fit 30 people…

50-unit Building Under Construction

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Construction has begun on a 50-unit apartment building along Parmenter Street south of the roundabout in Middleton. When the $6 million project, called Parmenter Circle, is completed in July it will have 23 two-bedroom, 16 one-bedroom, three studio loft and four three-bedroom apartments. All apartments have balconies and the building will have underground parking, a community patio and a tot playground…

Proposed Ordinance Unfriendly To Contractors

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - The Madison City Council is considering adopting a Best Value Contracting ordinance that could be a good deal for city taxpayers, but may have the unintended consequence of discouraging responsible and qualified contractors from bidding on city projects.This ordinance may increase construction costs for city of Madison projects by increasing the administrative burden on contractors and the city engineer. Additionally, the ordinance may discourage developers from considering projects within the city when there are more contractor- and developer-friendly cities nearby…

Century 21 Affiliated top producer in Madison scroll down

School conversion project wins award scroll down

Stone House Development of Madison has received the Wisconsin Historical Society's 2006 historic restoration award for converting Wausau's East High School into apartments. Conversion of the high school into East High Apartment's was the company's fifth historic school renovation project. The company was formed in 1996 by Helen Bradbury and Rich Arnesen.

Erin's Snug Irish Pub & Restaurant to open

Erin's Snug Irish Pub & Restaurant will open in May at 4601 American Parkway in the American Center business park.

Continental Mapping Consultants is constructing a 12,000-square-foot professional office building. scroll down

Home Savings Bank received the Green Built Supporter of the Year scroll down

Sperry Van Ness Commercial Real Estate Advisors has moved to the Century Avenue Office Condominiums, 6405 Century Ave. scroll down

Take The High Road Early To Get Project Approval

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Considering expanding your current business operations? Planning development of a large subdivision? Intending on siting a new ethanol plant, waste disposal facility or quarry? If you are, you better come prepared. Today's political, regulatory and environmental climate has made nearly all expansion and development projects controversial…

Trader Joe's Draws Shoppers Back To Monroe Street Stores

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Ron Roloff doubts that anyone living in Fitchburg, Stoughton or Middleton would have driven to Monroe Street to check out a new Walgreen Drug Store. After all, there are 22 such stores in Dane County and nearly every one of them is identical. That's not the case with Trader Joe's. And that's why Roloff and the owners of other Monroe Street businesses…

Capital Region Indicators Understanding The Market

Thursday, February 1, 2007- While attracting new business remains an important economic development activity, the retention and expansion of existing establishments is often a more cost effective and valuable strategy. The emphasis of business retention and expansion has elevated the role of entrepreneurs and small businesses in growing regional economies…

Ebbing And Flowing - New Flood Plain Maps May Affect Many County Landowners

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Fed by heavy rains, Lake Mendota rose to its highest level ever recorded in June 2000. On Middleton Beach Road on the lake's western edge, waves lapped at yards and flooded some basements, but stopped short of spilling into ground floors.  "We didn't even need to remove our dock," said Rick Kurz, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1990 with his wife, Kay…

Council To See Development Plan

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - The Madison City Council is getting an informal look tonight at Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's proposal to give the city's economic development efforts a face-lift. The plan, already funded with more than $1 million in the city budget approved in November, reorganizes the city's Department of Planning and Development into a Department of Economic and Community Development. The plan includes an "early warning system"…

Sun Prairie School Vote Set - $14.7m Referendum Would Secure Donated Land

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - The Sun Prairie School District voters will decide on Feb. 20 whether to build a 500-student, $14.7 million grade school in a rapidly growing subdivision close to the city's border with Madison. If the project is approved, the Veridian Homes developer has promised to make a gift of the six-acre site, which it estimates to be worth about $1.3 million…

Large Property Transactions

Building Permits

City's Rental Market Soft No More

Wednesday, January 31, 2007 - After several years of soaring vacancy rates for apartments -- good news for renters -- the market is swinging back in the other direction. Recent figures from Madison Gas & Electric show that the vacancy rate here has dropped to 5.07 percent. That's down from spring 2005 when vacancy rates were running over 7 percent, with many areas seeing double-digit vacancies…

Custom Homes Near The Woods

Sunday, January 28, 2007 - Monona Woodlands Condos Are Off A Busy Thoroughfare Yet Offer Access To A Nature Area. As the name implies, the Monona Woodlands condominiums overlook the leafy Woodlands Park as well as the Edna Taylor Nature Conservancy and Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

Mis-cast vote defeats village annexation moratorium

1/25/2007 - The Village Board narrowly defeated a proposed moratorium on annexations Monday when one of the measure’s chief proponents mistakenly voted with the opposition. Trustee Hans Noeldner shocked everyone when his vote against the moratorium tipped the scale to result in a 4-3 tally. Noeldner joined Village President Jerry Luebke and trustees Jerry Bollig and Eric Poole in defeating the proposal, while trustees Jon Lourigan, Phil Harms and Steve Staton supported a temporary moratorium.

Stoughton Council gets ‘sneak preview’ of Supercenter

1/25/2007 - A proposed “sneak preview” of the Wal-Mart Supercenter was almost derailed before it even started Tuesday, resurrecting some of the strong feelings the controversial proposal has generated in the community over the past several years.

Donnelley May Close Office - 89 Employees In Waterloo May Lose Jobs

Tuesday, January 30, 2007 - Waterloo operations of the former Perry Judd's -- once a thriving printing company with more than 600 employees -- may be shuttered within two months. R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Chicago, completed the $176 million purchase of the Wisconsin printing company last week and notified the state that up to 89 people at what had been Perry Judd's headquarters offices may be out of a job by March 26...

Harley Shuts Plant As Strike Looms

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - HARLEY-DAVIDSON INC. SHUT DOWN PRODUCTION AT ITS LARGEST MANUFACTURING PLANT TODAY, A DAY AFTER ITS NEARLY 2,800 UNIONIZED WORKERS OVERWHELMINGLY REJECTED THE COMPANY'S CONTRACT OFFER AND AUTHORIZED A STRIKE AT THE FACILITY IN YORK, PA. The statement also announced the suspension of production of its Touring and Softail motorcycles. "We are obviously disappointed by the union's decision," Fred Gates…

Foreign firm seeks area site for U.S. plant

Posted: Jan. 31, 2007 - Manufacturer wants 100-acre parcel. An overseas manufacturer has inquired about building a plant in southeastern Wisconsin. The unnamed company is seeking a site with 100 acres near an interstate highway, a rail line and an airport, according to a memo from John Stricker, business development director for the state Department of Commerce. The company would manufacture, assemble and store medium to heavy equipment at the potential site. This would be the first U.S. facility for the company, the memo said. The company sent the memo to Stricker in November….

Beloit Company Makes Forbes List

Thursday, February 1, 2007 - Regal-Beloit Corp. has been named one of America's best-managed companies on Forbes Magazine's 400 Best Big Companies list. The magazine compiled the list from among 1,000 companies with $1 billion or more in annual revenue by comparing stock market returns, sales, earnings per share growth and debt-to-capital ratios…

Governor on-board for $13 rental tax

Posted: Jan. 31, 2007 - 3-county increase would help pay for commuter trains. Gov. Jim Doyle will back a $13 increase in the rental car tax to pay for new commuter trains connecting Milwaukee to its southern suburbs and to Racine and Kenosha, a Doyle spokesman said Wednesday. The three-county increase was recommended Tuesday by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority. If the Legislature approves, the RTA's portion of the rental car tax in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties would rise from $2 to $15, in addition to other state and county taxes that total up to 22.6% of each car rental. Doyle spokesman Matt Canter said, "The governor wholeheartedly supports the (KRM Commuter Link) project" and "will be supportive" of the rental car tax increase…

Park East developers expand holdings

Posted: Jan. 31, 2007 - Riverfront Plaza building, parking lots acquired. Developers of a planned mixed-use project in downtown Milwaukee's Park East corridor have agreed to purchase additional nearby properties, including the building that once housed Third Street Pier restaurant. Robert Ruvin said Wednesday that he and partner David Florsheim are working to replace Third Street Pier, which closed in October, with a national restaurant chain. Ruvin declined to name the potential tenant because the lease hasn't been signed yet. The six-story Riverfront Plaza building, at 1110 N. Old World 3rd St., has around 100,000 square feet, with an 80% occupancy rate, Ruvin said…

History Channel to tape relocation of building that housed one of Milwaukee's first breweries

Posted: Jan. 30, 2007 - The historic Gipfel Brewery is getting ready for its close-up. Strapped onto dollies, the 154-year-old brewery building at 423-427 W. Juneau Ave. is being prepared for its eventual relocation a block east, as part of Ruvin Development's plans for a $160 million development that will include condos, a hotel, retail and office space, and restoration of the Sydney Hih building at Juneau and N. Old World 3rd St. The mid-February moving of the city's oldest brewery building will be filmed by The History Channel.

Smaller lots? Maybe if we offer the neighbors some upside EDITORIAL

Posted: Jan. 30, 2007 - Ask a builder whether he'd rather build a few big, expensive homes or many more smaller, less expensive ones, and he'll tell you he can make money either way - though as one told me, building more houses is more efficient and profitable. Ask a builder what's allowed, and the answer's clearer: Local governments don't want smaller and cheaper. "It's like you're speaking a foreign language," says Tim O'Brien of William Ryan Homes. So in this home-show season, maybe we should be asking how we can make it worth a community's while to change its zoning…

Lake Bluff apartments sold

January 30, 2007 .Lake Bluff apartments sold. Development purchased by Chicago firm. A controversial luxury apartment development that helped launch Milwaukee's downtown housing boom has been sold to Chicago investors for $27.5 million...

Developer may add to preserve

Developer may add to preserve. New plan would shrink Waukesha project to 120 acres. About 181 acres of a 300-acre parcel targeted for new homes and two new radium-free city wells will be donated to the adjacent Vernon Marsh Wildlife Area to pacify conservationists and move the city...

ShopKo changes direction

ShopKo changes direction. New chief leads recovery effort. ShopKo's gray days will be a thing of the past if Mike MacDonald succeeds at his new retail challenge...

Greendale wants a say in Southridge's future

Greendale wants a say in Southridge's future. Village has a stake in mall's future, officials say. Greendale officials want to influence the changes in store for Southridge Mall - the village's biggest taxpayer - as it comes under new ownership...

Mayor to propose referendum on streetcars

FRI., JAN 26, 2007 -  Hoping to derail a critical issue in his re-election campaign, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said Thursday he wants voters to decide whether the city should move forward with any plan to install a streetcar system. Cieslewicz said he would introduce a resolution at the next City Council meeting requiring passage of a binding referendum before the city could begin a project…

Editors Note: While I like dedicated track / rubber wheel options (like in Montréal), I hope we consider the ancillary economic benefits of a system with tourist / lifestyle appeal.

Livening up old Cottage Grove

FRI., JAN 26, 2007 -  COTTAGE GROVE - Herman and Vivian Plahetka have seen the grocery stores, post office and bank leave their side of the village. The nearby railroad tracks to Waukesha have been ripped up for a bike trail and their village has mushroomed from about 400 people in 1955 - when they bought their Clark Street home for $8,000 - to more than 5,000 people today. "It was a place to bring up the kids," said Herman Plahetka, 94, as a he nursed a Budweiser in a soft chair on his kerosene stove-heated front porch. "We liked it and we bought it. We've never been sorry."

Bo Ryan Does the Hambone

Editors Note: Talent on and off the court! Go Bucky!

O, Canada! Go Monroe: Young entrepreneur revives old brewery

MONROE - They're not yet flying a Canadian flag over the Green County courthouse. But if 25-year-old Calgary, Alberta native Ravinder Minhas succeeds with his ambitious plans for the former Joseph Huber brewery they just might consider it. An engaging promoter in an industry based largely on branding, Minhas has been the talk of this town since he purchased the aging facility in October - a cash purchase, no less…

Push For Land Buy Vote Creates Stir

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Conservatives Hit For Referendum Idea. Conservative Dane County Board supervisors want to "check the temperature" of the public to see if there still is community support to spend millions of dollars on county land buys for parks and open space. But Topf Wells, County Executive Kathleen Falk's chief of staff, says there's no need for a new advisory referendum to reaffirm what voters wanted to do in 1999 because the board has the chance to vote on land acquisition money every year in the county budget…

 Housing Director Builds Alliances

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Name: Amy Bliss. Job: Deputy director, Wisconsin Housing Alliance, which is the trade association for the factory-built housing industry. I'm also executive director of Tomorrow's Home Foundation, the charitable arm of the alliance. What I like best about my job: The variety. In the same day I can go from grant writing to planning educational seminars to working on association policy development. I also love helping people in need and seeing an entire statewide industry helping those people…

Wppi Aids Firms With Energy Efficiency

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - SUN PRAIRIE-BASED WISCONSIN PUBLIC POWER INC. ANNOUNCED MORE THAN $145,000 IN GRANTS FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROJECTS TO THREE INDUSTRIAL FIRMS SERVED BY ITS MEMBER UTILITIES. The funding comes from WPPI's "RFP for Energy Efficiency" competitive bid program, aimed at making electric energy saving projects a worthwhile business investment for large power customers…

Dane County Case Has Owners Worried About Building Sites

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Shoreline Rights Contested. Terry and Debbie Nelson thought they had found the perfect place to build their retirement home: a small lot on Lake Waubesa with a ramshackle house fit for demolition. They were worried, however, when Dane County last year proposed amending its zoning ordinance to limit building on substandard lots in shoreland districts. For decades, zoning administrators have interpreted a section of the law as a "grandfather clause" for smaller lots that existed before the shoreland zoning law took effect in 1970…

Chazen Expansion Architect Picked

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - One of America's most acclaimed architectural firms -- Machado and Silvetti Associates of Boston -- has been chosen by the state of Wisconsin to design the expansion to the Chazen Museum of Art at 800 University Ave. The award-winning firm, which has designed many museums, will work on the 62,000-square-foot project in association with Milwaukee-based Continuum Architects and Planners…

Monona Condo Project Advances - City's Ok Now Needed For Site Of Mobile Homes

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - Thirteen months after residents of a Broadway mobile home park were left in limbo by news that they'd be displaced by condominiums, the proposed project has taken a giant leap forward. After months of delays and closed-door wrangling, the…

Uw Vies To Be National Leader In Bioenergy Research - Wants $125m Federal Center Here

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - As national interest in ethanol and other forms of bioenergy surges, the UW-Madison's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is hoping to become a leader. On the same evening that President Bush was calling for a sharp increase in the amount of alternative fuels, the dean of the UW agriculture college announced a proposal to bring a $125 million federal bioenergy research and development collaboration to Wisconsin…

What kind of Growth? Oregon Village Board to vote Monday on annexation moratorium

1/18/07 - Patrick Sweeney, who represents L&S Investment, a group holding 200 acres in what the village of Oregon refers to as the Southeast Quadrant, is bullish on commercial development for the area. He foresees many benefits coming the village’s way if his clients, along with developers Veridian Homes and Eric Grover, have their properties annexed into the village.The three parties have agreed to provide the upfront financing for a $3.35 million sewer interceptor project in the Southeast Quadrant. They would then be entitled to “recapture” an as-yet unspecified amount each time a property would connect to the sewer in the future…

Atc Won't Favor Underground Line

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - American Transmission Co. said Tuesday it will not recommend burying part of the high-voltage transmission line proposed from the Middleton area to Rockdale, across the width of Dane County. ATC, which owns and operates the lines carrying power into and around the state…

Condo Project Gets Support

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - Monona's community development arm gave its blessing Tuesday to a financial assistance package for a $17.8 million riverfront condominium project. The Community Development Authority voted 6-1 to recommend to the City Council that developer Kevin Metcalfe receive $2.65 million in tax incremental financing (TIF) for his 84-unit Riverfront Commons Condominium project at…

Mill May Be Used By Artists

Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - Turning The Old Garver Feed Mill Into Art Studios And Galleries Is One Plan The City May Consider. A nonprofit development group wants to turn the Garver Feed Mill -- a sprawling brick structure behind Olbrich Gardens that has been likened to a ruin after decades of deterioration -- into an arts incubator that would provide affordable studio space and business assistance for local artists. But it might have to compete with other proposals the city is seeking for development of the property…

City Moves To Retool Planning Agency

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - The gripe that the city of Madison is somehow "anti-business" has been around since Vietnam War protesters were tossing bricks through storefront windows. So don't expect a name change to suddenly transform the perception of those doing the complaining. But the city is investing major time and resources into reorganizing its Department of Planning and Development into a slick, new "Department of Economic and Community Development."…

Losing Steam - Housing Market Slows But Doesn't Crash As Inventory Grows

Sunday, January 21, 2007 - A housing bubble didn't burst and the market didn't crash, but a housing boom of nearly a decade came to an end last year in south-central Wisconsin. The number of existing home sales dropped about 7 percent to 14,670 in the six-county region and declined 11.1 percent in Dane County to 7,097, according to a report issued Friday by South Central Wisconsin MLS…

Realtors Here Look To 2007 Rebound

Saturday, January 20, 2007 - The boom times may be history for the local real estate market, but a leading industry official is optimistic that the worst has passed. December's home and condominium sales in Dane County were 15.1 percent fewer than December 2005, putting total sales for 2006 at 11.0 percent behind 2005 and 7.2 percent behind 2004, the Realtors Association of South Central Wisconsin reported Friday…

Prime Vacancy - No Prospects Yet For Mifflin Street Co-op Site

Saturday, January 20, 2007 - It's a prime piece of downtown real estate, just two blocks from the Kohl Center and walking distance to the Capitol Square and UW Campus. The site also has a link to Madison's progressive tradition, with roots in the 1960s peace movement. But to date, nobody has come forward with a solid offer for the Mifflin Street Community Cooperative building at 32 N. Bassett St…

Wal-mart To Present Supercenter Plan

Friday, January 19, 2007 - Area residents can soon get a sneak-peek of plans for the contentious Wal-Mart SuperCenter proposed for Stoughton. Wal-Mart will unveil design plans for the SuperCenter at the Stoughton City Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Public Safety Building, 321 S. Fourth St., Stoughton. The council will not take any action on the proposal…

Rail stations touted as lures

Jan. 24, 2007 - A proposed southeastern Wisconsin commuter rail line has excellent prospects for attracting development around stations, a national expert said Wednesday. National trends indicate stronger demand for housing and businesses within walking distance of train stations, particularly in big metropolitan areas like Chicago, said Shelley Poticha, president of Reconnecting America. By connecting to Chicago's Metra commuter trains, "this line is perfect for this," if planners coordinate development with rail service, Poticha said of the proposed KRM Commuter Link. The KRM line would connect Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and the southern suburbs with 14 round trips each weekday…

Awards Issued For Design, Construction

Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - The Governor's Awards for Outstanding Design and Construction Services have been announced. The awards recognize work on state building projects. Local winners are Strand Associates, an engineering firm at 910 W. Wingra Drive, for excellence in engineering design; Ron Krohn of the state's Department of Administration for excellence in service; Bill Babcock, executive director of the American Institute of Architects Wisconsin, for excellence in service; and Carol Godiksen, executive director of the American Council of Engineering Companies in Wisconsin, for excellence in Service. Other winners were Thomas Brown Architects, Stevens Point; Eppstein Uhen Architects, Milwaukee; and Artega Construction, Milwaukee…

Existing Home Sales Hit 17-year Low

Thursday, January 25, 2007 - Sales of existing homes fell in December, closing out a year in which demand for homes slumped by the largest amount in 17 years. The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes were down 0.8 percent last month, a bigger decline than had been expected. For the year, sales fell by 8.4 percent, the biggest annual decline since 1989, when existing home sales fell by 14.8 percent…

Wispolitics.com Stock Report - Ups And Downs In Wisconsin Politics

Sunday, January 21, 2007 - For the second year in a row, the Badger State makes the honor roll of a national economic report card, scoring all A's and B's. It's one of seven states honored by the nonpartisan Corporation for Enterprise Development, a national development organization. Wisconsin gets an A for economic performance, a B for business vitality and a B for development capacity, but the organization says the state could still do better on employment and entrepreneurial issues…

Village Board Oks Big Cat Refuge

Sunday, January 21, 2007 - Twenty-four lions, tigers and leopards could have a new home as early as May after the Village Board approved Jeff Kozlowski's plan for a big cat refuge here last week. Big cat advocate Kozlowski, village resident Harlan Behnke and other members of the newly formed Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue and Education Center have been trying to get permission to create the center on land former village President Dorothy Coens owns on the north edge of the village about 10 miles west of Baraboo…

Greendale wants a say in Southridge's future - Village has a stake in mall's future, officials say

Jan. 25, 2007 - Greendale officials want to influence the changes in store for Southridge Mall - the village's biggest taxpayer - as it comes under new ownership. The village is seeking proposals from two planning firms - HNTB Corp. and R.A. Smith and Associates Inc. - to develop its own vision for the mall's future, Village Manager Joseph Murray said. Conversations have focused on whether the 110-acre complex, the largest shopping mall in the state, could support mixed-use development, whether housing could be part of that mix, and costs associated with various redevelopment plans, Village President John Hermes said. Talks have been in progress for several months. "I want to get ahead of this more than we have in the past," Hermes said. "Southridge is an important economic issue, not only for Greendale, but for the entire region."…

Referendum set on tax to preserve farms

Jan. 24, 2007 - Town of Mukwonago - Town residents will decide April 3 whether they want to pay an additional tax to fund a program to preserve farmland and other undeveloped land. Buy a link hereThe Town Board has approved placing a binding referendum on the April ballot asking residents whether they support an extra tax of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to fund a purchase of development rights program…

Franklin may get not one, but two, Sendik's - That news even caught one of the owners by surprise

Jan. 25, 2007 - Franklin may soon be the home to two Sendik's stores, but they won't be owned by the same branch of the Balistreri family. At least one of those store owners was unaware of the plans of the other. Sendik's Food Market, owned by Ted Balistreri and several siblings, will construct a 57,000-square-foot store within the Fountains of Franklin development slated to start construction this spring at South 51st Street and Rawson Avenue. It would be the fifth store Ted Balistreri owns with his two brothers and sister…

Mixed-use properties seen for area near 124th and Bluemound, Quebecor

Jan. 25, 2007 - Brookfield's Plan Commission on Jan. 22 gave its final approval to the land use and transportation plan for the 124th Street/Bluemound Road neighborhood and asked city staff to extend an agreement-in-lieu of moratorium for the vacant Quebecor property until July. Dan Ertl, the city's director of community development, said Brookfield will start…

Panel moves to delay Third Ward project

Posted: Jan. 24, 2007 - Faced with an ongoing sewerage district construction project and design complaints, a Milwaukee Common Council committee on Wednesday voted 5-0 to delay construction of a much ballyhooed bamboo-studded plaza in the Third Ward. In moving to delay the project, the council's Public Works Committee cited the concerns of nearby residents and business owners with a recently begun project by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District that is expected to last three years. The true issues for aldermen, however, seemed to be the cost of the project and lingering design complaints…

Former south side foundry to be redeveloped - Remodeling firm will expand

Posted: Jan. 24, 2007 - A Milwaukee remodeling firm plans to redevelop a former foundry on the city's south side, a $7 million project that will provide expansion space for the firm. Paul Davis Restoration plans to redevelop the former Aelco Foundries Inc. property, 1930 S. 4th St. That 3.3-acre parcel, which is near the Kinnickinnic River east of I-94, is just north of the Paul Davis offices, 2000 S. 4th St. Paul Davis plans to demolish two of Aelco's former buildings later this year and replace them with a 40,000-square-foot building, said David Misky of the Department of City Development. Construction of the new building will begin in 2008…

Pro-Shorewood campaign a go

Jan. 25, 2007 - A plan to market the village as a viable place to live entered its implementation phase after the Village Board approved an agreement with a local consultant Jan. 22. The board voted unanimously to the terms of an agreement with Meyer and Wallis, a local marketing firm, to develop promotional and marketing materials for the village. The phase is expected to cost about $165,000. The village has agreed to pay $50,000, the School District has agreed to pay $30,000, the Business Improvement District will pay $15,000 and the Community Development Authority will pay $32,500. The remaining $37,500 will be paid for through private fundraising, village officials said…

Future forecast: South Milwaukee

Posted: Jan. 25, 2007 - South Milwaukee will see its share of new developments in 2007 - both commercial and residential - and an old business will get a new owner. The School District will see its share of changes, too. Edeavor Group plans to build a 16,574-square-foot Aldi grocery…

Adviser will aid with developer decisions

Jan. 25, 2007 - The city of Oak Creek will use a financial adviser to analyze requests when developers seek tax-incremental financing to help fund their construction projects. The Common Council on Jan. 16 unanimously authorized city staff to retain a TIF adviser, whose services would initially be utilized for the proposed TIF District No. 7, which , as proposed, would include all the land bounded by Drexel Avenue, County Line Road, 27th Street and Interstate 94…

More growth in the valley

Jan. 22, 2007 - A group of 19th-century industrial buildings in Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley would be redeveloped over the next five years into an office park, under a proposal announced Monday. The five buildings, constructed in 1895 for Milwaukee Gas Light Co., now house smaller tenants, including a truck terminal, limousine service and 4 Seasons Skate Park. The buildings, one block south of W. St. Paul Ave. between N. 16th and N. 25th streets, include the red brick octagonal tower that can be seen from I-94. The owners, real estate investors Frank and Dominic Giuffre, plan to convert the…

Taking the plunge

Posted: Jan. 21, 2007 - To boost business at lagging hotels throughout the country, a Milwaukee development firm and a Denver hotel operator have concocted a simple formula: Add water and stir. Wave Development and Denver-based Sage Hospitality are collaborating to buy hotels and then add indoor water parks, making them more attractive to families looking for weekend getaways and vacations. Wave and Sage have opened three water parks at hotels in northern Illinois and Ohio since December, with three more openings planned for later this year…

J.C. Penney plans store in Falls - New stand-alone outlet would sit on home turf of rival Kohl's

Jan. 20, 2007 - J.C. Penney Co. intends to open a new, stand-alone store in Menomonee Falls - home turf to its chief rival, Kohl's Corp. It would be the first new Penneys store in the Milwaukee market in decades. The company plans to open the store in about a year, chief executive officer Myron "Mike" Ullman said. Penney's new concept store will help it compete with Kohl's, which also has introduced new concept…

Here Comes Costco - Middleton Council To Review Tif Deal

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - Plans for Middleton's first, and possibly last, big box retailer are expected to advance tonight. The Middleton City Council will discuss and could approve general plans to bring Costco Wholesale Corp. to the Discovery Springs development. Final approval and a $2 million developer-financed tax incremental finance (TIF) agreement with site developer John K. Livesey is expected in early February…

Biz Group Here Lands State Funds

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Efforts to advance the Madison-area economy got a $270,000 boost from Gov. Jim Doyle this morning. Doyle announced the first-year state grant of $135,000 at a board meeting of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, which, through its Collaboration Council, is helping to get a new regional economic development effort off the ground…

Local Home Starts Plunge In December

Friday, January 12, 2007 - The slowest year for home building in Dane County this century closed with a whimper in December. There were just 68 permits issued for single-family homes and duplexes in Dane County in December, just under half of the 135 in December 2005 and well under the range of 125 to 216 dating back to 1999, the earliest year MTD Marketing reported figures. The December permits had an average value of $243,558, down from the record $278,059 in December 2005 and the third highest ever…

BUILDING PERMITS

Not Eager To Become Madisonians

Monday, January 15, 2007 - Many Who Live In The Town Of Burke Are Unhappy With Annexation Agreement Expected To Be Approved Tuesday. Three years ago, Dean and Jayme Galanos bought an acre of land and built a home in the bucolic town of Burke, where subdivisions lie tucked among yawning farmland. They moved here to get out of Madison. But now the city is likely coming to them. "I lived in Madison for 28 years. I grew up there," said Dean Galanos, who lives in the Conservancy Estates subdivision just south of Sun Prairie. "We live out here because it's different." A four-way agreement will dissolve the town of Burke…

Affordable Condos Set For Far West Side

Saturday, January 13, 2007 - LANDGRAF CONSTRUCTION INC. IS PARTNERING WITH DIMENSION IV ARCHITECTS-MADISON LLC ON A NEW CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPMENT ON THE FAR WEST SIDE THAT WILL FEATURE UNITS STARTING AT $164,000, AS WELL AS 9,100 SQUARE FEET OF FIRST-FLOOR COMMERCIAL SPACE. The Promontory Condominiums, 8201 Mayo Drive, will have 44 two-bedroom, two-bathroom condos featuring heated underground parking, large master suites, and balconies. Completion is expected by Sept. 1…

Deadline Set On Mobile Homes

Saturday, January 13, 2007 - Owners In Monona Have Until March To Move To Make Way For A Condo Development. Residents of a Monona mobile home park that is slated to be demolished for a condo development have been told they must move out by March 1. The announcement was posted on doors this week at the 42-lot Hickory Lane Mobile Home Park by the park's owners, Mansel and Dottie Johns. The move-out date is the latest development in an up-and-down saga…

City Wants Atc Power Line Buried

Friday, January 12, 2007 - The city of Madison is asking American Transmission Co. and state regulators to consider burying part of a new, high-voltage transmission line underground if that line is built along the Beltline. City Attorney Michael May sent a letter Jan. 5 to ATC…

Clearing the trees for the forest - County turning old shooting range into recreation area

If you’ve been on Range Trail recently, you might have noticed an unusual amount of activity in the thick woodland there, including a parade of dump trucks in November. Dane County’s Parks Commission is creating a new public recreation area, called the Scheidegger Forest, and will be asking Verona residents for their opinion on potential uses of the 73-acre site next week. “It’s going to be the whole picture: forest management, recreation, what types of uses are going to be allowed, where the access is going to be,” explained Dane County park planner Chris James…

Madison-kipp's Move Works

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Company Uses Newer Technology In Its Plant In The Sun Prairie Business Park. Madison-Kipp Corp.'s expansion into the Sun Prairie Business Park is part of the company's transition to one that uses newer technology, allowing it to widen its customer base, company officials said. The company has installed robotic machines and other automated equipment in its Sun Prairie location, which it occupied last spring, said Mark Meunier, vice president of human resources. It also has moved three die-casting machines from Madison in an effort to streamline production. The die-casting machines…

Company With Link To Madison Gets Funding

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Cytochroma Plans To Move Some Of Its Operations To Madison. Cytochroma, a Canadian company that says it plans operations in Madison, has received $21 million in venture capital. The money will let the specialty pharmaceutical company begin human clinical trials on its three top drug compounds, said Eric Messner, vice president in charge of commercial operations…

There's Catch To Library Gift - Veridian Sets Terms For Pledge

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - A gift of land and money for a far east side branch of the Madison Public Library won't pan out exactly as billed, but library board head Tripp Widder says it's still a good deal. Building giant Veridian Homes last year promised $225,000 and a three-quarter-acre site for a library branch to be built within seven years in its Grandview Commons…

New Place For Steaks Planned

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Ruth's Chris Steak House Is Scheduled To Open In Late October In Middleton. Madison-area meat lovers will likely have another spot to bite into a steak this year. The Livesey Co. has received preliminary design approval from the Middleton Plan Commission for a Ruth's Chris Steak House at 2137 Deming Way. The 9,500-square-foot restaurant would seat from 260 to 280…

Editors Note: With prices ranging from $30.95 for a petite fillet to $44.95 for a T-bone, I am open to invitations for article placement discussed over dinner. Remember you can send your press release to me at kenh@parktowne.com (it must be development related) and steak helps…

Texas Roadhouse big on flavor, hokey charm

As hokey as the place is, there is something irresistible about the Texas Roadhouse chain, which opened a Madison outpost just east of East Towne Mall in mid-October. First of all, servers grab a basket of freshly baked rolls as they lead customers to their tables. More about those rolls in a second. Another nice touch is the bucket of peanuts…

East Side Mill Site Is Topic Of Meeting

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - The former Garver Feed Mill is a local landmark that's a stone's throw from Madison's garden gem and right on a popular bike path. So what to do with the crumbling milepost? That will be the focus of a meeting Thursday at which members of the community are invited to offer their suggestions on how the century-old building should be used…

Power deal spurs local connection: Middleton unit eyes bright future in wind

January 18, 2007 - American Superconductor Corp.'s recent acquisition of an Austrian wind power company already is paying dividends. Westborough, Mass.-based American Superconductor in late November announced it was buying Windtec, which designs and licenses wind turbine systems that feature PowerModule voltage regulation systems made by its Middleton-based Power Electronic Systems unit. The deal, which closed earlier this month, made Windtec part of the Middleton unit, although it remains based in Austria. The first payoff from that deal was announced today when American Superconductor said it has signed a wind energy system development contract worth more than…

Time To Concede New Power Line Needed

Thursday, January 18, 2007 - Near the end of Friday's article about the Madison city attorney's letter to the Public Service Commission is a statement that Madison still does not believe the line is needed. I have lived in Madison since 1963 and have witnessed first-hand its westward development. Consider the growth statistics for Fitchburg, Middleton, Verona, Mount Horeb, Waunakee, DeForest and surrounding towns. All have significantly higher percentage population increases than the city of Madison over the last 30 years…

New plan would wipe away old nursing home

As long as the Dane County Park Commission approves, the large, ugly buildings that have been the eastern gateway to Verona for decades will be gone by 2009. In their place would be a parking lot, and behind that a new one-story Badger Prairie Health Care Center facility similar in structure to the St. Mary’s Care Center just a couple miles away on Maple Grove Drive in Madison. “This is going to be truly just such an improvement,” county Department of Human Services director Lynn Green said of the still-evolving plan for the new nursing home facility on East Verona Avenue.

WisDOT. Governor approves $260,000 project at John Batten Airport in Racine.

WisDOT. Governor approves $2.1 million project at Sheboygan County Memorial Airport.

WisDOT. Governor approves $158,000 project at South Wood County Airport.

WisDOT. Governor approves $141,000 project at Menomonie Municipal Airport.

WisDOT. Governor approves $161,563 project at Cumberland Municipal Airport.

WisDOT. Governor approves $145, 432 project at Iowa County Airport.

Governor.  Announces $850,000 to clean up brownfields and create public spaces.

State to move offices to Beerline Crossing

January 19, 2007 - State to move offices to Beerline Crossing. GLENDALE - Developers Brian and Nancy Monroe will redevelop the former Becker Foods site on West Olive Street at North Port Washington Road into an office development called Beerline Crossing..