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Editor Ken Harwood
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Production Notes
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 1st 2005, but hey that’s old news. Please let me know what you think. Ken |
News&Notes Development News for Dane County and WisconsinProvided by: http://www.conservancyplace.com/ad/isad32.htm Development News for 5/18/07 to 6/01/07
If you like to tour homes, you will have plenty to see Sunday, June 3. A combined 32 homes will be open between the Alternate Parade of Homes and the Showcase of Remodeled Homes Tour. The showcase tour, which will feature remodeled homes from different
eras, is a chance to get ideas for own projects. Builders and suppliers will be at the homes to answer questions… GEORGE LUCAS CHOOSES CHAD VADER AS BEST OVERALL FAN FILM Madison, WI - 5/29/07 - "Chad Vader: Day Shift Manager" episode 1 won the highly prestigious "George Lucas Selects" award as an entrant in the Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge at Celebration IV in Los Angeles.
The video was chosen out of 19 finalists by George Lucas himself. The award was accepted by Mike McCafferty, a Los Angeles actor and cast member of Chad Vader. The filmmakers, Matt Sloan and Aaron Yonda, are very honored and hope that this could lead to a possible collaboration with Lucasfilm… Editors Note: Film found here http://www.atomfilms.com/film/chad_vader_day.jsp
-- I know - not development - but it is filmed in Willy Street Co-op… Miron Helps Build Boy Scout Center Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - Miron Construction Co. has committed to an in-kind donation of $100,000 toward construction of the 10,000-square-foot Glacier's Edge Boy Scout Center at 5902 Manufacturers Drive. The building will have training space and serve as
the corporate office for Glacier's Edge Council…. Agency's new building uses energy conservation it promotes FRI., JUN 1, 2007 - From minimizing roof and parking lot runoff to maximizing use of daylight, the new West Side headquarters of Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp. incorporates enough "green" building features to meet some of the highest
standards for LEED — Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. WECC, a nonprofit organization that provides energy savings programs and services, offered an advance look at the building Thursday at 431 Charmany Drive in the University Research Park before its official opening next month… Lawmakers push Highway 51 project FRI., JUN 1, 2007 - A high-traffic stretch of highway in northern Dane County could be back on track for expansion. The Legislature's budget committee voted Thursday to require the state Department of Transportation to begin planning for expanding the
heavily traveled section of highway between Highway 19 and Highway V east -- roughly between Cherokee Marsh and DeForest. The committee also authorized starting construction to expand the section of highway from two to four lanes no later than 2012… EDITORIAL Fitchburg Ought To Limit Urban Growth Thursday, May 31, 2007 - Dear Editor: Climate change is real. We've read the science - greenhouse gases trap heat - and our goose is cooked if we don't cut fossil fuel consumption. We also need to preserve farmland for growing our own food. Contaminated
dog food and vitamins from China, E. coli-laced spinach from industrial farms, and the rising costs of fuel - all indicate that local, organic, small-scale agriculture is desperately needed. A growing population needs more housing… BUILDING
PERMITS - Thu May 31 2007
Building Permits - Thursday, May 24, 2007 First-quarter Prices Down 1.4 Percent Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - U.S. home prices fell 1.4 percent in the first quarter compared to a year ago, the first time since 1991 that prices have shown a quarterly decline, according to a housing index released Tuesday by Standard & Poor's. The
S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index showed the 1.4 percent drop in the price for sales of existing single-family homes in metropolitan markets in nine U.S. census divisions. For March, S&P's 10-city and 20-city composite indexes… Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - The stagnant local real estate market and a glut of available home lots has prompted the village of Oregon to halt annexations for residential development for one year. The unanimous vote of the Village Board on May 21 included
exceptions for two developments that have been in the works for some time, and does not cover business development, said Mike Gracz, Oregon village administrator. "It's strictly residential," Gracz said. "If a business approaches us about an annexation the board would consider it."… 5/30/07 - Farm and Fleet is giving it another shot. Three days after the city’s Plan Commission voted to defer action on the discount retailer’s general development plan for the former Hometown Village site last month, the company president met with
members of the commission, city staff and alders to figure out exactly what Verona wants… Willy Street co-op to add Downtown store THU., MAY 31, 2007 - Willy Street Co-op will open a second store in January on the first floor of the recently completed Metropolitan Place II condominiums at Broom and Mifflin streets. "This is a very good match," said co-op general manager
Anya Firszt. "After 4 1/2 years of looking for a site, it is wonderful for us to announce our move." Firszt said co-op members were familiar with the Metropolitan Place site because they helped the Mifflin Street Co-op research a possible move there before that co-op closed in December. Market research indicated… Willy St. A Natural For Downtown Thursday, May 31, 2007 - Downtown Madison will have a new natural foods co-op next year. The Willy Street Co-op announced plans to open its second store at Metropolitan Place, on Broom and Mifflin streets, during a Wednesday afternoon press conference.
The store expects to open in January 2008. "My team built the Metropolitan Place with a plan in mind to have a grocery store on the first floor of our building," said project developer Cliff Fisher. "It's been a dream since the day we started this project."… Commercial Condos Are Filling Up - Businesses Own Their Space In Middleton Project Thursday, May 24, 2007 - The Fitness Nomad is a bit more permanent today. The company, which combines personal training with health coaching and a private exercise studio, recently moved from rented space on University Avenue to a commercial condominium
at Century Avenue Office Condominiums in Middleton. It joins four other businesses at the renovated space that was once a medical clinic at 6405 Century Ave. near Allen Boulevard and across from the Pheasant Branch Conservancy… Section 8 Plan Is Good News Here Proposal Would Aid City Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold's proposal to fund 100,000 new Section 8 tenant-based vouchers over the next 10 years could help eliminate the waiting list for Section 8 vouchers in Madison, and Feingold says it's the part of his
affordable housing package most likely to pass. In a joint appearance in Madison with Feingold, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said Tuesday there are 376 people on the city's waiting list for Madison's 1,420… ATC says underground power line not feasible THU., MAY 31, 2007 - If a major high-voltage power line proposed for Dane County is built underground, it cannot be routed along the Beltline but instead will have to meander along city streets, adding to the cost and potential complications, according to
a new study. American Transmission Co. said as a result of its study, it will not recommend underground construction… Redford pays a visit to Madison WED., MAY 30, 2007 - The Sundance Kid was here. Robert Redford shook my hand, patted my shoulder and introduced his girlfriend, Sibylle "Billye" Szaggars --
all while standing in the second-floor bar of the new Sundance Cinema 608 at Hilldale on Wednesday. Redford flew in late on Tuesday to survey the place -- but there's a concern that is gnawing at him. "I'm worried people didn't think I meant it when I said it broke my heart not to be here for the opening," Redford said. "But it did. It really did." Redford came here looking to connect and experience… THU., MAY 31, 2007 - As CUNA Mutual Group continues to reorganize its work force, the company Wednesday told 50 customer operations employees that they would lose their jobs and 90 others that their jobs were in jeopardy. Company officials said 50
employees in customer claims, will lose their jobs this fall as their positions are transferred to CUNA's offices in Waverly, Iowa, and Fort Worth, Texas. Another 90 customer operations workers were notified that their jobs could either be transferred… TUE., MAY 29, 2007 - Special concerns arise when you buy a laptop computer. Most of the major specs I recommended recently in my annual spring guide to buying a computer hold true for laptops as well as desktops. That guide can be found at
www.walt.allthingsd.com/guide. But buying a portable involves additional factors, so here are some tips for making laptop purchases. First, you may want to wait to get that new laptop until later this year or early in 2008. There are a number of interesting new hardware features coming. One is called a "solid-state drive," or SSD… Editors Note: Not development per say, but useful info in case you missed it. Legislators Reject Plans For Memorial Union Update Friday, May 25, 2007 - The State's Budget Committee Also Turned Down A Proposal To Sell Bonds To Finance Replacement Of Union South. Plans for a major renovation of Memorial Union and the replacement of Union South suffered a setback Thursday when the
state Legislature's budget committee rejected the proposed bond funding for the projects in the 2007-09 state budget. In October, UW-Madison students voted to increase student fees to pay for the projects, but construction won't move forward unless the state issues $126.2 million in bonds, Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier said Thursday. "To shut us down like that is pretty frustrating… Lynch to begin new building next month 5/24/07 - Work on a new home for the Stoughton Hospital Rehabilitation Clinic in Oregon should begin in late June, according to developer Paul Lynch, president of PLH & Associates LLC.Lynch, who received the Chamber of Commerce 2006 Civic Improvement
Award for constructing a building at 954 Janesville Street on the village’s south side that houses Pizza Hut and State Farm Insurance, is about to begin construction on the green shell that used to be Melton Motors, next to his Pizza Hut mall. Last month a construction crew “knocked down the gas station on the lot and started some ground work” there, Lynch said… Builder Gets A Raze - New Vote Allows Findorff To Tear Down Old Houses Tuesday, May 22, 2007 - Upon further review, J.H. Findorff & Son will be allowed to raze four century-old homes near its headquarters overlooking Monona Bay. Last month, the Madison Plan Commission had denied a demolition permit for the buildings on
Dow Court, one which dates to 1888 and was home to George Dow Jr., whose family owned one of the area's first steam-powered mills… Sunday, May 20, 2007 - The First Of Four Buildings That Will Compose Prairie Park At Swan Creek Is Complete. Prairie Park at Swan Creek is a new condominium development in fast-growing Fitchburg. The $25
million project will consist of four three-story buildings off East Cheryl Parkway near Syene Road. The first one at 5196 Sassafras Drive is done, and some of the dozen buyers have moved into the 32-unit building. Laura Gmeinder moved in last summer after renting on the Near West Side. She looked at different condominiums… New Home Sales Up, But Prices Plunge Friday, May 25, 2007 - The beleaguered housing industry is sending mixed signals, with sales of new homes surging in April by the biggest amount in 14 years while prices endured a record plunge. Analysts said the price drop could provide evidence of
builders' desperation. They are looking to reduce a glut of unsold homes in the face of the worst slump in sales in more than a decade… Existing Home Sales Lag Behind 2006 Friday, May 18, 2007 - Existing home and condominium sales in April continued to trail last year's pace in south-central Wisconsin, according to a report issued Thursday by the South Central Wisconsin MLS. In Dane County, 604 sales were reported, down
11.4 percent from 682 in April 2006… Pond Party - Swimming Hole Allows People To Play In Harmony With Nature Sunday, May 20, 2007 - The children of Reedsburg residents Tom and Jill Holtz swim with the fishes in their own back yard. Their pet koi, named Sunshine, Tangler and Matty, were put in the family's manmade swimming hole after it was finished last summer. Since then, the koi have been ardently spawning and there are now about 70 in the pool…
Around The State and Points Elsewhere Housing prices show small increases THURSDAY, May 31, 2007 - Housing prices defied doomsayers in this year's first quarter to rise, but only by 0.5% over the last quarter of 2006 - the smallest amount in 10 years, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight reported today. Year over year, first-quarter housing
prices posted a 4.3% gain - outpacing inflation, director James B. Lockhart said in releasing the government figures… WHEDA Announces Grand Opening of Racine's Hometown Harbor 5/31/2007 - Madison – With over $11 million invested in a once-boarded up nursing home, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA®) Executive Director Antonio Riley joined local leaders at Hometown Harbor in Racine Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of the
senior living community and break ground on a third phase of the development. “This is the type of project WHEDA loves to play a role in,” said Riley… Tax credits designed to put state in the spotlight May 28, 2007 - Madison - When producers for a Hyundai commercial were recently seeking a backdrop for their ad, they chose Milwaukee because of the view of the lakeshore and Santiago Calatrava's signature design at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Manfred Berger of Innovision Systems
demonstrates motion capture systems to Lightning Rod Studios' Drew Maxwell (left) and Dan Kattman. The studio is opening space in St. Francis. And they decided to film the car commercial here without the benefit of a package of tax incentives designed to attract such productions. That pumped more than $100,000 in production dollars into the local economy, said Scott Robbe, executive director of Film Wisconsin, a
public-private partnership working to foster the industry here… Grand opening today for downtown call center Published May 30, 2007 - A grand opening event will be held today for the opening of a call center by Madison-based CapTel Inc., a division of Ultratec Inc., in the Reuss Federal Plaza building at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. CapTel is leasing 16,151 square feet of
space in the building… Haertel refiles Pabst brewery lawsuit Published May 30, 2007 - Jim Haertel, the president of Brew City Redevelopment Group LLC, has refiled his lawsuit against his former partners in the failed PabstCity plan to redevelop the former Pabst brewery in downtown Milwaukee. Haertel sued Juneau Avenue Partners LLC and its
individual members, including Wisconsin Energy Corp. real estate arm Wispark LLC, Wispark president Jerold Franke, Cleveland-based Ferchill Group and Ferchill Group president John Ferchill. Haertel accused Juneau Avenue… M-7 report called historic step WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2007 - UPDATE. The release of a first-ever economic framework report for southeastern Wisconsin marks a "historic day for the region," said Gale Klappa, chairman and CEO of Wisconsin Energy Corp. Klappa is a key figure in the region's economic planning
circles and co-chairman of the Milwaukee 7 economic-development consortium, which issued its report in Kenosha today. The report details a massive globalization-driven shift in the old-line industrial region and urges an aggressive move into research-intensive… Norquist pushes for more urban housing WEDNESDAY, May 30, 2007 - The development of more urban housing would help reduce traffic and contribute to a decline in greenhouse gases, former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist told a local audience today. Apartments, condominiums and other housing within walking distances or a short
bus ride from where people work could be a key factor in reducing global warming, said Norquist… Associated Bank Plans Third Office in downtown Milwaukee Associated Bank, part of Green Bay-based Associated Banc-Corp., announced recently that it plans to add a third office location in downtown Milwaukee. Associated Bank will occupy 23,000 square feet of office space at Two Plaza East, 330 E. Kilbourn Ave., beginning in July.
Construction work has already begun inside the Two Plaza East building for the Associated Bank space. The work includes installation of information technology equipment and wiring. Over the next few months, Associated Bank plans to install prominent signage atop the 13-story building… County Board sends RFP back to committee 5/23/07 - The Milwaukee County Board is putting the brakes on plans to issue a request for proposals (RFP) from developers who want to purchase and develop the 1.9-acre, county-owned parking lot at the southwest corner of West State Street and North Sixth Street in downtown
Milwaukee. The board recently declined to approve the RFP, and instead sent the matter back to its Economic and Community Development Committee… WisDOT. $150,000 project at John Batten Airport in Racine (seal surfaces). WisDOT. $1.5 million project at La Crosse Municipal Airport (taxiways). WisDOT. $280,000 for project at Dane County Regional Airport (design work). Governor. Announces $1.2 million for Miller Electric Manufacturing Company
expansion. Development News for 5/11/07 to 5/18/07 To continue receiving News&Notes,
please add our 'From' address (kenh@parktowne.com) to your address book. This will help ensure against overzealous spam filters. Thanks! Editors Note: News and Notes will be on hiatus next Friday. The June 1st issue will fill in the gaps. Have a great holiday. NO I Did Not Make This Up… I wish I Had Though… Tue May 15, 2007 - MADRID (Reuters) - A Spanish bank repossessed a house and put it up for auction complete with the mummified body of the former owner who had missed her mortgage payments. The corpse, preserved
by salty air in the seaside town of Roses after an apparent death by natural causes, was discovered by Jorge Giro, who entered the house for the first time on Saturday after buying it at the auction. The dead woman, described by neighbors as having been in poor health and often absent visiting relatives in Madrid, had stopped paying her mortgage six years ago. The unnamed bank which eventually repossessed the home never
bothered to look inside before selling it… Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - Family doctor Cindy Haq is looking forward to walking to work at St. Mary's Hospital. "I'd love to be able to run over in the middle of the night to deliver a baby," said Haq, who has just purchased a yet-to-be
constructed unit in the Arboretum Cohousing project. Nearly four years in the making, the $9.3 million, 40-unit development is one of the most ambitious cohousing projects ever launched in the United States. It combines the efforts of a local nonprofit group, St. Mary's Hospital and Habitat for Humanity. Despite a tepid real estate market here, Arboretum Cohousing has now pre-sold two-thirds of the 40 units in the
project… Editors Note: I missed this earlier in the month and it is a very impressive effort. Plus I plan to have all my rapidly approaching senior issues resolved by St. Mary’s and worry that I could end up like the lady in the first story… New clubhouse earns high praise at popular Pleasant View 5/17/2007 - MIDDLETON -- No golf course is more aptly named than Middleton's Pleasant View. If you're not gazing toward Madison and Lake Mendota in one direction, you focus on the pretty hills that shape much of western Dane County in the other
direction. The view of the clubhouse just got better, too, with the opening of a new 4,500 square-foot structure for the busy golf course that include 27 holes as well as a nine-hole par-3 course… Editor Note: speaking of new look congrats to Cap Times on the new Web Site… 5/16/2007 - Construction of new homes showed a small gain in April but applications for building permits plunged by the largest amount in 17 years, a dramatic sign that the nation's housing industry is still in a steep slump. The Commerce Department
reported today that construction of new homes and apartments rose by 2.5 percent in April compared to March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.528 million units… Existing Home Sales Fall In Wisconsin Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - Existing home sales fell 6.5 percent in Wisconsin during the first quarter of 2007, down from a record first quarter last year, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Wisconsin Realtors Association. Statewide, 11,897 homes
were sold from January through March, down from 12,483 a year ago… Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - Construction of new homes showed a small gain in April but applications for building permits plunged by the largest amount in 17 years, a dramatic sign that the nation's housing industry is still in a steep slump. The Commerce
Department reported today that construction of new homes and apartments rose by 2.5 percent in April compared to March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.528 million units… Editor Note: take your pick, as for me I suggest all things come to those who wait… OPINION - Governor Doth Protest Too Much Wednesday, May 16, 2007 - I must say I was surprised at Gov. Jim Doyle's response to a recent study of the oil franchise fee he proposed. The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute published a study explaining why the tax will show up at the pump in spite
of language outlawing the pass-through to consumers. The WPRI study generated two reactions. Most people said, "No kidding, of course it will show up at the pump." But the governor bellowed that big oil, not the public, should pay. Well governor, my heart is squarely in your corner. But based on our research, my head tells me the truth; your tax will add 5 cents to the price of a gallon of gas… Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Businesses Are Dealing With Less Traffic On A Middleton Street That Used To Be A Highway, And The City Is Studying How To Develop The Area. 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… Apple Store under construction at West Towne - Madison location set to open this summer 05/16/2007 - Any lingering doubts about an Apple Store opening in Madison were swept aside last month. The front of a retail space in the north wing of West Towne Mall, situated between a Williams-Sonoma on one side and a Coldwater Creek on the other,
was fitted with a floor to ceiling wall sporting the company's apple logo and URL. "The sign on the door says simply, 'Coming soon,'" wrote a phone-wielding shopper back on Apr. 24. Thursday, May 17, 2007 - Suburban Dane County Developers And Government Leaders Are Planning Now For Commuter Rail In The Near Future. Suburban officials can't wait for a Dane County commuter train to pull into their town. In fast-growing Sun Prairie,
downtown redevelopment has included construction of condos within walking distance of a potential commuter rail station. Just west of Madison, the city of Middleton built a 1,000-foot rail spur extending to its train-depot-themed Greenway Station shopping center… Monday, May 14, 2007 - In most communities, the decision to build a new library revolves around questions of design, access and its effect on taxpayers. But in the city of Fitchburg and village of Cottage Grove, organizers are concerned with an even more
basic element: The books… Wright Building To Get Makeover Monday, May 14, 2007 - The First Unitarian Society of Madison has embarked on an innovative $8.5 million addition and restoration of its historic building on University Bay Drive. The project will add a two-level, 500-seat auditorium and community space
and includes extensive restoration of the famed meeting house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. "We're really doing it in the spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright… Merger cost? $1.45, for now City, town reveal tax rate difference at public informational session 05/15/2007 - It was the number everyone was waiting for. If the city and town of Verona were consolidated by Jan. 1, 2008 -- an improbably quick scenario -- town residents could expect to pay about $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value more in property
taxes than they would without the consolidation. The city-town consolidation steering committee revealed those numbers to about 200 people at Country View Elementary School on Tuesday night… Town And City Discuss Consolidation Monday, May 14, 2007 - Richard Doerfer, a dairy farmer who has lived in the town of Verona for all of his 76 years, knows there is a proposal to consolidate the town with the city of Verona. He wonders what the effect will be on his taxes. Officials in
the town aren't coy about that. The consolidation would almost certainly mean higher taxes for town residents, said David Combs, the town chairman… Hotel Proposed For Capitol West Sunday, May 13, 2007 - The Hyatt Place Hotel Would Be Built Instead Of A Condominium Tower. The Alexander Co. wants to replace a planned 13-story condominium tower in its $110 million Capitol West development with an 11-story, 151-room Hyatt Place Hotel.
Hotel construction could start by the end of the year, about five years before construction on the condominium tower was slated to begin. "The addition of the hotel will accelerate our time line for development of the entire block," developer Randy Alexander… Sunday, May 13, 2007 - The Ironman Triathlon, Badgers football and a horse fair trumped waterparks, fudge and day spas in 2006, launching Dane County into the No. 2 tourism destination in Wisconsin, state officials say. Travel spending figures released
today by the state Department of Tourism show that the home of the state Capitol is now the number two county in the state for travelers to spend money… Preserving Capitol View Spurred Building Limits Friday, May 11, 2007 - The tallest building in Madison is the UW-Madison campus' 18-story Van Hise Hall, which opened in 1967. But the white dome of the State Capitol clearly dominates the skyline. At 284 feet tall, it's the most prominent structure in
the city and is visible from miles away - just as designers intended when construction began in 1906. The building was completed in 1917. To protect that exalted status, the city of Madison in 1966 enacted a "Capitol View Preservation Ordinance"… Friday, May 11, 2007 - Last year, a Seattle-based technology firm was exploring the possibility of expanding operations to Madison, with the potential of bringing hundreds of private sector jobs into the central city. The company was eyeing the former
Marquip Inc. corrugated cardboard plant on the 1200 and 1300 blocks of East Washington Avenue. Previously the home of the tool-and-die machine manufacturer Gisholt, the industrial area has been all but vacant for nearly a decade… Monday, May 14, 2007 Restaurants, Shops Struggle To Attract Customers And Stay Profitable During Road Projects. Cambridge and Mount Horeb have been through this, while Horicon and Jefferson will get their turn next year. East Washington Avenue in Madison
is in the midst of a six-year project. Work on the Beltline in the Madison area is forcing some commuters to look for alternative routes… News&Notes
is now archived at http://parktowne.com/news.asp and www.WisconsinDevelopment.com Around The State and Points Elsewhere State to offer $850K in high-tech training grants 05/15/07 - Madison, Wis. - The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development will make $850,000 in state grants available to fund a partnership that promotes high-tech skills training. The funding, part of the Governor's “Jobs for the Future Initiative,” will support the
Emerging Industries Skills Partnership Project. The project builds partnerships between businesses… Aurora digging in - Hospital, elected officials welcome medical center after long process May 18, 2007 - Town of Summit board Supervisor Jack Riley, background, watches as his son, Nolan, 3, scoops dirt Thursday with a ceremonial shovel after the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Aurora Medical Center in the town of Summit…ghway 67. Developer plans 84 apartments. Large rental development would be only third in condo-rich Third Ward. A developer who's created several projects in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward plans to begin construction by September on an 84-unit apartment building in that neighborhood... May 16, 2007 - Milwaukee County is planning to issue a request for proposals (RFP) from developers who want to purchase and develop the 1.9-acre, county-owned parking lot at the southwest corner of West State Street and North Sixth Street in downtown Milwaukee. The property is
located just west of the Milwaukee Theatre, southwest of the Bradley Center and northwest of the Midwest Airlines Center… East side condo tower proposed East side condo tower proposed. Developer has units on market. Construction of a 21-story, 104-unit condominium tower on Milwaukee's east side could begin this fall if the developer can sell enough units by then... Lannon OKs moratorium on building Lannon OKs moratorium on building. Water system installation provokes ban. A six-month moratorium on development was approved Monday night by the Village Board as Lannon moves to finalize the creation of a water utility and the installation of a municipal water system... Camping World decides against Raymond site for store Camping World decides against Raymond site for store. Land owners say Caledonia officials interfered with deal. A proposed development along I-94 has fallen through, owners of the land announced last week... Park East done thoughtfully. Over the past decade, an extraordinary amount of time, effort and money has been expended in redeveloping the Park East Freeway corridor. Numerous new building projects have broken ground in and around the Park East. Plans for many more projects
continue... dley Center will play a key role in Park East plans Bradley Center will play a key role in Park East plans. There has been a lot of community discussion in the past few months about development projects in the Park East area and downtown... Analyst cites need for city planning Analyst cites need for city planning. Lack of economic policy stifles rebuilding, he says. Milwaukee's lack of a strategic economic plan has created a "policy void" that stifles reconstruction of a 16-acre swath of downtown real estate that remains barren more than three
years after the... Man says God is punishing him for scam THURSDAY, May 17, 2007 - Waukesha - A Menomonee Falls man whose garage was heavily damaged earlier this year in a fire told investigators the blaze was divine comeuppance for his installation of an illegal natural gas bypass that enabled him to heat the building for free, according
to a criminal complaint filed today. "I think the fire was God's way of punishing me for stealing the gas," Ricky E. Adair told police, according to the complaint. The complaint charges Adair, 44, with a felony theft count estimating that the garage gas he got for free between January 2001 and Jan. 26, 2007, was worth between $5,258 and $8,462… Editors Note: Don’t mess with God or the Utilities… Thanks to the people who made it to the bottom last week the notes were great! See you in two weeks! Development News for 5/04/07 to 5/11/07 To continue receiving News&Notes,
please add our 'From' address (kenh@parktowne.com) to your address book. This will help ensure against overzealous spam filters. Thanks! Downtown
building sale kickbacks alleged FRI., MAY 11, 2007 - A private real estate executive working for the state of Wisconsin was charged Thursday with soliciting a kickback and revealing secret bids in connection with the proposed $30 million sale of a prominent state office building
Downtown. The charges led state officials to take the controversial sale proposal off the fast-track and cancel a multimillion contract with the Chicago real estate firm that was the exclusive agent on the 10-story office tower sale as well as other state real estate deals. A criminal complaint… Editors Note: I wondered why a Wisconsin firm was not selected to market and sell the DOA building -- now I know. If 75K gets a buyer I wonder what the investment was in securing the seller… Hmmmmm… Sundance Cinemas 608, Madison Wisconsin Opens Friday The Sundance Cinemas 608 will open to the public on Friday May 11, 2007. Located at the Hilldale Mall, it features 6 state of the art movies screens, all stadium plush seating, a caffé open morning ‘til night serving Peet's Coffees and Teas, 2 bars and
a restaurant plus the Gallery, selling Sundance merchandise and work from local artisans… Editors Note: I told you about Traders Joe’s before it came to Madison now we have Peet’s Coffee, real coffee, great coffee, and a theatre to boot… mmmmmm… Redford
hopes moviegoers will linger May 7, 2007 - "This is Robert Redford." As I heard those words through my telephone receiver Saturday afternoon, two thoughts flashed through my mind in rapid succession: 1. This has to be one of the highlights of my professional life,
interviewing one of the true legends of the movies. 2. Or it would be, except there is no freakin' way the person on the line is actually Robert Redford. In fact, it was… Sundance 608 is Robert Redford's dream come true Thursday 05/10/2007 - Sundance Cinemas 608 arrives in Madison trailing a whiff of glamour. The new theater at Hilldale Mall is the brainchild of Robert Redford, and the local media have been panting over the Hollywood connection for months. Would Redford
come to Madison for the project’s opening on May 11? Would he? Would he?… 600 dress up to explore new theater, help Chazen Museum May 7, 2007 - The Sundance Kid welcomed everyone to Madison's newest theater Sunday night. Only he did it by proxy, through Paul Richardson, president and CEO of Sundance Cinemas. "I'd like nothing more than to be there tonight to thank you
personally for the support and good will you've shown to us in Madison," actor Robert Redford said in the statement, adding that he has been spending long days locked in an editing room working on his latest film, "Lions for Lambs." Redford said he is eager to come to Madison… Innovation Springs at Conservancy Place gets new building approved A new 30,000 square foot office building, the Conservancy Place Business Center, has been approved by the Village of DeForest in Innovation Springs. The building is a joint venture between Park Towne Development Corporation and Ruedebusch Development and
Construction. This will be a multi-tenant building that will be able to accommodate tenants requiring as little as 2,000 square feet up to 30,000 square feet. The developers have also begun… A New Arbor Gate - Public To Get First Look At Revamped Proposal Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - The public will gets its first look Wednesday at a proposed $41 million development to be built on the south side of the Beltline at Todd Drive. A Potter Lawson architectural team led by director of design Doug Hursh will be making
an informational presentation to the Madison Urban Design Commission on the proposal by the Mortenson Investment Group, or MIG, and the Baxter family, which owns Kayser Ford and Westwind Associates, a local development company. Although Arbor Gate carries the same name as a previous $40 million Baxter family proposal for the east side of Todd Drive, it is a far different project… Ice Age Trail Gets Two-mile Link Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - Bicyclists in southwestern Dane County will be better connected to the extensive bike trail system later this year thanks to a new two-mile trail link in the Ice Age Trail trailhead area between Madison and Verona. County
Executive Kathleen Falk announced the new trail connector today from the Ice Age Trail overlook north of Verona. "This Ice Age Trail link promises recreational and commuting opportunities for bicyclists," Falk said. The $309,100 project will be 80 percent paid for through a federal transportation enhancement grant of $247,280… '22 Dayton' Ok'd - 48 Apartments In Upscale Plan Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - The remake of the downtown block directly east of Wisconsin Avenue is nearing completion. The Madison Plan Commission Monday night approved an upscale five-story, 48-unit apartment building at 22 E. Dayton St. "22 Dayton"
is the final piece in a complicated project from developer Scott Lewis and architect John Sutton for Block 91, bounded by East Johnson, East Dayton and North Pinckney streets on the "Outer Ring" of the Capitol Square… Farm and Fleet takes a seat - Plan Commission defers action amid traffic, aesthetic issues 5/8/07 - The most talked-about issue in Verona will get another month of speculation, contemplation, anticipation, adulation and condemnation. After more than two hours of debate in the midst of a marathon four-hour meeting Monday night, the Verona Plan
Commission decided not to do anything about Farm and Fleet for now. The general development plan for the 28-acre site… Something New Atop Terrace - $329,000 Rooftop Kiosk Monday, May 7, 2007 - After a decade of use, the Monona Terrace Convention Center is finally getting its finishing touch. Construction of a permanent rooftop kiosk, always a part of the original vision for the building, is to start in a week or two, with
its $329,000 cost covered by donations, said Gregg McManners, director of Monona Terrace operations. For casual visitors to the center, that means there won't be food and beverages available on the rooftop until July… May 9, 2007 - It's a 15-foot by 15-foot cinder block cell, but it's their cell and they're sad to leave. Max Thao and Ryan Cotant are the last UW-Madison freshmen to begin their college lives as residents of Room 809 in the West Tower of Ogg Hall. The
dumpsters are already lined up outside, waiting for move-out day May 19. After that, a few summer programs will house students here, then the twin towers will be demolished starting in October… Sunday, May 6, 2007 - Once Upon A Time, You Could Order A House Out Of A Sears Catalog, And Those Houses Are Still Around, Including In Madison. She speaks with the fervor of a woman possessed. In the cadence of a grange hall auctioneer, Laurie Flori jabs
a finger at each house on her street, every one ordered from Sears, Roebuck and Co. "That's a Carlin," she pronounces. "That's a Whitehall. That's a Warrenton. That's a Lebanon." Starting nearly a century ago, these stately names were bestowed upon a modest line of homes that could be purchased by mail… May 7, 2007 - Mad City Broadband - the company that has been providing wireless Internet in parts of Madison since March 2006 - has a new owner. Louis Kek said he's going to upgrade the system, with the help of equipment provider Cisco Systems, and hopes
to eventually expand citywide. "The wireless technology that we're bringing to Madison is one of the most advanced in the market today," Kek said, in an interview Monday at the company's Downtown offices… Residents Consider Sun Prairie Co-op Wednesday, May 9, 2007 - Activists Are Meeting Tonight To Discuss A Cooperative Grocery Near Downtown. Responding to the continued fast growth on Sun Prairie's west side, a group of residents is considering forming a grocery co-op near downtown. An
informational meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight in the community room at city hall. "We're still at the very early stages of planning and one of the most important stages of a cooperative is gauging public interest. And this (meeting) is one of the very early opportunities to do that," said Susan Young, a member of the organizing group… Monona Bay Residents Balk At Storm Sewer Flow Under Their Yards Thursday, May 10, 2007 - Storm water has to go somewhere, but Monona Bay residents don't want to see it flowing literally under their back yards, coming out in the bay through a massive new storm water outfall you could drive a truck through. Shoreline
dwellers are protesting… Thursday, May 10, 2007 - The listing of area building permits is gathered from records filed with planning officials in Madison, Fitchburg, Monona, Middleton and Sun Prairie. The listing includes all new residential construction… EDITORIAL
U.S. lab is good fit for Dane County May 7, 2007 - Memo to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security: As you consider where to build a $400-million federal laboratory to conduct research to fight animal and human diseases, you should be aware of the public support for putting the lab in Dane
County. Yes, there is local opposition as well, which was represented in the Dane County Board's vote last week to oppose construction of the lab in the town of Dunn. But the vote was only an expression of board members' early opinions… EDITORIAL
- County Rail Would Strengthen Madison It's disappointing to read that Mayor Dave Cieslewicz fails to embrace a longer view of the benefits of commuter rail for the Madison metropolitan area (April 25, "Mayor, county vie over rail system issue"). A commuter rail system that not only
would extend to Middleton, but to Verona, Sun Prairie and other growing communities in Dane County, would strengthen Madison's place as a strong central city in the region, commercially and culturally. Done properly, commuter rail could alleviate portions of the ever-growing scourges of traffic and sprawling development that place relentless pressure on our land and watersheds… Smokey
Bones on West Side closes May 7, 2007 - The Smokey Bones Barbeque & Grill on Madison's Far West Side has closed as the parent company, Darden Restaurants, tries to reposition itself. The Orlando, Fla., company announced Saturday it is closing 56 of its Smokey Bones restaurants
and selling the remaining 73 properties. The Madison restaurant, near West Towne Mall, closed Friday night after dinner. The 70 full- and part-time employees were offered positions at Olive Garden and Red Lobster restaurants, said Joe Chabus, a spokesman for Darden Restaurants. Drew Madsen, Darden's president and chief operating officer… Menards
upgrades bypass Madison stores May 7, 2007 - The aisles are wider, a garden center was added and there's a broader range of products at the Menards store on Madison's Far West Side. But while more than half of the Menards stores in the 200- store home-improvement chain now sell
groceries, the three Dane County Menards stores are not among those offering frozen foods, dairy and other items usually found at a grocery store. "Typically they are placed in our large-format stores,"… Cottage Grove Union Hits A Speed Bump Tuesday, May 8, 2007 - Talk of consolidating some or all of the town of Cottage Grove with the village may have come to an early end Monday night after the town's attorney and planning consultant tossed buckets of ice water on the idea. As state laws on
boundary deals and consolidation between neighboring communities are written, "there is no advantage to you to continue to discuss consolidation" with village officials, said the town's planning adviser, Gary Peterson. Attorney Connie Anderson agreed but painted a grimmer… Wisconsin Is One Of Many States With Eyes On Germ Lab Monday, May 7, 2007 - A dozen states including Wisconsin are competing intensely to play host to a government research lab full of killer germs like anthrax, avian flu and foot-and-mouth disease - a prospect some of their residents want to avoid like the
plague. In Wisconsin, the lab is proposed for a site that the University of Wisconsin owns in the town of Dunn, where the plan has been met with opposition. The states are bidding for a proposed 520,000-square-foot National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility that will cost at least $450 million to build… Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Living in a luxury condominium in one of Madison's most desirable neighborhoods shouldn't mean hearing your upstairs neighbors walking on the ceiling. But that's one issue facing residents at Monroe Commons, the $22.9 million
mixed-use project that houses the Traders Joe's grocery store. Faulty soundproofing is now forcing developers of the high-profile project on the 1800 block of Monroe Street to move existing residents into unsold units while repairs are made. Of the 52 units, 33 have been sold. "There are sound standards that need to be met… Around The State and Points Elsewhere New Urbanism: Community planning Feng Shui …Putting a mixture of houses on a street, making sure people can walk to some of their destinations, and creating a “neighborhood feel” rather than a drive-to-everywhere subdivision, were some of the key points Duany mentioned. He talked about bringing everyone together and
re-creating the neighborhood again, instead of what has happened since the end of World War II, where suburban subdivisions and track houses created more of a buffer zone of economically divided strata of households: The cheap townhouse development. The mid-range single-family homes. The expensive sprawling estate homes… Posted May 10, 2007 - Jobs, growing tax base among benefits to construction. New housing pays for itself within three years in growing Fox Cities communities and property taxes aren't the whole reason, an expert contends. Elliot Eisenberg, Washington, D.C.-based economist, told 160
members of the Valley Home Builders Association on Wednesday that new housing stock will produce an ongoing net annual income within three years to local government of $247,000, offsetting all fiscal costs, paying off all debt and resulting in a surplus… Posted: May 10, 2007 - It won't have flapping wings, like Santiago Calatrava's all-white expansion of the Milwaukee Art Museum. But the design for West Bend's new Museum of Wisconsin Art has all the makings of a stunning white icon in its own right - one that its backers hope will
boost the profile of the state's largest repository for homegrown art. Plans for the $12 million museum, which will replace the former West Bend Art Museum on S. 6th Ave., were unveiled Thursday. The two-story, 32,000-square-foot building, expected to open in 2010, would double the size of the present museum and allow twice as many works to be exhibited, including - for the first
time - the addition of contemporary art… Milwaukee class A office space vacancy rates decline Published May 9, 2007 - Class A office space vacancies in downtown Milwaukee and the suburbs dropped during the first quarter, according to a report by Boston-based Colliers International. The downtown Milwaukee class A office space vacancy rate fell from 12.8 percent to 12.1 percent
during the quarter. Nationally, the downtown class A office space vacancy rate is 10.4 percent, according… Officials urge higher for 'farms with sidewalks' Officials urge higher for 'farms with sidewalks'. Officials want higher assessments on empty platted lots. As Wisconsin farms disappear, their tax advantages linger, even as the land is carved into streets and topped with houses... Racine survey seeks citizen input Racine survey seeks citizen input. Residents asked for their opinions on planning, development issues. Racine County residents will be asked to participate in a survey designed to gauge opinions on land use, housing, natural resources, transportation and other issues related to
planning... Analyst cites need for city planning Analyst cites need for city planning. Lack of economic policy stifles rebuilding, he says. Milwaukee's lack of a strategic economic plan has created a "policy void" that stifles reconstruction of a 16-acre swath of downtown real estate that remains barren more than three
years after the... Commission refuses to support apartment complex proposal Commission refuses to support apartment complex proposal. 92-unit building too big for most planners. Canterbury Court, a 100-unit apartment complex proposed for West Mill Road, failed to gain the support of the Glendale Plan Commission on May 1... TIF district closes early, nets $2.8 million surplus TIF district closes early, nets $2.8 million surplus. Taxpayers could see tax rate drop 20 cents. The Menomonee Falls Village Board on May 7 unanimously approved closing tax-incremental financing district No. 3, 11 years ahead of schedule... Developers propose 2 more condo towers Developers propose 2 more condo towers. 30-story building planned for Prospect Ave.; Knapp St. site must be rezoned. Two separate condominium high-rise proposals about a half-mile apart from one another on Milwaukee's east side have surfaced as developers continue to tap the urban
housing... South side Wal-Mart plans to supersize South side Wal-Mart plans to supersize. Store's expansion would create county's first Supercenter. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is on the verge of finally getting a combined discount store and supermarket in Milwaukee County, with plans to expand a store on Milwaukee's south side into a
Supercenter... New riverfront eatery on table New riverfront eatery on table. Group plans to open restaurant in Historic Third Ward by November. An Oshkosh-based restaurant group that operates 11 locations throughout Wisconsin plans to open a riverfront restaurant in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward... Foreclosures continue to rise in state Foreclosures continue to rise in state. The number of Wisconsin homeowners facing foreclosure keeps rising. As of April 30, foreclosure filings totaled 6,284, a 23% year-over-year rise... | |
