Wisconsin Builder | City Lights | Down the road in central Wisconsin

Down the road in central Wisconsin

Sheboygan

The city of Sheboygan will soon demolish an old ship-building factory and warehouse district to clear a 42-acre peninsula in the downtown area for redevelopment. The redeveloped area will include a hotel, conference center, condominiums, shoreline shops and a public park.

Sheboygan Economic Development Manager Paulette Enders said the redevelopment will produce at least $50 million in construction work. The city issued a request for proposals in May.

Marshfield

The state Department of Transportation is planning a $7 million rerouting of Highway 13 in downtown Marshfield to begin in 2006. The city will convert the highway's current location into a new Main Street area and will try to spur developments around the new highway.

The city won't begin considering renovations along Main Street until 2003, said Will Kline, Marshfield director of planning and economic development.

Wisconsin Rapids

This fall, Wisconsin Rapids will release bids for a $1 million to $4 million renovation of an 86,000-square-foot downtown Wal-Mart. The renovated building will include a 26,000-square-foot senior-resource center with a kitchen, cafeteria and office space.

The remaining space will be leased out and developed according to the tenants' needs. Vierbicher Associates Inc., Reedsburg, is the project engineer.

Chippewa Falls

The city of Chippewa Falls plans to use grants from the state Department of Natural Resources to remediate two downtown blighted lots for future redevelopment. The city will retain ownership of the first lot, located at the entrance of the downtown, and turn it into a public park.

The city will sell the second lot, an abandoned gas station, to a developer after the site is cleared.

- By Sean Ryan

| Editor's Note | Story Index | Links | Special Sections | DR Main |