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GROWING INTEREST

Baraboo builds on its prime location

By Jeanne Wieland

The new Community First Bank in Baraboo features a design that blends into the surrounding area.

Photos courtesy of MSA Professional Services Inc.

Baraboo's scenic serenity and proximity to Madison and Devil's Lake are making it a popular place for newcomers to call home.

William Bance, Baraboo's building inspector/zoning administrator, said in his 15 years of service to the city, he's seen a steady interest in single-family home construction. With the state's capital only 40 miles away and Devil's Lake just two miles south of the city, many people who work in the area are finding Baraboo very attractive. About 30 new homes are built in the city each year, both in new subdivision developments and filling in existing vacant lots.

The south side of the city has proven especially popular with developers of multifamily housing. A 250-unit apartment complex is located near the Baraboo Country Club, and, last year, eight new four-family buildings were added in the area. Now, Land Invest-ments Inc., Tomah, is planning a 126-unit apartment complex for the same location. Work will begin soon and should be complete in about two years.

"This is a very upscale development of two- and three-bedroom units," Bance said. "It will feature a series of buildings with a nice pond, a clubhouse and a pool."

This city of 11,000 residents also welcomed a new Broadway Street Bridge and a new Community First Bank in downtown Baraboo in 2004.

Community First Bank now has a full-service facility in Baraboo.

Photos courtesy of MSA Professional Services Inc.

The bridge, which replaced an existing structure, was built by Lunda Construction Co., Black River Falls, and designed and engineered by the Wisconsin Department of Transporta-tion. The $2 million widening project forced detours on a major thoroughfare through the city for four months, Bance said.

The resulting new bridge features concrete poured in a design to make it resemble stone, said Carter Arndt of MSA Professional Services Inc., Baraboo. Arndt, a project architect, said MSA worked on a portion of the bridge, located on the south end of Baraboo. In spring, the concrete will be dyed to give it the appearance of real stone. Lights and decorative railings also will be added in spring.

It is the first of three road-improvement projects from the state that will impact Baraboo in coming years, City Administrator Ed Geick said.

Earlier in 2004, MSA constructed a new Community First Bank at the site where Business Highway 12 connects to Baraboo. Arndt said the bank was designed to blend well into the surrounding area. It features a sloped, shingled roof and a brick exterior.

"On this project, we used more traditional detailing," Arndt said. "We wanted to be responsive to the local architecture and make our use of color similar to the area."

The $1.2 million bank project now sits on the former site of a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast-food restaurant and a house. Both were razed to make room for the new bank.

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