Racine county

Making the best of what's around

Gorman & Co., a Madison developer, wants to redevelop the former Mitchell Auto Works warehouse in Racine into a 100-unit loft-apartment building. Construction should reach completion by late spring.

Racine County eyes redevelopment projects

While several smaller communities around Racine County have imposed temporary land-division moratoriums as they seek to define future growth, the bulk of construction projects in larger cities like Racine and Burlington are focused on redevelopment.

Redevelopment represents one of the key components of the Racine County Economic Development Corp.'s five-year strategic economic development plan, which the group released last year. Specifically, the RCEDC has endorsed the development and implementation of a comprehensive brownfields redevelopment plan countywide.

Burlington embarked on its first redevelopment project five years ago, concentrating revitalization efforts in its downtown and riverfront areas in an effort to revive the community and improve traffic flow through the city. Following on the heels of the successful Riverfront redevelopment project, last February the city won state and federal grant monies to clean up and redevelop two more blighted areas, including the Bel-Mur Enterprises Inc. complex — a former manufacturing site located just outside downtown.

Demolition and clean-up work at the Bel-Mur site began last spring, and the property is undergoing underground-storage-tank removal.

"We expect the site to be ready for redevelopment in January," said David Torgler, Burlington's city administrator.

County Demographics

2001 population estimate: 189,613
Population change, April 1, 2000-July 1, 2001: 0.4%
2000 population: 188,831
Population, change, 1990 to 2000: 7.9%
Persons under 5 years old, 2000: 7.0%
Persons 65 years old and over, 2000: 12.3%
Females, 2000: 50.5%
Whites, 2000: 83.0%
Blacks, 2000: 10.5%
American Indians and Alaska Natives, 2000: 0.4%
Asians, 2000: 0.7%
Hispanics, 2000: 7.9%
High school graduates, age 25+, 2000: 82.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher, age 25+, 2000: 20.3%
People with a disability, age 5+, 2000: 28,218
Housing units, 2000: 74,718
Homeownership rate, 2000: 70.6%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2000: $111,000
Households, 2000: 70,819
People per household, 2000: 2.59
Median household money income, 1999: $48,059
Per capita money income, 1999: $21,772
People below poverty, percent, 1999: 8.4%

Geography Facts

Land area in 2000 (square miles): 333
People per square mile, 2000: 566.9
Metropolitan area: Racine

Business Facts

Private nonfarm establishments, 1999: 4,164
Private nonfarm employment, 1999: 73,607
Private nonfarm employment, change 1990-1999: 2.1%
Manufacturers shipments, 1997 ($1,000): 5,229,538
Retail sales, 1997 ($1,000): 1,564,112
Retail sales per capita, 1997: $8,452
Minority-owned firms, percent of total, 1997: 5.2
Women-owned firms, percent of total, 1997: 24.8
Housing units authorized by building permits, 2000: 867
Federal funds and grants, 2001 ($1,000): 766,447

In the city of Racine, the downtown area continues to be the focus of major redevelopment projects. Earlier this year, Congress approved $135,000 to redevelop the former Jacobsen-Textron property — a 14-acre site located on the city's south side. Once the site has been cleared and remediated, the plan is to build an urban industrial park, bringing much-needed jobs to a neighborhood mired in high unemployment.

Another Racine property slated for redevelopment is the former Horlick's Malted Milk-Haban Manufacturing complex. In December, the city Redevelopment Authority recommended a redevelopment zone bounded by High and Albert streets and Northwestern and Summit avenues. The property's current industrial zoning also will be changed to allow mixed use.

Local developer Joe Mrazek Sr. of Midwest Interstate Realty Corp. recently acquired some of the historic buildings, totaling 225,000 square feet. He intends to redevelop the existing space for office, light industrial and residential use.

The Horlick-Haban complex marks Mrazek's first adaptive reuse project for Racine. His previous developments in the city include the Taylor Crossings office complex and Fountain Hills Apartments.

Mrazek, who has predicted the site could become one of Racine's largest developments, estimated that it would take five to 15 years to fill the complex with tenants.

Brian O'Connell, Racine's director of city development, said one of the city's major concerns during redevelopment will be preserving and restoring building exteriors.

"These buildings have tremendous his-tory and character," he said.

A third downtown redevelopment project under way in Racine is the $14.5 million conversion of a former warehouse into loft apartments. Gorman & Co., a Madison developer, is renovating the former Mitchell Auto Works warehouse at Eighth and Washington avenues into a 100-unit residential complex. Construction is expected to reach completion in late spring.

"These are true lofts with generous floor plans," said O'Connell. The average two-bedroom unit will be about 1,800 square feet.

As part of the re-energized effort to clean up contaminated sites around Racine, city officials have identified a handful of other properties for potential brownfields redevelopment. Among those are Racine Steel Castings, 1442 N. Memorial Drive, an old foundry targeted for demolition and environmental restoration for future use as industrial park space, and Walker Manufacturing, located along Lake Michigan, north of the Root River — a likely candidate for residential development because of its scenic setting. The commitment also resulted in an agreement between the RCEDC and the city of Racine to share the cost of a full-time brownfields redevelopment position.

| Story Index | Wisconsin Builder | DailyReporter.com |