News and NotesConservancy Place - DeForest, WI


Park Towne Development: News & Notes

 

It looks like another Madison tradition is moving out of the city. The WIAA has voted to move their basketball tournament from Madison to Green Bay (see article below). At least now we won't get those large snow storms here in Madison which always seem to happen during the tournament!

 

Have a great week!

 

Joe

 

Development News for the Week of:    2/11/12 -  2/17/2012  

 

 

WIAA BOARD VOTES TO MOVE STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS TO GREEN BAY

 

The WIAA will move the state high school basketball tournaments to the Green Bay area unless the the University of Wisconsin athletic department can make the Kohl Center available in 2013 and 2014.


SENIOR HOUSING PROJECT UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SUN PRAIRIE

 

Construction is under way on a $13.3 million senior housing community to open next fall or winter on five acres of vacant land in downtown Sun Prairie. The 185,000-square-foot community, to be known as Lighthouse of Sun Prairie, will have 152 apartments at 222 S. Bristol St. It will offer three levels of service - 60 for independent living, 48 for assisted living and 44 memory-care units.

 

URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION TO TAKE LEAD ROLE FOR 100 BLOCK OF STATE STREET PROPOSAL

 

The Urban Design Commission will take a lead role in the 100 block of State Street redevelopment proposal, following a referral from the Landmarks Commission on Monday.


URBAN DESIGN TOSSES BLOCK 100 PROJECT RIGHT BACK TO LANDMARKS COMMISSION

 

After all the intrigue of the past week involving rumors of a possible deal between various city officials and backers of the contentious proposal from Pleasant Rowland and Jerry Frautschi to redevelop a portion of the 100 block of State Street, last night's much-anticipated meeting of the project team with the Urban Design Commission -- where details of said potential deal might have been unveiled -- was a definite letdown...It didn't happen.

  

NEW REPORT SYAS BLOCK 100 BUILDINGS ARE STRUCTURALLY SOUND

 

Preservationists have submitted reports and bids from a Richland Center mason and building restoration expert that say that the masonry on two of the buildings that the Frautschi and Rowland family wants to demolish as part of their controversial plan to redevelop the 100 block of State Street can be fixed up for between $50,000 and $60,000 each.

 

WIS. ASSEMBLY TO TAKE UP WETLANDS BILL NEXT WEEK

 

Republicans in the state Assembly say they'll likely take up a bill to help developers obtain wetland fill permits next week. GOP Assembly leaders had expected their colleagues in the state Senate to pass the bill Tuesday and get the measure to them in time to schedule a vote on final passage for Thursday.

 

Senate Republicans approved a bill that would loosen restrictions on wetland development in an ugly early morning session Wednesday that underscored the animosity that has permeated the state Capitol in the year since Gov. Scott Walker stripped public workers of nearly all their union rights.

 

DANE COUNTY HOUSING STARTS- JANUARY 2012

 

Dane County housing starts moved from 31 in January of 2011 to 33 in January of 2012 - an increase of 6.5%.  The graph below shows the number of monthly Dane County housing starts dating back to January, 2005. Each green data point represents an increase from the same month of the prior year. Each red data point represents a decrease. 

 

HOW SUCCESSFUL WILL DAN NERAD'S OUTREACH TO PARENTS BE?

 

A big part of the Madison School District superintendent's plan to close the achievement gap depends on getting greater parent involvement in schools. A budding program in the Black Hawk Middle School community suggests some ways that might work.

 

EXISTING HOME SALES IN DANE COUNTY IN JANUARY EVEN WITH A YEAR AGO, WHILE MEDIAN SALES PRICE DROPS

 

Dane County existing home and condo sales in January were even with a year ago, while median price dropped compared with January 2011.

There were 229 sales in January, the same number as in January 2011, according to the South Central Wisconsin MLS Tuesday.


HOME STARTS RISE SLIGHTLY IN JANUARY, BUT PACE REMAINS WAY OFF OF WHAT'S NORMAL FOR HEALTHY MARKET


Dane County housing starts increased a bit in January compared with a year ago, but last month's tally remained among the lowest historically in the past dozen years. Only January 2009, when there were 22, and January 2011, when there were 31, were lower since 1999, according to records compiled by MTD Marketing Services of Menasha. Last month, there were 33 permits for new single-family homes and duplexes, for a 6.5 percent year-over-year increase.

  

COPPS PROPOSAL GAINS INITIAL APPROVAL FOR GRANDVIEW COMMONS

 

A 58,000-square-foot Copps grocery store for Grandview Commons on the Far East Side received initial approval Wednesday from the Urban Design Commission..."Four weeks ago (the UDC) asked the developers to come back with a drastically changed plan. What you got was a bunch of new pictures," said Greg.

 

SOGLIN NAMES FORMER CITY OFFCIAL TO HEAD COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

 

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin appointed Hickory Hurie, a former veteran city manager, as interim director of the Community Development Division. Hurie, who will start Thursday, is getting a provisional appointment for up to six months. He will replace Community Development Director Bill Clingan, who is leaving his position March 2.

  

BURNED DOWNTOWN BUILDING GETS NEW LIFE

 

A prominent developer is buying a Downtown apartment and commercial building seriously damaged by fire last summer and intends to renovate it. Urban Land Interests, which developed the massive Block 89 project on Capitol Square and other major projects, is buying the four-story building at 24 N. Webster St., built in 1924.


 

 

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 Around the State and Points Elsewhere
 

AGENCY PROPOSES NEW VENTURE CAPITAL PLAN

 

In a last-ditch effort to get an investment capital bill passed before the end of this session, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has floated a proposal to fund promising young companies with money raised from the sale of unused investment tax credits. The proposal comes as many lawmakers acknowledge there is little hope of salvaging a $400 million venture capital bill Gov. Scott Walker promoted early last year as a key component of his effort to create more jobs in the state.                 

 

FEWER HOUSEHOLDS BEHIND IN MORTGAGE PAYMENTS

 

The number of households that are behind on their mortgage payments continued to shrink in Wisconsin and the U.S. last year, as delinquencies got about halfway back to pre-recession levels, the Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday. Mortgages with at least one payment overdue - but not in foreclosure - dropped to 5.94% from 6.26% in Wisconsin in the fourth quarter. 

  

 

NEW HOME STARTS UP 20% IN STATE'S LARGEST METRO AREAS

 

Permits to construct new homes rose 20% in Wisconsin's five largest population centers in January, helped by boosts in the Racine-Kenosha and Green Bay-Door County areas. There were 144 building permits issued for new single-family houses or duplexes in Greater Milwaukee, Dane County, the Fox Valley, the Racine-Kenosha area and Green Bay-Door County area last month, according to MTD Marketing Services of Wisconsin Inc. That compares with 120 in January of 2011.

 

FORMER BUCYRUS CEO TO HEAD WALKER'S BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OFFICE

 

Former Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan will head Gov. Scott Walker's office of business development, the governor announced Thursday. Walker made the announcement at a conference hosted by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce. Sullivan will do the job without pay, Walker said.

 

BARRETT DEFENDS CITY'S ATTEMPT TO ATTRACT KOHL'S

 

Mayor Tom Barrett defended the city's unsuccessful efforts to woo Kohl's Corp. headquarters to downtown Milwaukee during a rare mayoral appearance Thursday afternoon before a Common Council committee. Barrett and Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux spoke before the Steering and Rules Committee, at a hearing requested by Ald. Bob Bauman.

 

ALD. BAUMAN QUESTIONS SECRET DEALINGS WITH KOHL'S

 

After I broke the news about Kohl's Corp. deciding against moving its headquarters to downtown Milwaukee, Ald. Bob Bauman told my colleague, Larry Sandler, that he wants a Common Council committee hearing on the city's negotiating efforts. That includes the details behind the secret purchase of the Sydney Hih Building, which the Journal Sentinel first reported earlier this month. The hearing is tentatively set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, before the Steering and Rules Committee.

 

KOHL'S WILL NOT RELOCATE CORPORATE OFFICES TO PARK EAST

 

Executives at Kohl's Corp. have told City of Milwaukee officials that they've decided not to relocate their corporate offices from Menomonee Falls to downtown's Park East area. That's according to a source familiar with that decision. The source asked not to be publicly identified because of the situation's sensitive nature. Calls and emails to Kohl's media relations employees weren't returned Tuesday night. Kohl's has declined to comment on its search for a new corporate headquarters until it makes a final decision.

 

PUBLIC, PROVATE OFFICIALS MADE STRONG EFFORTS TO LAND KOHL'S, BARRETT SAYS

 

City, county and business officials cooperated on a strong effort, including over $100 million in public financing assistance, to try to draw Kohl's Corp.'s headquarters to downtown Milwaukee's Park East strip, Mayor Tom Barrett said Wednesday morning. "I couldn't be prouder of the effort we made," Barrett said.

 

STATE BILL TO STRENGTHEN LANDLORD RIGHTS HELD UP IN SENATE COMMITTEE AFTER CONTENTIOUS PUBLIC HEARING

 

Concerns raised by lawyers, tenant advocates and a trade group representing the manufactured housing industry convinced state lawmakers to slow down a controversial measure that would eliminate many tenant rights while strengthening the power and discretion of landlords. The Senate's Insurance and Housing Committee, chaired by bill co-sponsor Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, had been scheduled to vote on SB 466 Wednesday but instead took no action after a contentious public hearing.

  

There are two sections of the Assembly's open-pit mining bill that environmental advocates were hoping not to see when the Senate unveiled its version. They found both when the bill was made public Monday.