By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
After straining to market a property toward a private developer without success, Whitewater’s economic development panel has decided to hand the site over to the city for a series of uses.
The Community Development Authority has oversight of the former Alpha Cast site at North Jefferson Street and Starin Road. There had been visions of marketing the property toward developers, but there have been hurdles in recent years.
At their meeting March 24, the CDA agreed to repurpose the property for a two-pronged effort that would benefit municipal services.
The southern half of the property could potentially become a neighborhood park on some other form of green space. The city’s Parks and Recreation Board will review options and provide a recommendation to the Common Council.
The northern half, meanwhile, has been eyed as a potential training site for the fire and rescue department. The city’s Police and Fire Commission will take that proposal up for review.
Parks and Recreation Director Matt Amundson said there could be value in turning the southern half over for dedicated green space, though there are financial considerations, depending upon the option.
“The cost of a neighborhood park is somewhere between $25,000 and $35,000,” Amundson said.
In other recent business, the CDA:
- Discussed policies concerning payback of loans through the CDA’s use of capital catalyst funds and other sources. During a comb-through of the CDA’s financial statements, CDA Chair Jeff Knight said he was concerned about delinquent loan payments.
“This is probably the worst report, as far as I can remember, in the time I’ve been on the CDA,” Knight said. “I’d like to see closer monitoring on our side.”
- Discussed the CDA’s participation in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s certified sites program, which is aimed at ensuring developers and municipalities have all of the proper procedures in place to comply with state statutes.
State officials will be tour Whitewater sites as a condition of participation this coming Monday, April 11.
