Breaking: City of Kenosha Issues Massive Downtown Redevelopment RFP

(WGTD)---In a bid to take advantage of the robust real estate market and the booming economy, the City of Kenosha has launched a formal search for well-heeled and experienced partners that are able and willing to take on a massive downtown redevelopment project that would result in a new city hall, a performing arts center, a new park and hundreds of residences. 

The Request for Proposals is an outgrowth of a six year-old comprehensive downtown development plan, according to Jeff Labahn, Dir. of the Dept. of Community Development and Inspections.

A news release announcing the RFP--issued Friday--includes several images that show a park replacing the aging Municipal Building, with high-rise residential and commercial developments to the south and north. A performing arts center would anchor the new park and butt up against Sheridan Rd. The new city hall would be built just east of the courthouse, a site that's long been considered ideal for city government offices. 

Labahn emphasized that the images represent a vision and are not set in stone. The redevelopment area in question includes eight blocks and about 25 acres, much of it vacant or underutilized. 

Mayor John Antaramian's decision to issue the RFP at this point in time is the result of inquiries from developers and the reaction city officials received at the International Conference on Shopping Centers held in Las Vegas earlier this year when they 'shopped' the plan, according to Labahn. 

Antaramian wasn't immediately available for comment Friday. But when asked by a reporter earlier this week whether there'd been any movement as of late in the long-simmering plan to replace the aging Municipal Building, Antaramian said with a smile: "Now that's starting to get interesting."

The deadline for proposals is Nov. 2nd. 

-0-