Racine---At the moment, strong enthusiasm appears to exist at the City Council for Mayor Dickert’s proposed $43 million arena and convention center.
Meeting informally Monday night, council members gave a preliminary thumbs up to proceed with the project’s first phase: Hiring a construction supervisor, conducting a financial feasibility study, coming up with a conceptual design and exploring site and environmental matters.
Council President Dennis Wiser says the enthusiasm extends to the business community. "There's an enthusiasm that we haven't seen in a long, long time and we're going to put it to good use," Wiser said in a WGTD News interview Tuesday.
Those positive vibes, he said, are fueled by the recent uptick in the real estate market, and a bubbling over of interest by developers who heretofore may have focused on opportunities in the big cities. "Many developers are starting to look at smaller communities to work in," he said.
As preliminary work proceeds on the Racine arena, the council will retain the right to kill it if any unexpected hiccups develop. A final up or down vote probably won't be taken until mid to later summer, Wiser said.
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