Construction of boutique hotel in the former Elks Club in downtown Kenosha could begin in a few weeks.
The Kenosha City Council approved several agreements Monday night with Gorman and Company, the developer of the project, including the sale of the dilapidated building to the company.
After several years of effort, financing is now in place and all the necessary approvals have been given, said Ted Matkom, the Wisconsin Market President for Gorman. "We're 99.9% sure that you're going to have an asset there that's going to be a hotel," Matkom said at a committee meeting before the council vote.
Ald. Scott Gordon said the hotel, along with other pending projects, will transform Downtown Kenosha in a few years.
If for some reason the hotel is not built or fails to operate, Gorman and Company has agreed to tear the building down at their own expense.
Closing on the sale of the building to Gorman is scheduled for July 31st and construction is expected to being in August, with completion before the end of next year.
Also Monday night, the council approved an ordinance that permits backyard fire pits under some circumstances.
The ordinance regulates "recreational burning" and updates the city's outdoor burning ordinance.
Alderman Daniel Prozanski sponsored the ordinance, saying the city's current ordinance is inadequate.
Fire Chief Charles Leipzig, who originally came out against the idea of allowing the use of fire pits in the city, said after meeting with Prozanski, many of his concerns were addressed.
About a half dozen people spoke against the ordinance during public comments.
The ordinance prohibits burning within 15 feet of a structure or property line, limits burning wood to between 4 and 10 pm and contains a fine for violations.
An amendment removed propane burning fire units from the time restrictions.
The Fire Department will evaluate the effectiveness of the ordinance, which was adopted on a vote of 11 to 2, and report back to the council next September.
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