Authorization was given by the Chilton, Wisconsin City Council to request proposals for the development of two adjacent city-owned vacant lots in the Uptown central business district.
Stated in the project summary is that the City envisions the vacant lots be developed and be used for retail, commercial, multi-family residential, office, restaurant or other use that is compatible with a central business district and neighboring uses.
Ideally, the building will be at least two stories and include a full basement. The City is requiring that the exterior of the building be brick. If commercial/retail, windows should consist of a minimum of 60 percent of the space on the store front.
The property at 27 W. Main St. has been a parking lot for almost 40 years. The 35 W. Main St., property housed the former Karl-Kent building which was demolished in 2010.
The City of Chilton has taken steps to revitalize the Uptown district through the creation of the Uptown Master Plan and Tax Increment Finance District (TID) #4.
For a majority of the city’s 125 years, Chilton’s central business districts—the Uptown and the Downtown—have been the center of economic, commercial and retail activity. But like most communities, the edges of the community have grown, leaving the city’s center in need of revitalization.
To address this concern, Chilton has begun an aggressive campaign to improve these core areas. In 2002, the city commissioned Vandewalle & Associates to create a Central Business District Opportunity Analysis that describes the opportunities for land use, redevelopment, urban design and economic development for these two districts.
The opportunity analysis created this five-step process in which to begin implementing change:
- Creation of a Redevelopment Authority to oversee redevelopment activities;
- Creation of a Master Plan that defines reuse and redevelopment projects;
- Creation of a statutorily-mandated redevelopment district and project plan;
- Identification and creation of financing strategies, including tax increment finance, state and federal grant programs and private donations; and
- Creation of a coherent implementation strategy to actively pursue and coordinate public and private development as well as economic development.
The city began implementing the recommended steps. It began by establishing a Redevelopment Authority (RDA) in late 2002. After setting its goals and objectives, the RDA hired Vandewalle & Associates to create a master plan for the city’s Uptown area. This involved many meetings between citizens, business and property owners and government officials to discuss needs and wants for the Uptown area in addition to providing needed material to help for a vision, goals and the plan.
Proposals due: February 1, 2017
Image credit: City of Chilton