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City presents Ridgeview Estates plan near Fort Atkinson High School; construction to begin this spring
Summary
City officials updated the school board on Ridgeview Estates, a 75-acre development that will include single-family lots, townhomes and an initial 87‑unit multifamily building; phases include road work starting April and a DOT grant for Banker Road.
City officials gave the Fort Atkinson School Board a progress update March 20 on Ridgeview Estates, the 75‑acre residential development adjacent to the high school and campus that will add single-family lots, townhomes and multifamily units.
Rebecca Houseman, Fort Atkinson city manager, told the board the city purchased the land in 2019, annexed it in 2021 and created a tax-increment district in 2022 to support infrastructure. Houseman said the city approved a development agreement with Intrepid Investments (a partnership of Discovery Properties and American Construction Company) in December 2024.
Jedidiah Drager, building inspector and zoning administrator, described the preliminary plat and the first multifamily structure planned for the site. He said the lot for the first building would accommodate an 87‑unit apartment with amenities and largely underground parking. "There are 6 studio apartments, 51 1 bedroom units, and 32 bedroom units, and those are all at market rate," Drager said. He added that surface features would be refined and the developer has worked to improve designs to meet city ordinance goals.
Houseman and Drager reviewed the expected schedule and infrastructure funding. Private construction for the multifamily piece will begin the week of April 1; curb, gutter and final grading are expected in mid‑April once frost conditions permit. The first townhome project may begin in May and Hawthorne Drive substantial completion is expected in August. Houseman said the city received a $1,400,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) to reconstruct and relocate Banker Road and a separate $1,700,000 DOT transportation alternative grant to infill sidewalks, prioritizing school routes.
Officials discussed traffic mitigation and campus impacts. Drager described a construction traffic plan intended to minimize disruption to school drop‑off and pick‑up, scheduling large deliveries outside peak times and staging construction west to east to limit traffic near the high school. Houseman said sidewalks will be installed along new streets, and the city plans pedestrian and bicycle connections along the preserved tree corridor by Banker Road.
Board members welcomed the update and said closer coordination on schedules has been beneficial to the district. Houseman said the development agreement requires the developer to buy or build at least 10 units annually for 10 years starting in 2027, though she said the city expects buildout sooner than 10 years depending on market demand.
