Kenosha subcommittee reviews Uptown 4 redevelopment plan draft; staff says grocery funding secured

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Kenosha’s redevelopment plan subcommittee met to review a draft of the Uptown 4 redevelopment area plan and to collect edits before wider circulation. City staff said the 58-page draft includes statutory requirements, boundary maps, redevelopment objectives and design guidance, and that staff will circulate an edited copy with tonight’s revisions.

Taylor, a city redevelopment staff member, told the subcommittee the plan’s top priority is infill construction on vacant parcels and that the document lays out both broad objectives and specific renewal actions the authority may pursue under state statute. Taylor said the plan identifies neighborhood assets, includes a blight/property-condition survey (exhibit K) and maps (exhibit B), and lists available programs such as home repair grants and loan referrals.

The subcommittee discussed public-access and outreach issues. Members and staff agreed to add park/recreation considerations to the plan and to explore a targeted mailer and a brochure to publicize eligibility criteria for repair and loan programs. Taylor said the inspection grant program is active and noted roughly $213,000 is allocated to that line item; staff also said some loan programs are underused and suggested better outreach could increase participation.

On acquisition and relocation, Taylor said the plan follows state statute: when the city seeks to acquire occupied property it provides multiple notices and allows tenants at least six months (or until the end of a lease, whichever is longer) to relocate. The plan’s appendix includes a blight-survey template used to categorize properties by condition from the sidewalk and to guide renewal actions.

Members raised environmental and development constraints near formerly contaminated parcels that are capped. A participant observed that capped sites limit excavation and basements, which affects the feasibility of single-family housing; Taylor said options discussed in land-use studies and the ULI study include townhomes, multifamily without basements, or institutional/commercial uses that do not require deep excavation.

Taylor told the subcommittee that Esperanza Grocery, proposed for the ground floor of Uptown Lofts, has secured federal funds and that its environmental review was approved; staff said the storefront currently exists as a white box and requires interior build-out before opening. Members recommended adding the grocery to the plan’s list of neighborhood assets.

Staff also said the city plans a development-opportunities webpage to publish available parcels and solicit developers; the page is expected to go live in the next month or two. Members suggested community activation events — such as block parties or car shows on 22nd Avenue — to draw visitors and highlight completed work.

At the meeting’s close a member made a procedural motion to “receive the file” (to accept the draft for further edits and circulation); the motion was seconded and the subcommittee voted in favor. The meeting then adjourned.

The subcommittee left the draft open for further edits and public comment; staff will circulate the edited draft and pursue additional targeted outreach and plan refinements before posting the plan for broader public comment.