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Edgewater developer offers new design for hotel project

The alternate design is intended to strengthen the visual relationship between the original 1940s hotel and a new eight-story tower, make the tower's facade relate better to Lake Mendota and the neighborhood, and improve landscaping of a public plaza and waterfront. Developer Robert Dunn is offering an alternative exterior plan for the proposed $93 million redevelopment of the historic Edgewater hotel. The alternate design is intended to strengthen the visual relationship between the original 1940s hotel and a new eight-story tower, make the tower's facade relate better to Lake Mendota and the neighborhood, and improve landscaping of a public plaza, staircase to the lake and waterfront. The changes, however, do not substantially reduce the height or massing of the new eight-story tower, the main source of controversy for the project. The alternate design, based on comments from the Urban Design Commission at an informational meeting last week, is part of a larger submission seeking preliminary approval from the commission Feb. 3. The changes include a more asymmetrical facade design of the tower to reflect the 1940s building, more glass on the lake side facade and the top two floors to make the tower seem less massive, fewer window types and a simpler tower facade, more green space on the plaza and more public elements along the waterfront.

When asked how often the city has amended its zoning code to accommodate one project, city zoning administrator Matt Tucker has an immediate answer: "It happens all the time. All the time. There are amendments to the text that relate to projects regularly." A few years ago, he says the City Council passed a zoning amendment related to a proposed hotel on the southeast side that made hotels a conditional use in a manufacturing district if the hotel was proposed on "lots not less than two acres in area and abutting limited access state and federal highways." When Monona Terrace was proposed, city officials amended the zoning code to exempt a "civic auditorium complex" from waterfront development requirements. That such changes have happened before, though, has not slowed a mounting controversy over a proposed zoning code change that would benefit a proposed $93 million redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel. It's the latest scene in a long-running city government drama that features an ambitious developer, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and labor unions on one side, and historic preservationists and high-profile neighbors of the Edgewater on the other.

Starting Monday, Dane County residents facing foreclosure will have a new mediation option that could help them keep their homes even as new filings continue to mount. The program, approved recently through an order by Dane County Circuit Court judges, will require lenders in a foreclosure action to provide the homeowner with a court-approved form informing them of the mediation programs existence. If an eligible homeowner requests mediation under the program, and the lender agrees to participate, a mediation session will be conducted by volunteer mediators from the Dane County Bar Association. UW-Madison Law School students will help families prepare for the mediation sessions. A key requirement for participating in the program is that the home at the center of the foreclosure lawsuit must be owner-occupied, program officials said Thursday. “It’s really a lifeline that didn’t exist before,” said Kate Nardi Sullivan, a member of the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Task Force, which is helping to support the law school program. “This new tool can really make resolution (of mortgage problems) more efficient.” The program is modeled after one organized by the city of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Foreclosure Partnership Initiative and Marquette University’s Law School last summer. Financial support for aspects of the programs come from the state Department of Justice. Mediation is a confidential dispute-resolution process in which parties to a lawsuit meet with a neutral third party who helps them reach agreement by focusing on key issues, exchanging information and exploring options for a settlement.

Biz schools at UW-Madison, Marquette buck national trend

The business schools in Madison and Milwaukee say they're bucking a national trend that sees fewer incoming freshmen wanting to major in business. An annual survey by the Higher Education Research Institute says 14% of freshmen want a bachelor's degree in business. That's down from 17% last year. The study's authors suggest the recession and negative attention over Wall Street bailouts may have soured the way students see the business world. But the business schools at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University say applications are holding steady if not rising. Marquette's Linda Salchenberger told Wisconsin Public Radio the school just enrolled one of its largest freshman classes ever.

A high-rise student apartment building is coming to one of the most congested spots on the UW-Madison campus with no new parking spaces. Monday night, the Madison Plan Commission on a 5-2 vote approved a proposal from landlord Patrick Corcoran for an eight-story apartment tower at 621 Mendota Court. Corcoran would demolish a pair of older two-story, wood-frame houses on Mendota Court, a narrow cul-de-sac tucked between the lakeshore and Langdon Street. He promised the new 27-unit building with 100 bedrooms would have on-site management, modern amenities and increased security. “My goal is to provide safer, updated housing for students,” says Corcoran, a Madison native who owns and manages 16 other apartment buildings in the city.

The Fitchburg Public Library will be equipped with a geothermal heating and cooling system, even if the building costs more than originally planned. The Fitchburg Common Council voted 6-2 Tuesday night on a resolution to instruct architects to design the building with the system after it had tabled the resolution at its previous meeting, Jan. 12. Alders Carol Poole, Swami Swaminathan, Darren Stucker, William Horns, Steve Arnold and Shawn Pfaff voted for the system, while Alders Andy Potts and Richard Bloomquist voted against. The geothermal system, which uses the natural constant temperature of the earth to help provide climate control, is estimated to cost an additional $500,000 above the $10 million price tag that was approved by voters in a 2008 referendum. It is expected to eventually pay for itself with the energy savings it provides, though there was some debate over how quickly that would happen. Director of public works Paul Woodard said the geothermal would cost 9 cents less per square foot in total energy costs. Compared to $1.27 per square foot in a standard high-efficiency HVAC system, the geothermal would cost $1.18 per square foot and it would save around $3,400. If the city were to borrow the extra money today, Mayor Jay Allen said, it would cost the average taxpayer in the city $6 a year for the next decade.
Poole said she struggled with the decision but in the end supported the resolution because the $6 a year is an affordable amount. She said that while she is unable to make energy-efficiency upgrades to her own home, she can support the library being equipped with the system. "If I can make some sort of contribution on that scale for $6 and I can't do it for myself, I should do it for the city," Poole said.

For those who have been following the Community Development Authority's proposed Burr Oaks senior housing project on the city's south side, there has been an interesting turn of events in the efforts to acquire several apartment buildings for the project. After receiving some criticism from the owners of those buildings and from former Ald. Brenda Konkel, who attended the last CDA meeting, regarding the below-market prices offered for the buildings, all of which are owned by minorities, CDA member Stu Levitan e-mailed other members and city staff about potentially revisiting the offers.

Any hopes for a rebound in the housing sector were dashed this week with reports that sales of existing homes fell again in December. The numbers "clearly indicate that the rebound in housing demand observes so far has been largely supported by government programs," says Anna Piretti, senior economist at PNB Paribas. Some observers are far less subtle. Charles Hugh Smith's post to Seeking Alpha suggests it might be better to start tearing down the unsold junk out there. "A poorly constructed McMansion sitting forlornly in an exurban development that's unoccupied and falling to pieces, far from jobs and any social life, is doomed to be bulldozed. Its location and construction served no purpose except speculation. Since it is poorly built, then even a price of $1 is too expensive because it will be a money pit to maintain/repair."

A Memphis, Tenn. company was expected to purchase Verona-based JT Packard this week, but as of Tuesday it was unknown whether any local workers would lose their jobs. Thomas and Betts announced last week that it would buy Packard's net assets for $22 million and assume $6 million of the company's debt. The sale was finalized Tuesday. Tricia Bergeron, spokesperson for Thomas and Betts, said Thursday that the company laid off about 15 percent of Packard's staff. About 150 of Packard's 300 employees had worked at two offices in Verona at 275 Investment Court and just up the road at 312 Locust St. The rest are located around the United States. That means 20 Verona workers lost their jobs and about 20 more nationwide are out of work, too. Bergeron said the layoffs resulted from staffing that overlapped between Packard and Thomas and Betts. She said no more layoffs are planned and that Thomas and Betts is committed to growing JT Packard. Founded in 1997, Packard's core business is servicing uninterruptible power supplies, which are basically large battery systems that prevent businesses from losing data during a power outage. Revenues in 2009 were about $60 million.

Fitchburg's zoning code rewrite will be entering its final stages when a week long charrette begins Feb. 8. The charrette, a collaborative planning effort involving the entire Fitchburg community, will involve a series of meetings - among "stakeholders" such as developers, businesses and farmers - and three large public sessions. At the end, planners from PlaceMakers, who will lead the sessions with help from city staff, will take the information and eventually provide a recommendation on how the city should change and implement new zoning rules. "Our charrette will build on all the work that has come before and provide an opportunity to sort through ideas together and come up with the core ingredients of how we broaden our current zoning code," explains the latest update on Fitchburgzoning.com, the Web site devoted to the local effort. "We need rules that ensure our future growth is as inspired as the goals we've set out." The zoning code change follows the recent adoption of the city's comprehensive plan. PlaceMakers project principal Susan Henderson and Mayor Jay Allen have both said the new rules - collectively called a "Smart Code" - will be a tool that helps execute the plan. The current zoning code will continue to be used once the new code is adopted, Henderson said, explaining that the Smart Code will be implemented gradually for some areas. She said that if the city were to make the new code mandatory for all future developments from the start, the code might end up being different from what the city wants.

Average home prices in the Milwaukee area fell by 7.7% in 2009 and are projected to slip another 3.4% this year, an analysis released Thursday by the Fiserv Case Shiller Indexes shows. While headed downward, prices have held up better here than nationally. Nationwide, home prices declined 8.9% between the third quarters of 2008 and 2009 and are expected to fall another 11.5% in 2010, according to the report.The analysis from Case Shiller, which is owned by Brookfield-based Fiserv Inc., said average prices will decrease again this year even though they have increased slightly in each of the last two quarters. Fiserv said the housing market will continue to be "buffeted by strong headwinds" in 2010 because of large supplies of distressed properties, rising interest rates and high unemployment. Fiserv Chief Economist David Stiff said gains in 2009 were driven largely by a tax credit of up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers and a slowdown of troubled properties hitting the market because of the federal government's mortgage modification program. "Unfortunately, most of the factors that propped up home prices in 2009 will be transitory, so I expect that prices will begin falling again during the winter and early spring of 2010 before bottoming out later this year," Stiff said.

The state will receive the federal stimulus money to establish high-speed passenger rail from Milwaukee to Madison and to study the possibility of extending it to the Twin Cities, President Barack Obama's administration announced. After decades without rail service between Madison and Milwaukee, an infusion of more than $800 million in federal stimulus money could establish passenger train service between the state’s two largest cities by 2013. The passenger rail service between Milwaukee and Madison would include stops in Brookfield, Oconomowoc and Watertown and eventual top speeds of 110 mph. “The state is well positioned to get it done quickly, and that’s very, very exciting,” said Rick Harnish, executive director of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association.Wisconsin will receive $810 million in federal stimulus money to start up the Madison-to-Milwaukee service and to study the possibility of extending it to the Twin Cities, President Barack Obama’s administration announced.As part of a national rollout following Obama’s State of the Union address, federal Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan is expected to be in Milwaukee for an afternoon press conference to discuss Wisconsin’s share of $8 billion in awards for high-speed rail.

Potential buyer emerges for Park Lafayette

A local investment group led by real estate investors Frank and Dominic Giuffre are in talks to buy the troubled Park Lafayette condominium towers on Milwaukee's east side. The talks came to light after U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Pamela Pepper denied a request by the project's developer, Renaissant Lafayette LLC, to borrow funds from Mallory Properties LLC, which is operated by the Giuffres. Renaissant, led by Chicago-area developer Warren Barr, wanted to use the money to pay for operating expenses at the 281-unit Park Layfayette, which has two 20-story towers at N. Prospect Ave. and E. Lafayette Place. The request was opposed by Amalgamated Bank, Park Lafayette's lender and the largest creditor in Renaissant's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. New York-based Amalgamated is owed $102.8 million, and the debt is secured by the condo development and other Renaissant property, valued at $61.3 million, according to court records. Amalgamated objected to the loan because Renaissant would have repaid Mallory before paying the bank the money it owes. Amalgamated has a foreclosure suit and receivership action pending against Renaissant in Milwaukee County Circuit Court. Those proceedings are on hold as a result of the Chapter 11 filing. Meanwhile, Renaissant, Amalgamated and Mallory are discussing a possible sale of the condos towers to Mallory, said Forrest Lammiman, Renaissant's bankruptcy attorney.

Dave & Buster's in Wauwatosa will open March 1

Dave & Buster's Inc., perhaps best described as a Chuck E. Cheese for adults, will open its Wauwatosa restaurant/tavern/game room on Monday, March 1. That's the word from Jonathan Jue, assistant general manager. Dave & Buster's is at 2201 N. Mayfair Road, one block south of W. North Ave. The 35,000-square-foot restaurant, which will feature arcade games, pool tables and other diversions, will have around 200 employees, Jue said. It will be the first Dave & Buster's in Wisconsin, and will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with closing time extended to 1 a.m. on weekends. The Wauwatosa Common Council in November 2008 gave zoning approval for Dave & Buster's despite a vote against the development from a council committee. Some aldermen who initially opposed Dave & Buster's later reversed their votes, saying the company responded to their concerns about traffic and security.

Mattress Firm to open first store in state

Mattress Firm, a Houston-based mattress franchise chain, will open its first store in Wisconsin February 1 at the Shoppes at Pleasant Prairie, at 9901 77th St. The Wisconsin franchise owner, Chuck Dawson, plans to open 10 stores in Wisconsin this year. The next one will open in March at an undisclosed location in Brookfield. I wrote about Dawson's plan in a story in October. Mattress Firm stores offer both brand names and private label mattresses. The private label products for the Wisconsin stores will be made at the Symbol Mattress plant in Watertown.

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. this week opened the new, 60,000-sqaure-foot Fortaleza Hall building at it headquarters campus at 1525 Howe St., Racine. The new building has two distinct sections: Fortaleza Hall, which provides historical context for the company and the advances that continue to take place through displays and memorabilia, the Frank Lloyd Wright Library and Legacy Gallery and The Commons, which offers employee services like dining, concierge services, company store, bank and fitness center in a comfortable environment. Fortaleza Hall is the first major new building on the company’s international headquarters since 1967 when the Golden Rondelle, originally built as a movie theatre for the 1964-1965 New York World’s Fair, it was disassembled and brought to Racine where it was rebuilt. Spherical in shape and made primarily of glass, Fortaleza Hall houses a full-size twin-engine S-38 amphibious plane suspended to simulate it in flight which can be viewed by all passers-by.

JA no longer interested in ex-Discovery World for biz center

You may have seen the story Monday about a $3 million donation from Kohl's Corp. to help fund a new Junior Achievement program that will teach school kids about business and finance. Junior Achievement is looking for a site for the $11 million project, which would also house the agency's offices that are now at 6924 N. Port Washington Road, Glendale. The group, which has raised around $9 million for the project, had once considered the former Discovery World site downtown, as I reported last year. But Tim Greinert, president of Junior Achievement of Wisconsin. tells me that site is no longer an option. That's because the group, which had originally been looking for 40,000 square feet, now wants another 10,000 to 12,000 square feet for future expansion, Greinert said. As a result, the former Discovery World is too small. Junior Achievement is looking for a site that would be close to an interstate highway, within the Milwaukee metro area, Greinert said. The new development would serve student from as far away as Kenosha, Madison and Sheboygan, but Milwaukee Public Schools remains the group's biggest source of students, he said. The group hopes to begin construction on the facility by summer.

The developer of a large data processing center proposed for Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley hopes to begin construction by fall. Source IT Energy LLC has a purchase option on 9 acres south of W. Canal St. and about a block west of S. 6th St., said Herb Zien, the company's Milwaukee-based senior vice president and chief development officer. Source IT has been talking to prospective tenants, and needs to obtain commitments for around 22,000 square feet to obtain financing for the project's first phase, Zien said. He said the firm is "about halfway" to that goal. The first phase would be 62,000 square feet, with about half devoted to data processing and remaining space for office and support employees, he said. Source IT hopes to eventually have a 150,000-square-foot facility. That proposed facility's selling points include cheap power. It would be built next to a We Energies power plant, and Source IT would buy power and steam at reduced rates -- passing the savings on to companies, universities and others that locate there, Zien said. My colleague Kathleen Gallagher first reported plans for the center in July. Kathleen, on Sunday, had an interesting story about the Milwaukee Institute, a nonprofit group that would help manage the center. The center's planned site, by the way, is owned by an investment group led by John Stollenwerk, former president of Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corp., which had once planned a factory in the valley.

Park Lafayette developer loses round in bankruptcy court

The developer of the troubled Park Lafayette condominium towers on Milwaukee's east side will not be allowed to borrow funds from a local investment group as part of a bankruptcy reorganization. Renaissant Lafayette LLC, a firm led by Chicago-area developer Warren Barr, had asked U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Pamela Pepper for permission to borrow up to $7.5 million from Mallory Properties LLC, which is operated by local real estate investors Frank and Dominic Giuffre. Renaissant wanted to use the money to pay for its operating expenses at Park Lafayette, which has 280 units in two 20-story towers at N. Prospect Ave. and E. Lafayette Place. That request was opposed by New York-based Amalgamated Bank, the main lender for Park Lafayette and the largest creditor in Renaissant's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. Amalgamated is owed $102.8 million, and the debt is secured by the condo development and other Renaissant property, valued at $61.3 million, according to court records. Amalgamated objected to Mallory having a higher priority than the bank in recovering any money lent to Renaissant.

Jump Zone play area chain landing in Franklin

Jump Zone, a chain of children's play centers, will open its first Wisconsin location, in Franklin, by May, co-owner Paul Downs told me this morning. Jump Zone features inflatable slides, obstacle courses and other stuff aimed at kids from 2 to 12. The Franklin Jump Zone will be in 14,000 square feet, part of a former Pick 'n Save supermarket, at 6544 S. Lover's Lane Road. Downs and partner Mark Greene got the idea of becoming Jump Zone franchisees after finding themselves having to drive with their kids from the Franklin area to similar facilities, such as Monkey Joe's, in Waukesha. Jump Zone will have around 30 employees, Downs said. Downs and Greene are co-owners of Hanna Trailer Supply, in Oak Creek.

Eco-Bay housing proposed for Bay View is dead

The $40 million Eco- Bay housing development, proposed for the former Army Reserve site, at 2372 S. Logan Ave., is dead, city Development Commissioner Rocky Marcoux told me Monday. The project, proposed by the city Housing Authority, was having a tough time getting financing, Marcoux said. City officials will likely wait until the economy recovers before again seeking proposals from developers for the city-owned site, which is in the Bay View neighborhood. Eco-Bay would have featured a mix of market-rate housing, and subsidized apartments for elderly residents. Ald. Tony Zielinski, whose district includes Bay View, and neighborhood residents raised concerns about whether Eco- Bay would generate as much property tax revenue as competing proposals for the site.

East side apartments win zoning approval

Plans for a 68-unit apartment development on Milwaukee's east side won unanimous zoning approval Monday from the Plan Commission. Wangard Partners Inc. plans to begin construction by mid-summer on the project, which would be on land east of HighBridge condominiums, 1888 N. Water St. Rents will range from around $1,000 for studio units to around $1,700 for two-bedroom units, said Tony De Rosa, of Wangard Partners. The firm hopes to have the building finished by late spring of 2011, he said.The project will create around 200 construction jobs, De Rosa said.

Marcus Corp. formally commits to downtown theater

Marcus Corp. today formally committed to operating a downtown theater complex that would be part of a $100 million project in the Park East area. The theater project "has advanced," with Marcus signing a letter of intent to purchase a portion of the site, Katie Falvey, Marcus' real estate director, told me. Falvey spoke to me just after the County Board's Committee on Economic and Community Development voted to extend a purchase option on a county-owned lot that would be part of the project site. The larger project site, which covers 2.6 acres, overlooks the Milwaukee River, west of N. Water St. and north of E. Knapp St. The Marcus cinema would have multiple screens, a significant food and beverage operation, and would be "very upscale," Falvey told committee members. She declined to discuss specific details, and said those plans are not yet final. The project, which would be developed by Rainier Properties II LLC, also would include a 10-story, 285,000-square-foot office building; a 560-space parking structure, along with restaurants and shops. San Antonio, Texas-based USAA Real Estate Co. would provide financing.

Tosa's East Town area sees new retailers

Ten new businesses have opened in the past year along a 16-block stretch of North Ave. in Wauwatosa's East Town area. That's according to a story by Stefanie Scott at Wauwatosa Now.com. Her article also talks about efforts to draw more shoppers to that neighborhood.

No settlement for Minn. wind farm dispute

State regulators have rejected a settlement proposed by customer groups to end a lawsuit challenging Alliant Energy Corp.’s Minnesota wind farm project. The state Public Service Commission rejected an offer filed by customer groups who objected to the type of review used by the state agency when it authorized the project to be built. The state didn’t require a full-blown environmental review to be conducted because the wind farm is located in Minnesota. The customer groups said that decision creates a precedent for other types of power plants that could be proposed just across the state line from Wisconsin. PSC commissioners met in closed session to discuss the case last week. A letter to the customer groups said that “after a thorough discussion,” commissioners decided not to agree to a compromise proposed by Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group and the Citizens Utility Board. The case was filed last year in Dane County Circuit Court. The Minnesota wind farm is needed to help Wisconsin Power & Light Co., a subsidiary of Alliant, comply with Wisconsin’s renewable energy mandate. State utilities must supply 10% of the state’s electricity from renewable power sources by 2015.Alliant has approval to build a 200-megawatt project that would generate enough power over a year's time for 50,000 homes. The utility has an option to double the size of the project at a later date.

Over the last year, Madison Economic Development Director Tim Cooley's smooth but provocative style has pleased business interests but strained relations with staff and City Council members. Hired by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz in January 2009, Cooley leads economic development initiatives in the wake of a recession and in a city sometimes seen as hostile to business. Since taking the $107,673 a year job, Cooley's pushed to make Madison more competitive, questioned the city's rigorous approval process and moved to loosen rules on public aid for businesses. He's mused about installing a city manager-style of government and downsizing the council, likened the use of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) to playing poker, and offered radically different ideas for the redevelopment of the Edgewater hotel and neighboring property. “I know he's rattled a few cages and ruffled a few feathers, but I think the business community appreciates his unique perspective,” said Mark Bugher, director of University Research Park.

When Chicago-based Freed & Associates first unveiled plans to redevelop the Hilldale shopping center, it proposed a public greenspace featuring park benches, flowers and shade trees along Frey Street. But the developer has now abandonded that idea and plans to repave the existing 90-space parking lot on Frey Street. It will present the parking lot plan to the city Urban Design Commission on Wednesday. In its application to the city, Freed said the park space is no longer viable since it was to serve a pair of high-rise office and residential buildings that were never constructed.

Dane County foreclosures up 29% in 2009

December Dane County foreclosure filings increased by 14% from the number of filings registered in December of 2008, according to data maintained by the Wisconsin Circuit Court. A total of 117 new foreclosures were filed in December compared to 103 in December of 2008. December was the 33rd straight month where foreclosures increased on a year-over-year basis. Wisconsin foreclosures increased by 18% from the number of filings registered a year ago. A total of 2,589 new foreclosures were filed in December compared to 2,187 in December of 2008. The graph below shows the number of monthly Dane County foreclosure filings dating back to January, 2005. The number of monthly year-over-year foreclosure filings has been mostly up (red) since the summer of 2005.

Major state agencies are now getting 10 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, but to do it, they paid a premium of $1.4 million last year 29 percent more than expected. The cost figures come as officials concerned about the environment are moving to double the states purchases of electricity from sources such as wind farms and hydroelectric dams by the end of next year. The extra cost to the state last year for a big chunk of that renewable energy was more than three times what it could have been. That’s because state officials locked in prices for some of the energy purchased in the summer of 2008 when prices were significantly higher.Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, an author of the 2006 law that set the renewable energy purchase goal for the state, said any more such purchases ought to be delayed because of the state’s dismal budget situation.

The developers of a sweeping renewable energy bill say the measure positions Wisconsin well if the federal government restricts coal use. Roy Thilly was co-chairman of Gov. Jim Doyle's Global Warming Task Force, which developed recommendations that have become the basis for the bill. He told lawmakers during a hearing Wednesday that the task force wanted to help the state to survive if carbon regulations come down from Washington. Wisconsin currently relies heavily on coal, a major source of greenhouse gases. Thilly said the bill will eventually reduce utility bills because renewable sources will negate the need to build expensive new power plants. The bill would mandate 25 percent of the state's energy come from renewable sources by 2025, create vehicle emission standards and do away with the state's ban on new nuclear power plants. The state Senate Select Committee on Clean Energy and the Assembly Special Committee on Clean Energy Jobs held a joint hearing on the bill Wednesday. Opponents say the bill will cost the state billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. Environmentalists have denied those claims.

More usable waste material such as clean wood and metals from roofing projects, construction sites and demolitions will bypass the Dane County landfill under a Madison recycling law that took effect Jan. 1. And while it’s too soon to say how well contractors will follow the law during the height of the construction season, early reports from builders and city officials are positive. “It not only saved us money, but it made it easier and better for us to recycle,” said Mike Vilstrup, a Cross Plains-based builder who helped hammer out a final version of the rules as president of the Madison Area Builders Association. “It made it even more possible for us to do it.”

When snow hangs on branches or the leaves are full, tree-lined Old Middleton Road is one of Madison's most scenic corridors. But the well-worn road, which can test vehicle shock absorbers and has no bike lanes or sidewalks, poses safety hazards for cyclists and pedestrians. On Tuesday night, after 14 years of discussion, the City Council will consider a compromise plan to improve the street between Capital Avenue and Countryside Drive while minimizing the loss of trees and preserving its rustic character. A unique plan calls for resurfacing the street, bicycle paths, curb and gutter and a serpentine sidewalk on one side of the street to preserve trees with property owners sharing costs for sidewalk no matter which side of the street they live on. The street improvement project plus two storm water retention ponds will require taking perhaps 400 trees - although only about 14 are deemed to be "quality trees" based on size and species - and includes planting new ones, said council President Pro Tem Mark Clear, 19th District, who represents the area and supports the plan.

A bill that would allow more time for Wisconsin's financially troubled tax incremental financing districts to pay off their debts is moving through the Legislature. With a TIF district, a community typically borrows money to help fund a real estate development. The project's property taxes are used to pay off that debt. Once the debt is paid, the taxes flow to the community, its school district and other local governments. However, some TIF districts are running into trouble. They include districts in smaller communities, such as Warrens and Necedah, as well as larger cities, including Milwaukee. The main culprit is the recession, which has brought store closings, layoffs and a drop in travel. That affects the value of shopping malls, office buildings, hotels and other commercial properties. Declining values result in lower property tax bills. So it takes longer for those property tax dollars to pay off city or village funds used to help finance commercial development.The bill, AB 426, gives a "distressed" district up to 40 years from the date it was created to pay off the debt. State law now limits districts to a maximum life of 27 years. The bill also allows a community to take revenue generated by a successful district to help pay off a distressed district's debt.

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will break ground on Feb. 9 for a $34 million addition and renovation of the Communication Arts Building on the southwestern corner of the campus.Completion is scheduled for 2011, and that summer will bring some of the greatest inconvenience: the complete rebuilding of the Communication Arts parking lot and the addition of 40 spaces. Timing the work for that summer will cause the least inconvenience, said John Desch, the campus planner. Along with project design architect David Lang of HGA in Milwaukee, Desch gave a series of presentations on Wednesday afternoon for interested members of the university community. One of the questions was how much disruption there would be. "We don't really know yet the level of disruption," Desch said. That will depend on the contractor's needs. "We're assuming the worst."

The vacancy rate for southeastern Wisconsin industrial real estate market rose from 7.7 percent in the third quarter of 2009 to 8.2 percent at the end of the year, according to Milwaukee-based The Dickman Company Inc.’s Southeastern Wisconsin 2009 Industrial Market Report. The region’s industrial space vacancy rate was 7.1 percent in the first quarter of 2009. Of the southeastern Wisconsin counties: Milwaukee County has the highest industrial space vacancy rate at 10.9 percent. The county’s vacant space increased by 21.11 percent. Ozaukee County has a vacancy rate of 9.7 percent. Kenosha County has a vacancy rate of 9.1 percent. It was the only county that decreased during the year, from 10.0 percent in the first quarter. Speculative development in the county slowed down in 2009. Walworth County has a vacancy rate of 8.3 percent. Washington County has a vacancy rate of 7.6 percent. Racine County has a vacancy rate of 7.1 percent. Waukesha County has a vacancy rate of 5.9 percent. Sheboygan County has a vacancy rate of 2.8 percent.

A local developer hopes to begin construction this year on a Marcus Corp. theater, and an adjacent office building, in downtown Milwaukee’s Park East area. The $100 million project would overlook the Milwaukee River, west of N. Water St. and north of E. Knapp St. The 2.6-acre site would be developed by Rainier Properties II LLC, led by Bruce Westling. The site includes a privately owned parking lot, along with a small county-owned lot. The County Board’s Committee on Economic and Community Development meets Monday to consider extending Westling's purchase option on the lot, which covers just over 16,000 square feet, until June 30. A committee report says the development would include a theater operated by Marcus; a 10-story, 285,000-square-foot office building; a 560-space parking structure, along with restaurants and shops. San Antonio, Texas-based USAA Real Estate Co. would provide financing, the report says.The office building, developed on top of the parking structure, would rise 15 stories above the ground.

I reported Friday that Menomonee Falls is trying to land a 130,000-square-foot "destination retailer" that would locate south of Highway 45, and west of Pilgrim Road. Some readers have speculated that the retailer, whom Village Manager Mark Fitzgerald wouldn't identify, is Springfield, Mo.-based Bass Pro Shops. That appears to be correct, according to one commercial real estate source.That source, who spoke only on the condition that he not be identified, said village officials said a year ago that Bass Pro was interested in the site. Gary Morris, Bass Pro's director of real estate, said the retail chain wants to be in most major markets, including the Milwaukee area. But he referred questions about the site to Larry Whiteley, the company's communications director. "One of our goals is to have a store in Wisconsin," Whiteley told me. But he said the chain currently has nothing to announce about the Milwaukee area.Bass Pro sells gear and clothing for fishing, hunting and camping. The stores are typically 150,000 to 170,000 square feet, Whiteley said, and draw customers from a wide radius.

Wauwaotsa-based Wangard Partners Inc. plans to build a 68-unit, 6-story apartment building on a vacant, half-acre lot at the southeast corner of North Water Street and North Astor Street near downtown Milwaukee. The project would be called Metro Place. A 26-unit condominium development was originally approved for the site, but the condo market downtown is overbuilt. The proposed apartment building would offer “affordably-priced apartments targeted at young professionals and others attracted to the vibrant lifestyle area,” Wangard Partners said in its plans submitted to the city. The building would have two levels of enclosed paring with 68 spaces.

Wangard Partners Inc. is proceeding with its plans to develop a hillside apartment building on Milwaukee's east side. The proposal, for a 68-unit development on land east of HighBridge condominiums, 1888 N. Water St., will be reviewed by the Plan Commission at its Monday meeting. That's according to a meeting agenda posted this morning. The project would accommodate the shift in the Milwaukee marketplace from luxury condos to "affordably priced apartments targeted to young professionals and others attracted to the vibrant lifestyle of the area," according to Wangard's proposal, filed with the commission. The six-story building would include two levels of enclosed parking for 68 cars. The apartments will range in size from studio units, with 520 square feet, to two-bedroom units, with 1,100 square feet. There will be 50 units with one-bedroom, although the proposal doesn't mention square footage for those apartments.

Land on Milwaukee's north side will become available for an adjacent company to expand under the pending settlement of a two-year-old eminent domain dispute. The parcels are owned by Bee Bus Line Inc., which operates at 4330 N. 35th St., just north of the site. The Redevelopment Authority in December 2007 began eminent domain proceedings to force a sale of the parcels. City officials said the land is needed for a 60,000-square-foot expansion of Integrated Mail Industries Ltd., 3450 W. Hopkins St. Bee’s properties are adjacent to Integrated Mail, a direct-marketing company, which says it might leave Milwaukee if it cannot expand its 167,000-square-foot facility. Integrated Mail, with 120 employees, expects to create 50 full-time jobs by expanding. The Common Council authorized eminent domain proceedings after land sale negotiations between Integrated Mail and Bee broke down. The Redevelopment Authority would use eminent domain to buy the land and then resell it to Integrated Mail.Bee objected, saying the sale should be negotiated between the two companies without the city’s intervention. Integrated wanted to buy the parcels for much less than what Bee paid, the bus company said. Bee also said Integrated Mail would not negotiate in good faith because of the eminent domain proceedings.

Embracing Depression-era policy and populist politics, a combative President Barack Obama chastised big Wall Street banks Thursday and urgently called for limits on their size and investments to stave off a new economic meltdown. Investors responded by dumping bank stock. Obama's rhetoric covered the whole financial industry, but the key changes will affect only a few high-profile players, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., while sparing investment banks like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The move could undercut Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's strategy of maintaining close ties with the financial industry as part of the administration's overhaul efforts. "We have to get this done," Obama said at the White House. "If these folks want a fight, it's a fight I'm ready to have." "We've come through a terrible crisis," the president said, pivoting the White House focus from health care to an economy that has been slow to recover during his first year in office. "The American people have paid a very high price. ... That's why we're going to rein in the excess and abuse that nearly brought down our financial system."

Flambeau River Biofuels said Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to build a biorefinery that would make diesel from biomass at a Park Falls paper mill. Flambeau said it selected AMEC, a British engineering firm, and Miron Construction Co., as the primary contractor for the $250 million project, which is expected to be running by 2013. “The Flambeau River bio-refinery will create permanent, high-skilled operating jobs in the region, long-term logging jobs, and short-term engineering and construction jobs, contributing to the economic stimulus of Park Falls, Wisconsin,” Butch Johnson, majority owner of Flambeau River Papers and Flambeau River Biofuels, said in a statement. The project aimes to make Flambeau River Papers the first pulp and paper mill in the nation to be powered without fossil fuels, Johnson said.“We have been working with Flambeau for two years developing this project” said David G. Voss Jr., president of Miron Construction, Neenah, in a statement. “The Flambeau BioFuels project is key to developing “green fuel” renewable energy alternatives and will have a significant positive economic impact in Wisconsin”. The biorefinery will convert biomass including bark, sawdust, wood and forest residue into electricity, steam and heat for the paper mill, as well as biodiesel and wax.

Flambeau River Biofuels (FRB) has executed a letter of intent to engineer, procure, and construct (EPC) the largest second-generation “green diesel” plant in the United States at an existing pulp and paper mill in Park Falls, Wis. The $250 million project, funded in part with a grant from the U.S. Dept of Energy, is expected to be fully operational by 2013.
Flambeau selected the team of AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, and Miron Construction Co. Inc., a Wisconsin-based construction firm, as its EPC contractor. “The Flambeau River bio-refinery will create permanent, high-skilled operating jobs in the region, long-term logging jobs, and short-term engineering and construction jobs, contributing to the economic stimulus of Park Falls, Wis.,” said Butch Johnson, majority owner of Flambeau River Papers and Flambeau River Biofuels “The AMEC-Miron team was selected for its experience and innovation in developing green energy and biofuel facilities. When completed, Flambeau will have the first integrated pulp and paper mill in North America to run on fossil-free energy.”

Plagued by losses on construction and development loans for the last two years, Marshall & Ilsley Corp. reported another quarterly loss Wednesday but also uttered a phrase shareholders have been longing to hear: "turning point." The parent company of the biggest bank based in Wisconsin, Milwaukee's M&I Bank, said it lost $259.5 million, or 54 cents a share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31. That compared with a loss of $1.9 billion, or $7.25 a share, in the fourth quarter of 2008. It was the fifth consecutive quarterly loss for M&I.The earnings per share missed the average estimate of Wall Street analysts polled by Bloomberg News by about 8 cents. But investors apparently sensed enough positive news in the report that shares rose 38 cents, or 5.4%, to close at $7.36 on what otherwise was a down day for the stock market. "I think the reason the stock is up today is that it's really both cleaning up yesterday's problems as well as positioning the company for a return to profitability," said Terry McEvoy, a bank analyst for Oppenheimer & Co. in Portland, Maine.

Some of southeastern Wisconsin’s key business leaders said today that the creation of a regional transit authority to upgrade Milwaukee County’s bus system and create a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail is essential for the economic vitality of the region. Backed by some of area's most prominent business executives, Gov. Jim Doyle announced today new legislation to create a Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SERTA). The plan includes a 0.5 percent sales tax increase in Milwaukee County to provide a dedicated funding source for the county’s financially troubled bus system. Business leaders said mass transit is needed to help people get to work and is a key amenity to attracting talented workers to southeastern Wisconsin. “This is not a want, this is an absolute need for the community,” said Tim Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of South Milwaukee-based Bucyrus International Inc. The announcement about the RTA legislation was held at the Bucyrus headquarters. “It’s critical that this legislation pass during the spring 2010 session,” said Robert Mariano, chairman and CEO of Milwaukee-based Roundy’s Supermarkets Inc. “It is foolish to ignore, this is an economic development issue. Transit builds the economy.”

After protests from landlords, Madison has increased its offers to buy seven worn apartment buildings for a senior housing redevelopment on the South Side. Due to depressed real estate prices, the citys initial combined offers for the Burr Oaks neighborhood buildings were about $1 million below the combined $2.3 million assessed value for 2009. But the landlords got independent appraisals and the city boosted its combined offers by $640,000, leaving a $285,000 difference between the offers and assessed value.The city is committed to the project and will acquire the properties through purchase or condemnation. The Community Development Authority, which is handling the redevelopment, will likely award a project contract to Horizon Development Group this week. The landlords, after meeting with city real estate officials Friday, still hope to get at least the assessed value for their properties, and the city may make another proposal. “It’s not like we’re asking for something out of the ordinary,” said John Lucille, a city firefighter who owns three four-unit buildings on West Badger Road. “Hopefully, it works out.”

Downtown dreamin’: Group has big ideas to transform central Madison

Three years ago, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz earmarked $70,000 for a new Downtown Master Plan aimed at bringing more jobs, visitors and year-round residents to the central city. So far, only about $17,000 has actually been spent and there’s little to show aside from a website and an office in the basement of the Madison Municipal Building. Staffing changes at the Department of Planning & Development and other priorities at City Hall — including the cumbersome Zoning Code rewrite and the controversial Edgewater Hotel expansion proposal — have pushed the Downtown Plan to the back burner. A downtown plan is considered a long-range vision for future development. The city hasn’t updated its downtown plan since 1989, which predated construction of Monona Terrace, the Overture Center and any high-rise condominiums. Officials had initially hoped to get a new plan through the City Council last spring but are now aiming for late 2010.

While all eyes have been fixed downtown on a certain lakefront hotel in recent weeks, another major development project has quietly been making its way to the city approval process. According to city records, plans for a Target retail store on the site formerly approved for a Whole Foods development at Hilldale Shopping Center will be heading to the city's Urban Design Commission on Jan. 20 and Plan Commission on Feb. 22 -- putting the project on a similar timeline to one recently passed by the City Council for the Edgewater hotel redevelopment. Unlike with the Edgewater hotel, though, progression of the Target plans has been a relatively subdued affair. After a major public meeting in October that brought about 300 people to Covenant Presbyterian Church, Target officials sought input on their design in an informational presentation to the Urban Design Commission, then spent December and January talking to city staff, Ald. Chris Schmidt and several individual neighborhood contacts. Plans revised from that input will come before city committees over the next two months.

A proposal to build a five-story apartment building on a portion of the parking lot at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Downtown Madison has been put on hold. Developer Silverstone Partners of Middleton will wait until later this year or early next year to resume the city approval process, said Tim Parks, a city planner. The proposal was expected to be discussed by the city's Plan Commission this month. Officials at Silverstone Partners did not return phone calls. Previously, they said competitive federal tax credits would be necessary to make the project viable and that they might hold off applying for them. Church leaders brought the idea to parishioners in September as a way to enrich parish life by bringing affordable housing to the site.

Dan Walsh is vice president of a Chicagoland company that develops senior housing and is well aware of Madison's reputation as a tough place to do business. "It's all true," he says with a smile. Now that his Naperville, Ill.-based Ryan Cos. is looking to break into the local market, Walsh is getting a close-up view of what happens when new urbanism planning theory bumps into 21st century economic reality. Ryan Cos. has been working with the Livesey Co. of Madison to develop an 80-unit senior housing project as one part of a larger $40 million development at the southwest corner of McKee Road and Maple Grove Drive on the city's sprawling southwest side. The development would require demolition of the old one-story schoolhouse at 3210 Maple Grove Drive. The building is currently occupied by Lakeshore Church.But the development - which Livesey says could eventually add $36 million to the city property base and $900,000 in annual tax payments - is hung up because it doesn't conform to the letter of the city's Comprehensive Plan.

It will be two more weeks before Fitchburg residents will find out if the public library will be equipped with a geothermal heating and cooling system. After an hour-and-a-half discussion that included participation from several residents, the Fitchburg Common Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to defer a resolution that would instruct architects to design the library with a geothermal system until Jan. 26. Alder William Horns said coming in under the $10 million price tag for the building is not a decision he takes lightly and he wanted more time to think about it before making a decision.
"For some people, coming in under that number is a big deal, and it goes to the integrity of the Council and the meaning of a referendum," Horns said. "I'm not saying it's a financially big deal. I'm saying we are going to hear about it if we don't come in under that number."He and alders Richard Bloomquist, Carol Poole, Shawn Pfaff and Darren Stucker voted to table the resolution while alders Steve Arnold and Andy Potts voted against. Alder Swami Swaminathan was absent. Without a decision, architects from Engberg Anderson will continue to work on two designs - one with and one without - and that will cost the city extra money, director of public works Paul Woodard said. He estimated it would cost the city up to $12,000.

We Energies will be allowed to build its wind farm northeast of Madison, but commissioners attached conditions designed to blunt the impact of turbines on nearby homes. During a meeting Monday afternoon approving the project, commissioners imposed a 1,250-foot setback between turbines and the houses of residents who aren’t hosting turbines. Members of the Public Service Commission also agreed to set special summertime noise restrictions, limiting how loud the turbines could be at night. We Energies had proposed a 1,000-foot setback, and the PSC estimated its restriction imposed Monday would disqualify 15 turbine sites the utility had selected. It's unclear how many of the 118 total sites that the utility has identified would be affected by the bigger setback, utility spokesman Brian Manthey said. However, commissioners rejected by 2-to-1 a proposal that would have required the Milwaukee utility to make “good neighbor payments” to property owners who aren’t hosting turbines.

Covario Inc., a provider of large-scale search advertising software and services, announced today it has acquired Netconcepts LLC of Madison. Netconcepts specializes in the management of website search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. The combined firms will do business as Covario Inc. and will be headquartered in San Diego, Calif. The merged company will have nearly 100 customers in key industries such as high-tech, financial services, ecommerce, retail, consumer electronics, media, life sciences, and consumer packaged goods. Covario will leverage the acquisition by integrating Netconcepts' GravityStream technology into Covario's SEO consulting practice and Organic Search Insight software. "With the acquisition of Netconcepts and the GravityStream technology, Covario is bringing a unique solution to advertisers to help them accelerate their ability to present their brands on all the major search engines globally," said Russ Mann, chief executive officer of Covario. "By coupling Covario's Organic Search Insight with NetConcepts' GravityStream technology, advertisers will be able to identify the SEO actions that drive better rankings, and also deploy those strategies quickly, and in a highly scalable way to achieve their ROI goals." "Advertisers who have constraints on their web development teams, usually do to the underfunding of information technology departments, need to build websites that are well optimized for Google," said Stephan Spencer, founder and president of Netconcepts. "The combined solution offers advertisers a fully automated SEO solution that spans keyword research, link building and web content management, strategy deployment, and ongoing reporting. There is no other solution like this on the market."

Terrence Wall on Monday announced he has raised about $511,000 for his U.S. Senate campaign. Wall, who is running for the seat held by Democrat Russ Feingold, held his first fundraiser on Nov. 16. Ryan Murray, a campaign spokesman, said the $511,452 raised includes a $275,000 personal loan from Wall, a prominent Madison developer. Murray said $455,252 has been raised for the primary and another $56,200 for the general election. "I am humbled by the support I have received as our campaign continues to ramp up," Wall said in a statement. "It will require significant resources to hold Sen. Feingold accountable for his misguided votes in Washington, DC." Wall announced his bid for the seat in October. Watertown small-business owner Dave Westlake also is running in the GOP primary. Wisconsin's primaries are Sept. 14. The general election is Nov. 2.

A demand for new office space will spark the development of a new building in downtown Milwaukee in 2010. That's the view of Steve Palec, a senior vice president at C.B. Richard Ellis Inc.'s Wisconsin office. Palec, an office leasing broker, made those remarks at this morning's Institute of Real Estate Management Milwaukee Chapter's annual Forecast Breakfast, at the Italian Community Center. Palec told the crowd that the vacancy rate for downtown office space is 18%. But Class A space east of the Milwaukee River--i.e., downtown's newest and most expensive space--has a vacancy rate of 8.5%, he said. There are major companies looking to either expand downtown, or relocate to downtown from the suburbs, Palec said, and developers are competing for those pending deals. "There will be a new downtown building," Palec said. "Somebody is going to win the race." As I've previously reported, prospective tenants include accounting firm Baker Tilly, engineering firm CH2M Hill and law firm Godfrey & Kahn. Possible locations include a parcel next to the Milwaukee Athletic Club, 758 N. Broadway; a site at E. Michigan St. and N. Cass St., east of the U.S. Bank Center's new parking structure, and the area bordered by N. Water St., E. Knapp St. and the Milwaukee River. I'll have a longer story, including forecasts on the apartment, condo, retail and industrial markets, later at JSOnline.com, and in Friday's Journal Sentinel.

The North End, a downtown apartment development that opened in the summer of 2009, announced Wednesday it has landed its first retail tenants: GLOSS, a nail salon, and H&M Dry Cleaning. Both businesses, which together have 2,300 square feet, are expected to open in March, said developer Mandel Group Inc. The first phase of The North End is ONE Apartments, which has 83 units, on N. Water St.., just south of E. Pleasant St., on the grounds of the former Pfister & Vogel tannery. The development has 8,000 square feet of retail space still available for lease.

Southeastern Wisconsin's industrial market, like other local markets throughout the nation, saw an increase in its vacany rate in 2009, according to a new report from Dickman Co. commercial real estate brokerage. The regional vacancy rate finished the fourth quarter at 8.2%, up from 7.1% during the first quarter. Milwaukee County saw the biggest increase, from 9% to 10.9%, while the best-peforming area was Kenosha County, which saw a decline in its vacancy rate, from 10% to 9.1%. All other counties saw increases in their vacancy rates. Milwaukee County was hurt by the departure of some businesses, including Viasystems, which left 300,000 square feet vacant in Oak Creek, at 10001 S. Howell Ave. Kenosha County was helped when some large tenants, such as Ozburn-Hessey Logistics, leased up space in some of the newer buildings developed near I-94. "It does show deals are getting done out there," said Sam Dickman Jr. Some transactions are occurring because banks are pushing their industrial customers to sell buildings and then lease that space back from the new owners, said Dickman. Those transactions give the sellers more equity and less debt, which makes their lenders happy, he said.

Ald. Milele Coggs and other Common Council members are rallying against a plan by for-profit Everest College to open a new downtown Milwaukee campus. Coggs, whose district includes the area where Everest would be developed, has scheduled a news conference for noon Wednesday at City Hall. She will be joined by Aldermen Nik Kovac, Willie C. Wade, Ashanti Hamilton and Tony Zielinski, as well as state Sen. Spencer Coggs; Wendell Harris, of the NAACP; Primitivo Torres, of Voces de la Frontera; Pam Fendt, of the Good Jobs and Livable Neighborhoods Coalition; Ann Wilson, a resident of Hillside Terrace public housing development, and student leaders from Milwaukee Area Technical College, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Marquette University, according to a press release. Developer Dan Druml is renovating buildings in an area bordered by W. McKinley Ave., W. Vliet St., N. 6th St. and N. 8th St. to create a campus for Everest, which is owned by Santa Ana, Calif.-based Corinthian Colleges Inc. The Redevelopment Authority in November approved an $11 million bond issue to help finance the building renovations for Everest, which will offer vocational courses.

One interesting fact might have been overlooked about University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's evolving plans for the Columbia Hospital property. UWM officials initially considered the Columbia site, adjacent to campus, as a place that could provide housing for around 1,200 students. But Chancellor Carlos Santiago now says the number will be less than that. Santiago, speaking at a UW System Boad of Regents meeting last Friday, said the need for student dormitories is "less acute" because of new residence halls that the university is developing. Santiago didn't mention a revised, smaller number for student housing at Columbia. But he told the regents that the new 700-bed Cambridge Commons residence hall, which is under construction, will allow UWM to provide 4,060 beds for its incoming fall freshman class, estimated at 4,100 students. The board approved a $31 million plan to buy the Columbia buildings, which total 828,000 square feet, and redevelop them into student housing and other uses. It remains a very preliminary plan, since UWM and Columbia St. Mary's Inc. don't have a purchase agreement for the buildings, which will be empty once the hospital consolidates at its Lake Drive complex.It's also worth noting that some neighborhood residents support using Columbia for student housing.

HSI Properties wants Wauwatosa to provide $1.5 million to help finance its $24 million apartment development proposed for the former Derse Inc. building, 1234 N. 62nd St.The funds would be repaid to the city through property taxes generated by the 152-unit apartment development, according to an article by Stefanie Scott, at Wauwatosa Now.com. A Plan Commission hearing on the request is set for 7 p.m. tonight at City Hall.

The City of Milwaukee will receive $25 million and the Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity will receive $11 million in federal stimulus funds to help deal with foreclosed homes and rehabilitate neighborhoods. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced today that it is providing $2 billion in federal stimulus funds to spur economic development in hard-hit communities. The city of Milwaukee will its share of the funds to provide homeowner assistance, rental rehabilitation assistance, leveraged loan funds and redevelopment assistance for 590 foreclosed homes, acquisition and rehabilitation of 46 foreclosed homes, demolition of 125 vacant properties, redevelopment of 180 vacant or demolished properties and land banking of 100 units. The city will make the redeveloped and rehabilitated homes available to households with an income at or below 120 percent of the average median income for that area, with 25 percent of the funds benefiting households at or below 50 percent of area median income. “Milwaukee has been hit hard by the foreclosure crisis, and we have mobilized a broad coalition involving local government, the real estate and housing finance industries, residents and non-profit housing agencies to address this crisis,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. “The $25 million grant provides the resources to return approximately 1,000 foreclosed and abandoned residential properties to productive use.” Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity will use its HUD funds to build homes in low-income areas in the city of Milwaukee, said interim executive director Karen Higgins. The organization’s fundraising has declined during the recession, she said.

A Wisconsin water park company has announced plans for a facility near a struggling Pittsburgh-area mall. Great Wolf Resorts Inc., of Madison, Wis., says Zamias Services Inc. will develop a hotel-water park resort near The Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills. Zamias owns the mall in Frazer Township, about 20 miles northeast of Pittsburgh along Route 28. The mall has struggled with vacancies since it opened in 2005, though the water park could make the mall a regional attraction Great Wolf says its resorts typically include a hotel with 300 to 600 rooms connected to an indoor water park and entertainment area, complete with theme restaurants and other attractions.The company didn't say when the resort will open.

Milwaukee has been allocated for $1,075,000 in green jobs training funding from the U.S. Department of Labor as part of a national grant program funded by the federal stimulus package. The Pathways Out of Poverty green jobs training program is targeting areas where the poverty rate is 15% or higher, according to the labor department. The Milwaukee funding has been allocated to Jobs for the Future Inc., with local partners including Milwaukee Builds,, Milwaukee Service Corps, Milwaukee Christian Center, Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership and the Milwaukee Department of Public Works. The grants were announced by U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee). Nationwide, $150 million for the initiative was announced, with funding coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. “It’s recognition for all the hard-working folks who earn their living in industrial fields,” Moore said. “These clean-energy grants are regenerating our workforce in Milwaukee.” Jobs for the Future received nearly $8 million nationwide for projects in Milwaukee, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and Philadelphia. The projects are aimed at unemployed and disadvantaged individuals, to provide training in green jobs in construction and retrofit to make buildings more energy efficient as well as renewable electric power.

Energy-storage developer ZBB Energy Corp. said Wednesday it has received an order for an energy storage system from General Atomics, a nuclear research and defense contractor based in San Diego. GA will use the system in a demonstration project at its corporate headquarters, ZBB said. Financial details weren’t disclosed. The ZESS 50 system is planned to be used to store energy produced by solar panels and connect to building’s power distribution system. ZESS stands for zinc energy storage system. The energy storage unit directs energy flow to and from energy storage, regulates renewable power and, when available, sends power to the grid. "ZBB’s system approach for integrating next generation zinc-bromide energy storage units and renewable energy made this a straight forward design and implementation for our engineering team that wasn’t available previously,” said David Keogh of General Atomics’ special projects division, in a statement. “Although this is only an initial demonstration system, the architecture used by General Atomics for this project is readily scaled up to much larger systems capable of producing, storing and managing renewable energy through the controlled dispatch from energy storage products for entire sites,” said Kevin Dennis, ZBB vice president of sales and marketing.

A government “Super Truck” initiative aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of heavy trucks could end up fueling demand for wates heat recovery systems marketed by Modine Manufacturing Co. Modine was one of several truck suppliers highlighted by analysts at Robert W. Baird & Co. after the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday announced grants aimed at improving the fuel efficiency of long-haul trucks by 50%. Companies awarded funding include Cummins, $39 million, Daimler Trucks North America, $50 million; and Navistar, $37 million, which has a foundry in Waukesha. Baird analysts say Modine, ArvinMeritor, BorgWarner and WABCO are poised to help these companies improve fuel efficiency. “Government funding can provide a “leg up” over competition in development, marketing of next-generation products that satisfy the secular driver of increased demand for more fuel efficient trucks,” Baird analysts said in a research note.

ZBB Energy Corp. said Monday it planned to use the federal tax credit it received Friday to build a factory in southeastern Wisconsin. The Menomonee Falls-based firm said the tax credit, announced Friday by the Obama administration, will enable ZBB to install $49.55 million worth of equipment in the facility. ZBB said the factory will produce its energy storage products that store energy from renewable power sources like wind turbines. The tax credit calls for the equipment to be installed within four years, and would allow ZBB to carry the $14.685 million tax credit forward for 20 years to offset otherwise taxable revenue. The tax credit was one of eight involving projects or companies in Wisconsin. A roundup of all the companies is available in this story that ran over the weekend.

The Clean Energy Jobs Act will send jobs out of state, not create them, lawmakers objecting to the bill said Monday. Three Republicans and a Democrat are voicing concerns about the impact of the state's global warming and clean-energy bill on the economy. Read more about it from Madison reporter Patrick Marley in the All Politics blog.

C&H Distributors LLC will move its large Milwaukee distribution center to a new building developed by CenterPoint Properties, in Pleasant Prairie. C&H now leases 360,000 square feet at 5211 S. 3rd St., near Mitchell International Airport. It will move to a 316,000-square-foot building, at 8123 116th St., south of Highway 165 and east of Highway H, by the end of March, said Trent Poole, of C.B. Richard Ellis Inc., who brokered the deal. The new building is more efficent than the company's current facility, which was built in 1973, Poole said. West Allis-based C&H is a national distributor of industrial supplies.

Cargill Inc. has begun an expansion of its flavorings operation at W194 N11411 McCormick Drive, Germantown, where it is adding 15,000 square feet, said company spokeswoman Nicole Reichert. The operation, with around 70 employees, eventually will add 35 positions, Reichert said. The $15 million project is expected to be completed this summer.

Embracing a spirit of the possible, the Madison City Council on Tuesday agreed to let a proposal to redevelop the historic Edgewater hotel live on for at least seven more weeks. The council voted unanimously to delay a decision on whether to overturn a Landmarks Commission decision that effectively blocks the Hammes Co.'s proposed $93 million redevelopment of the hotel. Ald. Bridget Maniaci, who represents the 2nd District that includes the Edgewater, asked the council for the delay so the city's Plan and Urban Design commissions can review and make recommendations on the project for the council's Feb. 23 meeting, when the council would decide land use approvals, $16 million in public support, and whether to overturn the Landmarks Commission. Maniaci's proposal also says the council supports rehabilitation of the original 1940s building and redeveloping the Edgewater site as a whole. "I'm very excited moving forward," Maniaci said. Hammes Co. President Robert Dunn strongly supported the delay as a way to continue discussion on a project, better define an approval process and refocus on the redevelopment itself "Let's go forward in a spirit of cooperation and go forward to a definitive outcome," Dunn said. Dunn wants to restore the original building, reduce the size of a 1970s addition and create a public terrace atop it overlooking Lake Mendota, build a staircase to the water, and erect an eight-story hotel tower.

Madison real estate developer Jason Punzel is exiting the race for state treasurer. Punzel announced in August that he was going to seek the Republican nomination but on Wednesday he said he was pulling out of the race because the time demanded would take him away from his family too much. Punzel is the president of White Cap Real Estate. Kurt Schuller of Eden is also running as a Republican. He says if elected he will work to eliminate the treasurer's office. Incumbent Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass is a Democrat and plans to seek a second term next year. She has one announced Democratic challenger, city of Madison budget analyst Dan Bohrod. The treasurer's office oversees unclaimed property reported to the state and runs Wisconsin's college savings program.

Madison Ald. Michael Schumacher introduced a resolution Tuesday seeking purchase of 23 acres of land at Cherokee Park from owner Dennis Tiziani. City officials say the $1.7 million purchase, which still needs approval from several committees and the City Council, is crucial to fully protect Cherokee Marsh from future development. According to a statement from Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Schumacher, who represents the North Side district that includes Cherokee Park, the purchase would be financed by the Citywide Parkland Acquisition Fund, which is made up of development impact fees, and a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s Stewardship Program. The Natural Heritage Land Trust will work with the city to help secure the state funds, said Jim Welsh, executive director of the land trust based in Madison. “This purchase furthers our conservation efforts at Cherokee and protects critical wetlands in the marsh,” Cieslewicz said, adding that he thanked Tiziani “for continuing to work closely with us in these conservation efforts.” The agreement was introduced at Tuesday night’s council meeting. The proposal builds on the 2007 purchase of 259 acres of the marsh. “I am proud that we can help permanently conserve this land at Cherokee Marsh,” Welsh said. “Providing opportunities for hiking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, as well as protecting critical wetlands that can prevent flooding in the city, is one of the best investments we can make in our community.”

Developer Robert Dunn said Tuesday he supports a proposal to delay a City Council vote scheduled for Tuesday night on whether to overturn a Landmarks Commission decision that effectively blocks his company’s proposed $93 million redevelopment of the Edgewater hotel. If the council approves the delay, the project will live on for at least seven more weeks. The proposal by Ald. Bridget Maniaci and others asks the city’s Plan and Urban Design commissions to review and make recommendations on the project for the council’s Feb. 23 meeting, when the council would decide land use approvals, $16 million in public support, and whether to overturn the Landmarks Commission. Maniaci’s proposal also says the council supports rehabilitation of the original 1940s building and redeveloping the Edgewater site as a whole. “It gives us the opportunity to go through the full process,” Dunn said Tuesday afternoon after meeting with council members and others during the past two weeks. “It’s come together in a cooperative manner. It sort of gives us renewed energy. We can get something done if we maintain an open dialogue.”

Karen Baier's store isn't off the beaten path anymore, it's right along it. In November, Baier moved the yarn shop that had been in her and her husband's Monona farmhouse into a storefront on Williamson Street. Despite a new address, Off the Beaten Path Yarnery found an instant home. "I did a poll in my old location and found out that 85 percent of my customers lived over here anyway," said Baier, who had opened her original store on Femrite Drive in 2005. "So we just moved into our own neighborhood." The store specializes in natural fibers, selling organic and sustainable yarns. It also sells patterns, books and tools. Some fibers are locally produced. "Now that we're on Williamson Street, we're seeing much more business," Baier said. "This is a wonderful neighborhood. It's a walking neighborhood, it's an involved neighborhood. It feels good. It fits our mission." Baier is committed to her store's mission, and spells it out on the Web site, www.knitmeone.com. The priorities for the business are service, community, stewardship and serenity. "If you meet the first three, you get the fourth," she said. The service element comes in, Baier said, in two ways. Classes and lessons are available. Many classes are on-demand; a would-be student can arrange a class for up to four people at a time that works best. Beginning lessons to knit and purl are free.

A spate of closings at the tail end of 2008 seemed to bode poorly for 2009 in terms of fledgling restaurants in the Madison area. Would we even have any new restaurants to review in the next year, I wondered? But it's turned out to be a somewhat hopeful year for the Madison food scene. Certainly, there have been many closings. There have also been enough restaurants opening that it's been a task(though a pleasant one) to get to them all.

The new hot zone in Madison dining is the east side's Atwood/Winnebago corridor. Daisy Cafe and Cupcakery, Ironworks Cafe, Batch Bakehouse and the GreenOwl Cafe all represent a careful-yet-casual approach that showcases fun, along with fine ingredients, seasonal specials and interesting vegetarian entrees. These restaurants have also started out cautiously, with Daisy and Ironworks adding dinner service only after getting their sea legs, and Batch open only Wednesday through Sunday until 3 p.m. Ha Long Bay also added Viet/Thai cuisine to the far end of Willy Street.

Beyond paying off debt and becoming a profitable business, the staff of the Yahara River Grocery Cooperative in Stoughton hasn’t fined-tuned its goals for 2010. The mere fact there are goals, however, is enough to make staff and volunteers feel better about the coming year than the previous one. “We finally moved from, in the last year, of the business teetering on the edge and putting our heads down and doing what we had to do, to planning,” said Jeanine Holzmann, general manager of the store at 229 E. Main St. “There’s direction to the store that we didn’t used to have.” It was a rough year for the store that opened in March 2008. By fall 2008, there was more than $63,000 in accounts payable with $41,000 of it past due. On the brink of closing, the co-op’s board of directors decided to change management and seek assistance from the Willy Street Co-op. The business got a low-interest $60,000 loan from Dane County’s Community Block Grant Commission’s Revolving Loan Fund committee and raised another $35,000. “It’s been a long, long haul,” said Norma Sampson, the co-op board’s president. “Right now, we’re just making it from week to week. We’re not losing money, but we’re not making any, either.”

Fresh Madison Market, a new grocery store at University Square, will open Saturday. The 18,000-square-foot store at 703 University Ave. will be a full-service grocery that emphasizes fresh foods such as meat, produce, deli and bakery. A grand opening will be at 10 a.m. Jan. 14.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is ranked as one of the best values in public education according to Kiplinger's Personal Finance. For in-state students, UW-Madison ranked 14th on the website's list of the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges for 2010." It is the highest-ranked Big Ten Conference institution. UW-Madison is ranked 15th for out-of-state students. This is probably good news for current UW-Madison students. But in the future, don't be stunned if rankings like these are used by cash-strapped administrators to argue that tuition at Wisconsin's flagship university is too low. UW-La Crosse checked in at No. 43 and UW-Eau Claire at No. 67 on the top 100 list for in-state students. No other state schools were ranked by Kiplinger. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was ranked No. 1 on the list for in-state students, and was followed by the University of Florida, the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, and the State University of New York at Binghampton. According to Kiplinger, its rankings are based on "a combination of academics and affordability. We start with data from more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, provided by Peterson's/Nelnet, then add our own reporting. We narrow the list to about 120 schools based on measures of academic quality -- including SAT or ACT scores, admission and retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates, which most schools reported for the class entering in 2002. We then rank each school based on cost and financial aid. In our scoring system, academic quality carries more weight than costs (almost two-thirds of the total)."

The lakefront restaurant proposed for the former Pieces of Eight site, which won approval from the city Board of Harbor Commissioners, is seeking a special use permit from another city panel. The restaurant plan, proposed by developer Michael Cudahy and restaurateur Joe Bartolotta, will be reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 14. It needs board approval because its setbacks from the lot line don't meet minimum requirements. The plan is on the board's consent agenda, which means no public testimony will be taken at the meeting unless objections are raised. Cudahy and Bartolotta say the restaurant, as yet unnamed, will feature crab, lobster and shrimp, as well as items such as burgers and steak sandwiches. It will have a typical food and beverage tab of $35 to $45 per person for dinner, and lunch items priced from around $8 to $15.

Menomonee Falls senior apartment community Tamarack Place would add 23 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units under a proposal being recommended to the Village Board. There's more information in this article at Menomonee Falls Now.com.

A plan to offer reduced water rates to companies that locate or expand in Milwaukee was unanimously approved this morning by the Common Council's Public Works Committee. The proposal, which needs full council approval, asks the state Public Service Commission to allow the city's water utility to provide the discounted rates. The rates would be available for Milwaukee's 100 largest water users that create at least 25 jobs by either moving to the city or expanding current operations, said Carrie Lewis, city Water Works superintendent. The discount would last for five years for relocating businesses, and three years for local companies that expand, Lewis said. Also, companies seeking the discounted rates must use "best practices" to make sure they're not wasting water, she said.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's proposal to buy and renovate Columbia Hospital goes to the UW System Board of Regents Friday for funding approval. UM wants the regents to authorize spending $31 million for the project, which the board's agenda says "represents a major opportunity to address a wide range of campus space deficiencies." If that sounds vague...well, this is all based on the assumption that UWM will be able to buy the hospital complex once Columbia St. Mary's Inc. moves out of those buildings at the end of 2010. So far, there is no sale agreement between the university and the hospital. But, as I have previously posted, UWM has long eyed the buildings, which are next to its campus and total 828,000 square feet, according to the regents' agenda. Chancellor Carlos Santiago has talked of using the space mainly for student housing and other student services, which would generate most of the money needed to buy and renovate the buildings.

The first Wisconsin location for CiCi's Pizza Buffet will open in April in West Allis, at The Shoppes on 100, a shopping center on S. 108th St., just south of W. National Ave. A CiCi's franchisee, Rally Pizza LLC, operated by Paul Tate, is leasing 3,550 square feet at the shopping center. The lease was brokered by Cory Sovine, of Siegel-Gallagher.

Nationwide vacancy rates rose in the third quarter for all major commercial property types, according to a report released today by the Mortgage Bankers Association. For apartment properties, vacancy rates rose from 6.5% in the third quarter of 2008 to 8.4% in the third quarter of 2009. Industrial properties saw vacancy rates rise from 9.8% to 13%, while office properties saw a rise from 16% to 19.4% Retail vacancies rose from 12.9% to 18.6%. Meanwhile, asking rents have been falling--by 6% for apartments, 9% for industrial properties, 9% for office properties, and 8% for retail properties. The combination of falling rents and rising vacancies "has placed greater pressure on properties’ bottom lines," the report said. The report was released a day after Grubb & Ellis Co. said that the commercial real estate industry won't see a recovery until 2011.

Construction has stalled on the 405-room Deer Creek Inn & Conference Center, at the southwest corner of Greenfield Ave. and Moorland Road, in New Berlin. The site has been cleared, and some utility work has been done. But nothing has happened since, and developer Donald Kitten isn't returning phone calls, reports Jane Ford-Stewart at New Berlin Now.com. The seven-story project is to include an indoor water park. It has been on the drawing board for several years.

The 3,700-square-foot former Blue Dawg Bagels building, 1441 N. Farwell Ave., has been sold by U.S. Bank to Women’s Care Center Inc. for $250,000.Women’s Care Center, which calls itself a "life affirming" pregnancy center, i.e., it doesn't include abortions among its services, will locate its offices at the building, which has been vacant for nearly five years. The transaction was brokered by David Barry and Max Yokosh, both of Colliers Barry. By the way, Affiliated Medical Services, which does provide abortions, is across the street, at 1428 N. Farwell Ave.

Here's some cheery news. The commercial real estate industry is poised to begin its recovery. In 2011. That's according to a forecast released today by Grubb & Ellis Co., a national real estate services firm that includes Apex Commercial, in Brookfield, among its affiliates. Commercial real estate fundamental indicators will decline more slowly in 2010 compared with 2009, with most property types reaching bottom near the end of the year and beginning a slow recovery starting in 2011, according to Grubb & Ellis. “The national economy has begun a slow and cautious recovery, but the labor market, which often lags the broader economy, will turn around only gradually with sustained improvement unlikely before the second half of 2010. Because commercial real estate lags the labor market, it still has a ways to go before reaching its own low point,” said Bob Bach, the firm's senior vice president and, chief economist.

A new survey of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faculty shows support for converting the Columbia Hospital complex into classroom and laboratory space, instead of student housing. The University Committee, which serves as the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, in December asked faculty members to rank six UWM development proposals. Of the 246 faculty who responded, 117 ranked the purchase and redevelopment of the hospital as the development they most strongly supported, said Cindy Walker, University Committee chair and an associate professor of educational psychology. UWM has around 900 faculty members. Walker said the faculty supporting the Columbia project want to see the buildings, which are adjacent to UWM, used mainly for academic purposes. That conflicts with Chancellor Carlos Santiago's preliminary plan to purchase and redevelop the hospital mainly for student residence halls. Some neighborhood residents oppose Santiago's plan, saying the creation of student housing at Columbia will bring more noise and other problems.

Amcore Bank of Rockford, Ill., said Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Midland States Bank of Effingham, Ill., to sell 12 branches and two stand-alone drive-ups in Illinois. The branches are in Dixon, Freeport, Mendota, Oregon, Peru, Princeton, Rock Falls and Sterling. The transaction includes approximately $480 million in loans, $540 million in deposits and sweep accounts, up to $400 million in trust and brokerage account relationships, as well as the branch facilities, related fixed assets and leases. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to be completed by the end of March. Amcore previously reported actions to improve its capital position, including the sale of $135 million in non-strategic, non-relationship loans, the completed sale of four rural Wisconsin branches in November, and recent tax legislation that will result in a federal income tax refund of $25 million to $30 million. “As the result of those combined actions to improve capital, we would expect that the bank will no longer be deemed significantly undercapitalized for regulatory purposes at the end of 2009,” said William McManaman, Amcore chairman and chief executive officer.

A new report says total taxes collected in Wisconsin last year dropped more than 12 percent. The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance reports that federal, state and local taxes dropped for just the first time since 2002. The nonpartisan group says the drop reflects the prolonged recession and its impact on employment across Wisconsin....

A look back at the cover stories of BizTimes Milwaukee magazine over the past year reveals the most important issues of the day, including the impact of the Great Recession, the federal stimulus, bankruptcy survival, health care reform, the H1N1 virus and the emergence of social media. hat will be the most important stories of 2010? Here’s an educated guess about the top one: Wisconsin’s economic recovery. he recovery has begun and will pick up steam in 2010. It won’t come easily, and it won’t come quickly, but we're seeing some very promising trends: In recent polls, 86 percent of BizTimes.com readers say their company will either add jobs or at least maintain the status quo in 2010, and 76 percent say they are optimistic about how their company will do in 2010. he number of first-time unemployment claims in the state is falling. The number of company job layoff notices filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is falling. The BizTimes Stock Index of local stocks recently soared to a 52-week high.

QuadTech Inc. today announced the addition of a Web Viewing System to its expanding product line for printers and converters in the packaging industry. ith direct, real-time digital viewing of the moving web, the QuadTech Web Viewing System enables operators to detect defects and register errors before they become visible to the human eye. Operators can quickly and easily detect print quality problems such as print and die-cut registration, perforations, streaks, voids, fills, damaged plates and more. “Printers are facing ever-escalating quality control challenges,” said Randy Freeman, vice president and general manager of packaging at Sussex-based QuadTech. “Our Web Viewing System gives them an additional tool that will enhance quality and reduce waste without sacrificing press speed.” The addition of the Web Viewing System represents another major move into the packaging market for QuadTech. In 2008, QuadTech acquired print inspection technology innovator Vigitek, a leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art print defect detection technology. QuadTech is a subsidiary of Sussex-based Quad/Graphics Inc.

Harley Davidson Inc. today unveiled its new Pink Label Collection of merchandise to raise funds to help women who have been affected by breast cancer. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of every Pink Label Collection item will help fund the YourShoes 24/7 Support Center, which is administered by the national nonprofit Breast Cancer Network of Strength. The YourShoes center, which helped nearly 50,000 people in 2008, is staffed by breast cancer survivors who provide immediate emotional relief, at any time of day, to people affected by breast cancer. "Having a strong support system is critical to surviving breast cancer," said Margaret Kirk, president and chief executive officer of Breast Cancer Network of Strength. "That's why were thrilled to have the support of Harley-Davidson, as well as their family of employees, dealers and owners. With their help, we can make sure no one faces this disease alone." The Pink Label Collection of women’s jackets, pants, eyewear, gloves, helmets, shirts and more feature a splash of pink color and was conceived and designed by the Harley-Davidson Women's MotorClothes Product Development and Design team. "We were inspired to create the Pink Label Collection by the countless women riders and passengers that we've encountered on the open road and at events who've been impacted by breast cancer," said Kathy Whalen, category manager of general merchandise for Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson. "We wanted to create something that honored their personal journey, as well as let them know that they never have to ride alone."

Utility work by Wisconsin Energy Corp. at the site of The Moderne development will take another 6 weeks, pushing the groundbreaking for the 30-story development into February, said the project’s developer Rick Barrett.

Barrett originally hoped to break ground on the project by the end of 2009, but more time was needed to close on the financing deal and to complete the utility work. It will take about 2 years to build the tower, which will be located at the southwest corner of Juneau Avenue and Old World Third Street in the Park East corridor in downtown Milwaukee. The building will have 203 apartments, 14 condominiums and first floor retail space. The general contractor for the project isJ.H. Findorff & Son Inc. The $55.24 million project has a $41.4 million loan from the AFL-CIO Investment Trust, which will be serviced by Capmark Financial Group and is guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s 221(d)4 program. The project also received a $9.3 million loan from the City of Milwaukee.

Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s Corp. today announced the relocation and expansion of its New York City design office. The company has moved its design office from 1359 Broadway to 1400 Broadway. The new office, which is scheduled to open in June, will more than double the size of the current office and will support the growth of Kohl's exclusive brands. Kohl's opened its New York design office in January 2007 to be in close proximity to the design source and management of exclusive partnerships. Today, the New York design office houses designers and support associates to manage the design and development of seven licensed brands, including Simply Vera Vera Wang, Food Network, ELLE, Dana Buchman, Candie's, Chaps Home and FILA Sport. Kevin Mansell, Kohl's chairman, president and chief executive officer, "We continue to differentiate Kohl's through our exclusive partnerships and remain committed to bringing world-class brands to customers nationwide. Having a New York presence has been instrumental in growing our exclusive and private brand strategy, which accounted for 45 percent of sales through the third quarter of this year, up over two percent compared with last year. The new location allows us to manage our existing brands and support anticipated growth as we continue to focus on growing market share."

The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) introduced the Neighborhood Advantage program to encourage people to buy foreclosed homes in five counties. The program uses money from the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program for loans to low- and moderate-income families to buy and repair foreclosed homes. Read more in BizTimes Milwaukee’s headlines from around the state at http://www.biztimes.com/#news.

Rates for 30-year home loans inched downward this week, the first decline in a month, but remained above last month's record lows. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was 5.09 percent this week, down from 5.14 percent a week earlier, mortgage company Freddie Mac said Thursday. Rates dropped to a record low of 4.71 percent in early December, pushed down by an aggressive government campaign to reduce consumers' borrowing costs, but then rose steadily for the rest of the month. Freddie Mac collects mortgage rates on Monday through Wednesday of each week from lenders around the country. Rates often fluctuate significantly, even within a given day, often in line with long-term Treasury bonds. The Federal Reserve is pumping $1.25 trillion into mortgage-backed securities to try to bring down mortgage rates, but that money is set to run out next spring. The goal of the program is to make home buying more affordable and prop up the housing market. The central bank's policymakers have been conflicted about whether to expand or cut back a program intended to drive down mortgage rates and bolster the housing market, according to meeting minutes released Wednesday. Some Fed policymakers argued that the program might need to be expanded and extended beyond its current end date of March 31, arguing that the additional dose of stimulus would be especially needed if the economic recovery were to weaken.

The Bank of England left interest rates at a record low of 0.5 percent on Thursday and announced no change in its 200 billion pounds ($320 billion) monetary stimulus program as it looks for clearer signs on the health of the economy. Analysts had widely expected the Bank's Monetary Policy Committee to remain in "wait-and-see" mode and stand pat at least until next month. Recent signs that Britain emerged from recession in the fourth quarter have yet to be confirmed by official data, and reports have shown that consumers are continuing to pay off debt rather than borrowing to keep spending. "With sustainable, significant recovery very far from guaranteed, any policy tightening still looks a long way off and we expect interest rates to stay down at 0.5 percent until at least late 2010," said Howard Archer, economist at IHS Global Insight. With the strength of economic recovery still in doubt, both in Britain and among its major trading partners, monetary policy is expected to remain loose. "There are a number of potential pitfalls even as the U.K. economy starts growing again, including cautious consumers, questions over the public finances and a still-fragile banking system," said Lee Hopley, economist at the manufacturers' organization EEF.

A federal judge has dismissed the city of Baltimore's first-of-its kind lawsuit against Wells Fargo Bank N.A. U.S. District Judge J. Frederick Motz explained Wednesday that the city's claim that the mortgage giant triggered millions of dollars in damages with racist, predatory lending was not plausible. The suit accused Wells Fargo of targeting black neighborhoods for bad loans that led to mass foreclosures, costing Baltimore tens of millions of dollars. The company denied the allegations. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Co-President Cara Heiden says she is pleased by the decision. Motz gave the city the option of filing a complaint limiting claims to specific housing vacancies or their effects by Feb. 3. City Solicitor George Nilson says counselors will discuss their options.

Construction activity fell for a seventh consecutive month as spending on both residential and commercial projects declined, a worrisome sign that lingering troubles in construction will act as a drag on the overall economic recovery. The Commerce Department said Monday that construction spending dropped 0.6 percent in November, a bigger decline than the 0.4 percent drop that economists had been expecting. The weakness was widespread with spending on housing falling by the largest amount since June and non-residential building dipping for an eighth consecutive month. While the overall economy began growing again this past summer, the worry is that weakness in such areas as construction will dim prospects for a recovery strong enough to reduce double-digit unemployment. The 0.6 percent drop in construction activity in November followed a 0.5 percent decline in October which was revised downward from an original estimate showing a much smaller dip. The seven straight declines pushed construction spending down to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $900.1 billion, the slowest pace in more than six years and 13.2 percent below the level of activity a year ago.