Janesville voters approved a referendum on Nov. 3 giving them the final say on the largest projects at the former GM/JATCO site. Unofficial results were 16,779 to 9,932, or about 63% in favor. Despite the outcome, CARW’s work on the issue shows how the association stands up for commercial real estate and responsible development in Wisconsin.
How we got here
General Motors operated its Janesville plant from 1919 to 2008. The city-owned site covers roughly 250 acres and needs an estimated $30 million in environmental cleanup.
The referendum grew out of opposition to Viridian Partners’ proposed 800-megawatt data center, which early negotiations kept under non-disclosure agreements. Residents gathered 4,674 petition signatures, and the City Council sent the measure to the November ballot. The city later let its letter of intent with Viridian lapse and, in September, approved a 12-month data center moratorium. Even with that proposal gone, the referendum stayed on the ballot and applies to future projects well beyond data centers.
What CARW did
CARW joined Grow Janesville Responsibly, a coalition of business and labor interests, to educate voters and encourage them to vote no. The coalition members educated the community on the community dangers of voting yes. CARW was concerned that an added voter-approval step could make an already complex brownfield site less attractive to developers and complicate efforts to secure investment and cleanup.
What the result means
Projects exceeding $450 million now need approval from voters at a regular or special election. Smaller projects would not need a referendum. Even so, one coalition estimate put major housing-only reuse of the site at $450 million to $540 million.
Supporters said the vote gives residents a real voice in the site’s future. Coalition leader George Cullen said the group was disappointed but will keep working to attract development.
What’s next
The city’s advisory board and planning consultant Stantec are working on a redevelopment framework. CARW will continue to advocate locally and keep members updated. More information here: Advocates weigh in on successful GM/JATCO referendum push | Local News | gazettextra.com
This is just one of the many local real estate issues CARW engages in on behalf of the industry. If you know of a local issue that you’d like us to look into, contact the Association office.