Waterford

Village hires engineering firm as Highway 36 industrial park plans progress

By Dave Fidlin

Correspondent

As talk of developing a second industrial park on the Village of Waterford’s easterly end picks up steam, plans are in motion to bring into the fold the expertise of a local engineering firm.

The Village Board on June 11 issued a contract, capped at $38,700, to Ruekert and Mielke for engineering services linked to the project, which is planned for land along Highway 36 and has been dubbed the Anderson Industrial Park.

Talks of building an additional industrial park in the village have swirled in recent times. They progressed when a Waterford-based company, Triple Crown Products, was outgrowing its facility at 814 Ela Ave.

At the most recent Village Board meeting, Village Administrator Zeke Jackson informed elected officials Triple Crown Products has decided to relocate to a business park in Mukwonago since the municipality has the amenities readily available.

Jackson said Triple Crown Products’ decision should sound an alarm as the village sets priorities, moving forward.

“We should not ever have a situation like this again, where we lose an existing business to another community because we weren’t prepared for them to grow,” Jackson said.

During a broad discussion on the status of the new Anderson Industrial Park, Jackson at last week’s meeting confirmed pieces continue to come together, though finite details within a development agreement or similar document still need to be assembled.

“We need speed in moving ahead,” said Jackson, who pointed out other companies are interested in taking root in the new industrial park development.

The board also approved a $15,000 document known as a task order list, issued to Ruekert and Mielke, for a separate endeavor.

“We have four large parcels that we have been working to negotiate the acquisition of,” Jackson said.

Ruekert and Mielke will help develop a justification on a fair asking price for each parcel, Jackson said, based on “a pro forma to detail what the likely costs and revenues of development would be.”

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