Project aims to ease safety concerns on Milwaukee Avenue
By Jason Arndt
Editor
Fox River Plaza shoppers who look to access Kohl’s Department Store and Pick n’ Save have to leave the parking lot and travel on Milwaukee Avenue, only to return to another lot a short time later.
That could change if the Common Council approves a $14,680 revolving loan fund grant for Fox River Plaza at a Nov. 5 meeting.
The revolving loan fund grant, which was discussed at the Oct. 15 Committee of the Whole meeting, allows Fox River Plaza to make infrastructure improvements and create a parking lot connection to the neighboring shopping center.
Mayor Jeannie Hefty told the Common Council at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole she asked Fox River Plaza owners when they bought the property about removing the grass median dividing both shopping centers.
In response, the owners reached out to Kohl’s Department store with hopes of sharing expenses for the project, but did not receive a financial commitment.
Since then, however, the city approved a new business loan and grant known as the revolving loan fund in February after Burlington restructured its loan program limited specifically to a recently shuttered tax increment district.
The restructuring allows Burlington to make funds available to all businesses within the city for projects meeting eligibility requirements.
Racine County Economic Development Corporation staff recommended approval of the revolving loan because of both safety and ease for customers who use both shopping centers.
“The proposed improvement to the Fox River Plaza shopping center would not only assist with the safety of customers coming to this retail area, but more importantly, it creates a pro-business environment by encouraging customers to visit more of the retailers,” RCEDC officials wrote in a memorandum to the Common Council.
Additionally, with the recent opening of Starbuck’s, RCEDC believes the proposed connection will accommodate an expected increase in traffic along Milwaukee Avenue and both shopping centers.
Hefty, meanwhile, said the grant for the project will offer residents greater convenience.
“I will tell you, the citizens will be dancing in the street,” she said.
About 30 percent of revolving loan funds available in the program are earmarked for grants aimed to benefit for-profit and non-profit businesses, with specific award amount determined annually based on availability.
In 2019, the city has about $98,000 in total grant funds, with the remaining money offered as loans.
The fund is intended to encourage new private investment in the City of Burlington, mainly land improvements and equipment.
Other objectives include encouraging businesses to improve their properties through incentives as well as promoting a diverse mix of employment opportunities, along with other objectives.
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