Written by: Daniel Gaitan | Read this story from Kenosha News
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian believes locals will soon feel and see the positive impacts of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood on their lives.
After years of planning, Antaramian said new opportunities are finally on the horizon with the development of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN) on the site of the former Chrysler Engine Plant located in the heart of the city. The neighborhood will include an incubator facility and new high school specializing in science, technology, math and engineering.
The city has been working on the remediation of area since its closure in October 2010. The area is largely bounded by 52nd Street to the north and 60th Street to the south, 30th Avenue to the west and 24th Avenue to the east. A storm water retention basin was created in 2021.
Antaramian wants it to become a center for innovation to provide enhanced opportunities for the Kenosha community in education, workforce training and economic development, among other things.
He said in the coming months locals will see new roads constructed at 28th Avenue and 56th Street. By the end of the year, he anticipates breaking ground on the 60,000 square-foot incubator facility for new business start-ups.
The project got a massive boost earlier this month when Gov. Tony Evers announced $15 million worth of grant funding to help boost development of the incubator facility on the 107-acre property.
“It’s going well,” Antaramian said. “We’re in the situation now where we’re going to get 56th Street through and 28th Avenue. Those are being engineered. The intention will be to break ground this year. This is all part of the innovation neighborhood. There are two buildings we’re looking to get done first — the incubator facility and the other a STEM high school. Those two things are working in tandem at this point in time to move forward.”
He said the Kenosha Unified School District must still “make their approvals” and “the last of the finances have to be put in place.”
Still, Antaramian said he’s “not overly concerned” and that the city is in “good shape” to make these buildings a reality.
“The timing on some of this might be off from things that we can’t control, but as long as we architects get their work done and the engineers get their stuff done, I’m very confident the roads will be started and I’m positive at least one building will be started and I’m hoping we’ll get both buildings started by the end of the year,” he said.
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