Mammoth Springs TIF Hearing Thursday

The hearing will give residents an opportunity to express their views on the proposed creation of the district and proposed project plan.

A public hearing will be held Thursday on a proposal to create a tax incremental financing in Sussex.  Part of the project includes rehabilitation and conservation of the former Mammoth Springs Canning Company property and surrounding properties. Projects might include land acquisition, development incentives, improvements to sanitary, potable water and storm water facilities, streets, and related engineering, administrative and legal costs. Construction of two 30-unit apartment buildings at Mammoth Springs Cannery Company will begin in May. There was previously some delay caused by plans for the Waukesha County Bugline Trail. The trail runs through the middle of the site.   A copy of the project plan and map will be available for review …

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Sussex Business Park Officially Over, Village President Weighs In

After cancelling the public hearing, the village board officially voted to end discussion on the business park behind Shopko and Kohl’s.

The plan to begin development on a new business park in Sussex is officially dead after Village Board members voted to end the project during Tuesday night’s board meeting. This comes after Village Administrator Jeremy Smith announced the cancellation of Wednesday’s public hearing pertaining the project, as well as his professional recommendation to kill the development plan. The swift end to the potential corporate park comes after preliminary costs came in more than $1 million more than anticipated. Sussex Village President Greg Goetz spoke about the project during the meeting, explaining that while TIF districts run by the village have meant hundreds of millions of dollars in tax base, jobs and economic diversity, this project fell …

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Will Silvers

6:18 am on Thursday, July 26, 2012

They will continue to look for future development opportunities? Really? Then they should form a partnership and invest/risk their own money. Stay out of private development!   more ›

Sussex Business Park Likely Dead; Public Hearing Canceled

After cost estimates for multimillion-dollar park came in higher than expected, Sussex has canceled the July 25 public hearing and is expecting to end the project.

Sussex Business Park Likely Dead; Public Hearing Canceled

After cost estimates for multimillion-dollar park came in higher than expected, Sussex has canceled the July 25 public hearing and is expecting to end the project.

It appears that plans for a controversial new business park in Sussex are dead after preliminary costs for the project came in more than $1 million more than anticipated. Village Administrator Jeremy Smith says the Sussex Village Board will meet on July 24 to discuss the corporate park, proposed near Highway 164 and Silver Spring Drive, but he says the staff is recommending killing the project. A public hearing that had been scheduled for July 25 has been canceled. “The Village Board is going to be taking action on the project on the 24th, and my guess is the deal is probably done at this point,” Smith said. “Some of the engineering numbers are coming in much higher than anticipated, and while they might be worked out, it won’t be any time…

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Sussex Corporate Park Moving Forward, Cost Estimates Released

The estimated cost of the business park, including the value of the farmland, is released to the public for the first time. A public hearing is now scheduled for July 19 to hear citizen comments.

The Sussex Corporate Center West took another step forward Thursday night as members of the Community Development Authority gave the green light to continue with the next step. And, for the first time, Sussex has released a detailed preliminary cost estimate for the project. Dave Anderson, a financial advisor from PFM Group, said his estimates are as accurate as the village will get until the engineer they hired with the $60,000 CDA grant says differently. The initial investment Sussex would make is a little more than $4.6 million, with a majority of that money going toward the farmland acquisition in 2012, costing nearly $2.4 million. The remaining costs come from the improvements to the land in 2013 like adding sewer, water and …

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Sussex Answers Questions on New Corporate Park

Village officials are answering some key questions they received during the last Village Board meeting regarding the new corporate park behind Kohls.

Although the Sussex Village Board gave the green light to begin the process of purchasing 120 acres of land for a new corporate park, some Sussex and Lisbon residents were left with questions.  During the June 12 Village Board meeting, local citizens stood at the podium and asked board members a list of questions about the possible development near Highway 164 and County Road VV behind Kohl’s. However, for legal reasons, the board wasn't allowed to answer them during the meeting.  In an official statement released by the village, Sussex officials answer some of the questions that came to light during the meeting. Why is the Village considering a new corporate center? Another corporate center will add to the property tax base, will add jobs…

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Will Silvers

8:40 am on Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Keep private business private. If it is to be developed, that property is for sale now and any developer could purchase it. If there was a need for more corporate centers, they would be built already. What happened to that one on 164 and K - is it filled up already? Seems like there is some real estate avaialable where blockbuster was... Maybe the board should save the funds and to support the …   more ›

Village Close to Development Deal for Area Behind Kohl’s

Village officials met for the second time this month in private to discuss the possible 400-acre acquisition. However, apparently there are money issues involved.

Sussex trustees met privately for the second time this month to discuss possibly offering real estate tax incentives to develop a business park behind Kohl’s on Main Street, according to the Sussex Sun. Village Administrator Jeremy Smith addressed the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee Monday saying they’re close to sealing the deal. “We’re working on development deals for a new corporate center, and we’re pretty close with that,” Smith said. “It would potentially be behind the Kohl’s. There actually isn’t a lot of vacant industrial land in Waukesha County, so the need for space is there. The empty lots we have in Sussex have some challenging issues in regards to wetlands and things like that, and the Village Board is cognizant of that.” …

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Will Silvers

6:52 am on Thursday, May 24, 2012

Seems like that would sort of box the town in, we have the industrial out by quad, then the village, then more industrial on 164, and the quarries south of us- where will people want to build new residences?   more ›

It's Official: Cannery is Out, Mammoth Springs is In

Developer says project is moving ahead and will have a new name.

The name Cannery Crossing is being officially dropped for a development on the east side of Sussex and it will be named Mammoth Springs. Developer Arthur Sawall confirmed Friday he’s dropping the Cannery Crossing name for the development, which is moving through the planning phase. “I like the name Mammoth Springs,” he said. “And it works for the area.” The development, which will be located on the east end of Main Street near Waukesha Avenue, will include a mix of commercial and residential units with an urban-style design. Sawall said the residential units will be “upscale apartments” and officer nice amenities, such as granite countertops. “People want that,” he said. “And it’s certainly not something we have in Sussex already.” Sawall …

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Sussex Looks to Scale Back on Downtown Taxing District

Initial district would be smaller in order to protect against possible property value losses.

Sussex officials are still interested creating in a special taxing district in the downtown area, but it may be a lot smaller than originally planned. Village Administrator Jeremy Smith told the Community Development Authority last week the village should start with a smaller tax increment financing district because property values have fallen in the past several years, and there could be problems if that trend continues. Smith said if a TIF district loses property value, the money raised would go toward paying back the lost value. However, if the district is centered over an area the village knows will increase in value, it would be a more secure venture. “With property values falling, you don’t want to have a huge loss,” he said. …

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Special Taxing District Eyed to Boost Development of Downtown Sussex

Village Board takes first steps by hiring consultant to prepare study on TIF district.

Sussex officials are taking the first step toward creating a special taxing district that could spur development downtown. The Village Board is authorizing the PFM Group to begin creating the scope and size of a possible tax increment financing district to aid in the redevelopment of an area stretching from the Piggly Wiggly to the Cannery Crossing project located near Main Street and Waukesha Avenue. Village Administrators Jeremy Smith said the TIF district could stretch further on Main Street, depending on what recommendations are brought forth to the village. “This is just a first step,” he said. “We could amend the boundaries as we go forward. It could make sense to make is longer and narrower, or it might make more sense to make it …

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