NEW HOLSTEIN (WGBA 26) — The City of New Holstein has received over $1 million in grant funding to redevelop an industrial site. In a press release, the city announced they have secured $1.16 million in state and federal grants for the planned Tecumseh site redevelopment. The money will be used to tear down the former Tecumseh Industrial building. The city plans to redevelop the 40-acre site into a mixed-use development to promote economic development and community engagement.
The Tecumseh Plant, formerly one of the largest employers in Calumet County, closed its doors in 2007. Tecumseh sold the Plant to a local custom metal fabricator that ceased operations in 2009. The Plant sat idle until 2017 when the City of New Holstein acquired the property through tax foreclosure. Since that time, the City has been working to acquire funding to demolish the 400,000 square foot structure and position the property for redevelopment.
“This has been a work in progress for many years. The City Council and CDA members have been extremely active to get to this phase of the project and are looking forward to the redevelopment phase of the project. This site will open new opportunities for our community,” said Casey Langenfeld, City Administrator.
Funding has been provided through the Idle Sites Redevelopment Grant and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-CLOSE program. The Idle Sites Redevelopment Grant is sponsored through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for the redevelopment of sites that have been idle, abandoned, or underutilized. The CDBG-CLOSE program is administered by Calumet County via US Department of Housing and Urban Development funding that is directed for affordable housing, suitable living environments, and expanded economic opportunities for persons with low and moderate incomes.
“This funding is critical in enabling the City of New Holstein to transform this underutilized site and further complement the nearby downtown,” said Stu Gross, Stantec Senior Project Manager. “By razing the existing building and creating a shovel-ready property, the site will be positioned for redevelopment and more attractive to potential developers.”
Building demolition is scheduled to occur in mid-2021.
