The Daily Reporter articles from December 2006

The Daily Reporter archives from December 2006

Milwaukee 7 regional economic development council adopts ethics code.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan The Milwaukee 7 regional economic development council adopted a formal code of ethics and promised to play nice when wooing businesses considering moving into the area. The M7 council is intended to organize...

Madison, Wisconsin's water well running dry.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder The pressure is increasing on the city of Madison to find an alternative to Well No. 3. The 80-year-old well was shut down in September due to elevated levels of manganese and carbon tetrachloride contamination, and...

Excelsior Masonic Lodge provides construction tool grants.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle It's not hard for a writing graduate to buy a pen, a fresh-faced accountant to bring a calculator from school or a novice nurse to use a hospital's stethoscope. But for new workers in the building and construction...

North Beltline highway bypass in Dane County to be studied.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder It's been a long wait for a north Beltline highway bypass in Dane County. And it may still be. Tom Wilson, administrator for the town of Westport, said he's got proposal maps dating back to the late 1950s with...

Madison homebuilder's plans get squashed.
December 5, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder Darren Kittleson says he has no choice but to fight. The Madison homebuilder purchased 4.5 small lots within the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum for more than $900,000 in 2005, with the intent of building...

Wisconsin contractors build up tourism industry.
December 5, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Tourism is one of Wisconsin's biggest industries, but before visitors can partake in any fun, contractors put hammers to nails to make ideas come to life. The Department of Tourism released its annual compendium...

Lagina takes over Louis Schmitt Plumbing, relocating to Milwaukee's Silver City neighborhood.
December 6, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder After just five years with the company, Jim Lagina is driving the Louis Schmitt Plumbing Company to Silver City and tacking on a new moniker. Lagina announced Monday that he has acquired full ownership of the Louis...

Racine heart center under way.
December 6, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle As baby boomers age, heart centers have become the trendiest new health care facility. The Milwaukee area has already seen several heart centers spring up in the last few years, and now Racine is getting in on the...

Monona City Council rejects roundabout.
December 8, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder The Monona City Council giveth, and the Monona City Council taketh away. Nearly four months after the council approved a roundabout for inclusion in the Monona Drive reconstruction project, it voted to eliminate the...

Applications for Community Based Economic Development grants accepted by WI Dept. of Commerce.
December 8, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan The state Department of Commerce is accepting applications for its Community Based Economic Development Program's 2007 grant funds. The CBED Program has played an important role in developing strong organizational ...

Menomonee Valley Partners extends aid to Falk Corp.
December 8, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Wednesday's explosion at the Falk Corp. gear manufacturing plant damaged more than just a company warehouse. First and foremost was the loss of three lives. Daniel Kuster, a Mayville resident who recently moved...

WI Department of Commerce considers fire sprinkler mandate.
December 11, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle In a move that would tilt regulatory balance from cost consciousness to safety concerns, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce proposed strengthening state building codes. Commerce recommended the state adopt...

Top Job.
December 11, 2006... Middleton/Condominium projectProject: Parmenter Circle Condominium project, a 50-unit, four-story building, Middleton Bids due: Accepting sub-trade bids until Dec. 15 on all areas of work. Design/Build firm: Horizon Design-Build-Manage,...

American Dream harder to attain.
December 11, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan The American Dream of owning a home is harder to reach for the average American. Affordable housing is being redefined. It still includes urban projects like Chicago's Cabrini-Green, but it also includes housing for...

Falk Corp.'s Menomonee Valley facility investigation continues.
December 12, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee's Fire Department and building inspectors continued to investigate Falk Corp.'s Menomonee Valley facility on Friday for underground gas and asbestos. Eleven inspectors from the Department of Neighborhood...

Second-oldest brewery to be expanded in Monroe.
December 12, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder The people of Monroe still want to pronounce his last name Minhaus, but if that's Ravinder Minhas' only problem at the moment, he'll happily take it. Minhas is the first to admit that there was a bit of...

2007 Construction Economic Forecast held Wednesday in Milwaukee.
December 12, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Businesses that thrive are always looking to the future. With that in mind, The Daily Reporter and the Associated General Contractors of Greater Milwaukee will present the 2007 Construction Economic Forecast...

Affordable housing in Wisconsin still exists.
December 12, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Despite more than three decades of working toward providing more affordable housing, the need around the state remains substantial. Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Association Executive Director Antonio...

DuPont cutting 1,500 jobs.
December 12, 2006... Wilmington, DE (AP) - Chemicals maker DuPont Co. on Monday said it will cut 1,500 jobs and consolidate manufacturing in its seeds unit in a move to lower operating costs by $100 million a year. DuPont expects to book a related $200 million...

Milwaukee's housing market's a double-edged sword.
December 13, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan In Milwaukee, the turnaround in the housing market is more often called a double-edged sword than a triumph. The city's housing advocates are getting what they've desired for so long -- many are interested in buying...

Inclusionary zoning being tried in Madison.
December 13, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder Right around the turn of the century, Madison started getting a little more attention than it had in years past. Is it Money Magazine's fault? Well, not entirely, but its ranking of Madison as the best place to live...

Wisconsin Transportation Development Association delays 50 projects.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan The Transportation Development Association Tuesday reported that 50 highway and bridge projects in Wisconsin are being delayed because of shortfalls in the state transportation fund. Our inability to adequately pay for...

There's nothing affordable about housing today, Wisconsin banker says.
December 14, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle John Cleary, U.S. Bank's community lending sales manager for southeastern Wisconsin, is a firm believer that home ownership is key to turning around blighted areas. As a banker I probably shouldn't say this, but...

Madison utility looking for more electricity.
December 15, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder When it comes to securing a county's energy supply, it's best not to dawdle. So even though its due date could still be nine years down the road, Madison Gas & Electric issued a request for proposals Wednesday for...

It's not about building cheap houses in Milwaukee.
December 15, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan Cheap houses aren't the answer to the housing affordability problem. Building a low-priced house will put a roof over one family's head, but it won't dig into the fundamental reasons that family couldn't afford a home...

Waukesha condo plan advances.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle The Waukesha Plan Commission approved final plans Wednesday for a 32-unit condominium design on the city's east side. The design, submitted by HDC Contractors LLC of Milwaukee, calls for eight four-unit residential...

Churches are for sale as Wisconsin parishes consolidate.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Dinesh Ramde For sale: one church, charming, well-maintained, with high ceilings and classic architecture. Enjoy 38,000 square feet of space on a sprawling 14.25-acre lot. Minutes from downtown. Altars, bells, stained glass...

Verona considers new police headquarters.
December 18, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder It's not getting tight at the Verona Police Department, says Police Chief Bernard Coughlin - it's been tight. That's because the police department shares space in a 10,000-square-foot facility with City Hall, the city...

Streetcars get forum in Madison.(Interview)
December 19, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison residents had their first opportunity to voice concerns and support for a proposed city streetcar system on Thursday. The Madison Streetcar Directions Neighborhood Workshop was a well-attended event, said...

Students work with pros to build house.
December 19, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle While it doesn't take a village to build a house, people in the village still have to live with it. To prevent its new project from becoming a neighborhood eyesore, the Neighborhood Housing Services of Southeast...

Menomonee Valley Stormwater Park honored by Sierra Club.
December 20, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle The Menomonee Valley Stormwater Park was named one of America's Best New Development projects of 2006 by the Sierra Club, the organization announced Tuesday. In an effort to better storm-water management practices,...

Housing construction rebounds.
December 20, 2006... Washington (AP) - Housing construction increased in November even though applications for permits to build new homes dropped for a 10th straight month. The Commerce Department reported that construction of new homes and apartments rose last...

Marquette University College of Engineering receives $25 million gift.
December 20, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder The Marquette University College of Engineering announced it received a gift commitment of more than $25 million Monday, as the first part of a legacy grant that could provide the university with an additional...

WI Women's Council along with Girl Scouts encourages young women to seek careers in skilled trades.
December 20, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Hook 'em when they're young. That's the strategy the Wisconsin Women's Council is employing to recruit more women into the skilled trades and other careers facing labor shortages. The Women's Council has partnered...

Top Job.
December 20, 2006... GRAND CHUTE/PETCO StoreProject: PETCO Store, Grand Chute Bids Due: Dec. 27 (Subcontractors are to submit sub-bids to invited bidders) Owner: PETCO Animal Supplies Inc., San Diego, Calif. Architect: SBLM Architects, New York Scope:...

Pierce County senior housing plan gets boost from state.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle A Pierce County developer received more than $400,000 in state funds Tuesday for senior housing. Windmill Place LLC of River Falls was awarded a $418,752 Rental Housing Development Grant from the Wisconsin Department of...

VJS Construction takes broader view on eye protection.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle In 2007 construction style, safety goggles are the new hard hats. Starting Jan. 1, VJS Construction Services Inc. of Pewaukee will require all its construction workers, including subcontractors, to wear eye protection...

Cottage Grove middle school project is 12 years in the making.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder Site preparation work is under way in Cottage Grove for the construction of a new middle school for the Monona Grove School District, and Nancy Allen says it's a testament to perseverance and staying together. I've been...

Milwaukee's emerging business enterprise contracts to be reviewed.
December 21, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee on Jan. 4 will hold the first of two meetings to see if the city can improve contracting opportunities for emerging business enterprise. The meeting is part of an overall assessment of the city's EBE program...

Michels Corp. selling M & M Concrete Division.
December 22, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan Michels Corp. announced Thursday that it is selling its M & M Concrete Division to Janesville-based Lycon Inc. With the rapid expansion of our utility construction businesses including the growth of construction...

J.P. Cullen & Sons adds new service.
December 26, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Unlike car dealers, general contractors don't have a garage you can take your building to for warranty repairs. Still, owners of construction projects expect problems that arise after completion to be handled...

Construction takes one small step into cyberspace.
December 26, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Backhoes, bulldozers, dump trucks and cranes have served the construction industry loyally for ages. But like other industries, technology is changing the way business is conducted The role of computer software and...

Oconomowoc Distribution Center of Roundy's Supermarkets joins Wisconsin Green Tier program.
December 28, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder The Wisconsin Green Tier program welcomed its newest member Friday, the Oconomowoc Distribution Center of Roundy's Supermarkets Inc. Roundy's has a long history of environmental performance in Wisconsin and is...

Wisconsin's unemployment rate drops.
December 28, 2006... Byline: Sean Ryan Wisconsin's November unemployment rate was 4.3 percent, marking the second straight month where the rate matched 2005's figures. Wisconsin's job market continued to improve last month, Department of Workforce...

Stone House project receives award from Wisconsin Historical Society.
December 28, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle Restoring old buildings does not necessarily mean restoring their intended functions. The Wisconsin Historical Society handed out its 2006 Historic Restoration Award to Madison-based Stone House Development Inc....

Rafael Carbonell to head up Dane County's new Regional Economic Development Entity.
December 29, 2006... Byline: Paul Snyder Jan. 1 won't just mark the beginning of a new year for Rafael Carbonell but a new chapter in his life as well. That's the day that Carbonell will assume his role as executive vice president of Dane County's new...

Top 10 Wisconsin Construction Stories of 2006.
December 29, 2006... Byline: Joe Grundle, Sean Ryan and Paul Snyder As 2006 comes to an end, we take our annual look back at what we consider the top construction stories of the year:1. Doyle re-elected After a hard-fought and often ugly battle with...