The Daily Reporter articles from October 2008

The Daily Reporter archives from October 2008

Opponents of expansion project in Cassville cite cost as stumbling block.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder As builders and the village of Cassville tie their economic prayers to the Nelson Dewey Generating Facility expansion, opponents say the project's cost could trump every argument. The Public Service Commission of...

Old Milwaukee buildings face fragile Park East future.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The Sydney Hih and Gipfel Union Brewery buildings were supposed to be neighbors for life on a Park East property in Milwaukee. But the former is headed toward demolition if the developer succeeds in making room for a...

Federal money will allow Wisconsin to rebuild Amtrak's lines.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Amtrak's Hiawatha line struggles to stay on schedule because trains slow down whenever they hit patches of old rail between Milwaukee and Chicago. There is a little less than 18 miles of old track between Milwaukee...

Wind energy sparks power line plans in Wisconsin.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder As Wisconsin harnesses more energy from wind, American Transmission Co. LLC admits it still doesn't know how to spread out that power. If you're talking gas, coal or nuclear plants, they're all sited closer to where...

Estimates for Elkhorn's new police station nearly spark brawl between residents and architects.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Some Elkhorn residents are so angry over estimates for the city's new police station that they nearly picked a fight with the architect. Elkhorn residents are so fighting mad over Zimmerman Architectural Studios'...

Federal foreclosure cash falls short in Wisconsin.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Fixing the state's foreclosure problems will cost more than the $48.2 million coming from the federal government, but there's no chance to get additional money. The state will get $39 million, and the city of...

Dorm selection saves Mandel site in Milwaukee.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Mandel Group Inc.'s riverside property on North Avenue was in a zoning pinch before the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee selected the spot for a new dorm. The Milwaukee developer already tried condos, retail, a...

Economy casts pall over Madison projects.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The slumping economy has stalled two major developments in Madison, leaving some officials wary that approving another will only add to the city's list of dormant projects. Alderwoman and Plan Commission member...

City of Sun Prairie shudders over shuttered store.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The tension keeps rising on Sun Prairie's west side as a Pick 'n Save store gets closer to leaving the city's hottest area for growth. We haven't been contacted by anybody yet (who is) interested in moving into the...

Storm-water rules in Wisconsin drain city budgets.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The state won't penalize communities if they can't reduce pollution in storm-water runoff, but that's not good enough for Manitowoc Mayor Kevin Crawford. He's facing a $3 million bill in 2009 for two vacuum...

Beloit struggles with fire station emergency.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Need trumps price for some Beloit officials committed to building a new fire station for the town. I know we're between a rock and a hard place with needing a new station and being in tough financial times, but we...

Historic park homes in Madison face uncertain future.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison preservationists want three houses in James Madison Park saved, and, while the city is willing to sell, no one is offering to buy. We're not a good landlord, said Alderman Michael Schumacher of the city....

OSHA pushes pipe safety in Wisconsin.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan If Dorner Inc. had followed protocol, two houses and a church in Oconomowoc likely would be standing today. That (natural gas) line was exposed, said Brian Manthey, spokesman for We Energies, which operates...

Whole Foods drops Hilldale Mall project in Madison.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Chicago-based Joseph Freed & Associates LLC's Hilldale Mall development hit another snag Friday when Whole Foods Market IP LP backed out of the struggling project. Bob Fink, Freed's chief operating officer said...

Racine's Douglas Avenue loses grant chance.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Racine's Douglas Avenue Redevelopment Association last year returned a grant for streetscape work when the city delayed the project so it could repair area sewers. The group planned to get the $30,500 in grant money...

Crashes catch WisDOT's attention.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The state is trying to fast-track improvements to one of southwest Wisconsin's most dangerous intersections, but local officials say the damage is already done. My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved...

U of Wisconsin-Madison campus construction crammed with close calls.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The construction industry might benefit from some technological advancements, but those advancements are a constant headache for builders on the state's largest college campus. You've got kids now with iPods or...

Campus construction crammed with close calls.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The construction industry might benefit from some technological advancements, but those advancements are a constant headache for builders on the state's largest college campus. You've got kids now with iPods or...

Crashes catch WisDOT's attention.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The state is trying to fast-track improvements to one of southwest Wisconsin's most dangerous intersections, but local officials say the damage is already done. oMy heart goes out to the families that have lost...

Douglas Avenue loses chance at grant.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Racine's Douglas Avenue Redevelopment Association last year returned a grant for streetscape work when the city delayed the project so it could repair area sewers. The group planned to get the $30,500 in grant money...

Madison loses millions because of no downtown convention facility, says city's visitors bureau.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison lost more than $50 million in business between 2001 and 2008 because it doesn't have a downtown hotel large enough for conventions, said the city's visitors bureau. We need one large property to put all or...

Milwaukee veterans chapel grants easier access.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Gus Sorenson, a Vietnam War veteran who has been in a wheelchair for almost 39 years, needs help getting into the Milwaukee Soldiers Home chapel. Sorenson, government relations director of the Wisconsin Paralyzed...

Proposed Milwaukee law to increase sick days for single mothers makes builders fear lawsuits.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan A proposed Milwaukee law to give single, working mothers paid sick days has business groups fearing lawsuits and higher costs for builders. The rule, which will go to a referendum vote in Milwaukee on Nov. 4, would...

Crime stops Madison development.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder More than 80 calls to Madison police during a four-month stretch this year put the brakes on development in the city's 3-year-old Owl Creek subdivision. We need more time to determine there is stability in that area...

Middleton City Council votes to support World Famous Mustard Museum with TIF financing.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The World Famous Mustard Museum is squeezing Middleton taxpayers too hard as it closes in on a move to the city, say those fighting a losing battle to prevent the deal. I think the financial participation by the...

Inside JobTrac.
October 9, 2008... Manitowoc/Covert Convent for Student Housing Project: Student Residence Renovation Project at Clare Hall at Silver Lake College of the Holy Family, Manitowoc Overall cost estimate: $4 million to $5 million Phase: Request for...

Army Corp regulations slow construction by Green Bay-based Selmer Co.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The Selmer Co. is racing Mother Nature to get foundations in the ground before winter strikes the village of Hammond. The Green Bay-based contractor won a $7 million contract last week from the U.S. Army Corps of...

Developer abandons Janesville subdivision.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Kennedy Homes is abandoning a 900-home development in Janesville, not only sticking the city with more than 400 acres of empty land, but also confirming suspicions that arose when the project was approved. I was...

Budget deficit pinches Milwaukee housing.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee housing advocates are demanding $1 million for the city's Housing Trust Fund, but city officials, staring into a $7 million 2009 budget hole, say that is not likely. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett's budget...

Milwaukee searches for solar contractors.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee wants its hometown builders to reap the benefits of a surge in solar energy, but the contractors that do that work are from Madison. Hiring Madison talent both increases project costs and sends cash to...

Businesses in Milwaukee balk at sick day standards.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Advocates for a minimum number of sick days for Milwaukee workers reject business claims that the law will crush competition and cripple companies. I've got to tell you, honey, when people were trying to move the end...

Green jail puts county board members in La Crosse at odds.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Some La Crosse officials argue tacking on green features to a ready-to-be-built county jail expansion pushes the project's price tag too high. We set a cap for how much this project should be, said County...

City of Milwaukee wins search warrant for Tower Automotive.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan A Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Thursday granted Milwaukee a search warrant to perform environmental testing on the Tower Automotive site, ending an eight-month lawsuit between the city and the property owner. ...

Milwaukee's Miller Park pays expensive price for pests.
October 13, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Miller Park has fallen victim to a microscopic menace that feasts on sprinkler system pipes. And, despite their size, the cost to repair the damage they have caused is anything but tiny: $100,000. The experts call it...

Former Sierra Club employee throws support behind Wisconsin coal plant.
October 13, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The heated debate over building a partially coal-fired power plant in Cassville got even hotter recently when one of the main players switched sides. Brett Hulsey, a Dane County supervisor and president of...

State of Wisconsin prepares to compete for wind farm developments.
October 13, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Attempts to attract wind farm developments to the Great Lakes could pit Wisconsin against Michigan. John Hummer, project manager for the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development, an Ann Arbor...

Commentary: A sickening solution: Organization's proposal will go to a vote in Milwaukee.
October 13, 2008... Byline: The Daily Reporter Staff Editorial An oft-ignored measure of a law is in how many people suffer for its existence. The measure of an organization lobbying for a law is in how well it keeps that in mind. The 9to5, National...

Technology, a safe solution for contractors.
October 13, 2008... Byline: Brendan O'Brien Technology such as lasers, high-tech scaffolds and even e-mail is an investment for contractors, but it's one that is likely to pay off in increased productivity and a reduction in workers' compensation claims. ...

Construction calendar.
October 13, 2008... Oct. 16 Journeyman/master plumbing test prep course Who: Associated Builders & Contractors of Wisconsin Inc. When: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: ABC Training Center, 5330 Wall St., Madison Cost: $99 for members, $198 for...

OSHA.
October 13, 2008... JULY Switlick & Sons Inc., Athens, reached an informal settlement with OSHA on July 3 to reduce a $1,600 specific-excavation-requirements citation to $900. The company was issued the citation June 12 during a water- and sewer-line job in...

Madison mayor says integrated housing deserves fair shake.
October 13, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz is not ready to give up on inclusionary zoning, even if other local officials and developers are. Certainly at this point, I'm looking to extend it, he said. Now that the budget is...

La Crosse billboard firm fights hotel.
October 14, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder A La Crosse advertising company is poised to sue the city if it takes down a billboard to make way for construction of a new hotel. We're trying to defend our rights, said Keith Carson, a representative for Collins...

Chloride plume creeps toward Miller Park in Milwaukee.
October 14, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The Miller Park stadium district probably will never know who's responsible for the chloride seeping under its parking lot, but the district will pay to fix the problem anyway. After spending years removing petroleum...

Madison tests neighborhood stability.
October 15, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Madison had better be careful that the information it gathers to promote development doesn't scare away those the city wants to attract, said Alderman Michael Schumacher. The thing is, city officials might not be...

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission faces certification threat.
October 15, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission ignores Milwaukee residents and should be cut off from federal money, say those opposed to the agency's recertification. But SEWRPC spent the last three years...

Professional crane operators debate cost of exams.
October 15, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Small contractors could struggle with the expense and time needed to train and certify crane operators if a federal proposal wins approval. Depending on what part of the country you go to, it's probably $3,000 a head...

Contractors, utilities and underground-pipe locators seek balance in Wisconsin's pipe safety law.
October 16, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Contractors, utilities and underground-pipe locators have yet to find balance between protecting their interests and enforcing safety standards for excavation projects. At the invitation of Diggers Hotline, the groups...

Milwaukee recycling law draws interest.
October 16, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The economics might work, but Milwaukee needs to solve some logistical problems if it requires contractors to recycle construction waste. Ann Beier, Milwaukee's director of environmental sustainability, is drafting...

Madison preps for boom on city's west side.
October 16, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder A Madison engineer says the city's west side is ill-prepared for the growth it is expected to experience in the coming years and the effect that will have on roads. Some of that growth has already occurred, and...

Neenah-based Miron Construction workers released from hospital after river accident.
October 17, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Two workers from Neenah-based Miron Construction Co. Inc. were released from Luther Hospital in Eau Claire Wednesday night after sustaining injuries during an industrial accident late Wednesday afternoon. Eau...

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point job stumbles over rough estimate.
October 17, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Aga Razvi said he's prepared for the worst when it comes to a proposed wastewater-management center and classroom for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. It's a big risk to put it in front of the Legislature...

Contractors seek hidden pipes in Oconomowoc.
October 17, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan An April 2 natural-gas explosion in Oconomowoc spurred contractors to ramp up their search for abandoned underground pipes, but the cost for complete safety is often too high. What happened in Oconomowoc kind of...

Economy batters Janesville.
October 17, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The economy is tanking, area developments are suffering and the General Motors Corp. plant is staggering toward the close of 2008. It's a bad time for Janesville-area builders to be bracing for the winter slowdown....

OSHA.
October 20, 2008... FEBRUARY Wedell Construction LLC, Windsor, reached an informal settlement with OSHA on Feb. 15 to reduce a $450 eye-and-face-protection citation to $315, a $1,500 fall-protection citation to $1,050, a $750 fall-protection-training citation...

Milwaukee antiques dealer finds treasure in City Hall's trash.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Doug Quigley is almost sold out of sculptures from the Milwaukee City Hall bell tower. In May 2006, he walked onto the City Hall renovation project and cut a deal with general contractor J.P. Cullen & Sons Inc. to buy...

City of St. Francis, Cardinal Stritch University could collaborate on storm-water management.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The best place for St. Francis to build a storm-water pond to satisfy state regulations is on valuable and protected land near the Lake Michigan shoreline. The city runs large storm-water pipes into the lake through...

Broken pipe leads to West Bend gas leak.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan A gas leak occurred Friday when contractors allegedly ruptured a pipe during an excavation project on River Road in West Bend. We Energies received a call from a contractor just after 10 a.m., and by 11:45 a.m. the...

Suicide attempts at Winnebago Mental Health Institute continue after state project errors.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The state botched a project to eliminate suicide hazards at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute and left the building open to further attempts. It was an oversight, said David Helbach, secretary of the Department...

Petition fails to stop Madison bank renovation.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder A Madison commission denied landmark status for the US Bank on Capitol Square -- a designation that could not have prevented changes to the building's facade. The board would like to see an appropriate nomination,...

Construction Calendar.
October 20, 2008... Oct. 23 Solar Energy Conference Who: Focus on Energy When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Midwest Airlines Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee Cost: $90 to $125 Information: www.focusonenergy.com Solving the puzzle...

Tax laws present changes for business.
October 20, 2008... Byline: Heather A. Kmetz Portland, Ore. -- As the economy shed jobs for the ninth consecutive month, Congress passed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prop failing U.S. credit markets and build investor confidence. ...

Wisconsin cities fight prevailing wage push.
October 21, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Municipalities are worried the state could skid down a slippery slope if developers are forced to pay prevailing wages when building infrastructure for private developments. If the state requires prevailing wages when...

WisDOT tightens its Beltline Highway safety focus.
October 21, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder As the state plans five years' worth of construction for Madison's Beltline Highway, one Madison official says the planned work is not enough. I think when you look around the corridors developing off the Beltline,...

General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee grounds hangar project.
October 21, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan General Mitchell International Airport neighbors living on East Layton Avenue will just have to deal with noise and fumes because, airport officials argue, it would cost too much to move the nearby hangars. When they...

Development cash in Wisconsin comes with federal strings.
October 22, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Interested developers must meet a strict set of requirements to get their hands on money created by the $220 million in tax credits Wisconsin received Monday. Projects that get money must be in low-income areas and...

Wisconsin Department of Transportation awaits I-39/90 expansion money.
October 22, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder If it ever gets the money, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will expand 50 miles of Interstate 39/90 between Madison and the Illinois border. Whenever it does happen, we're estimating a five-year...

Madison Area Builders Association argues its case for new housing.
October 22, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Housing construction in Dane County is stalling as developers propose fewer projects because they expect rejection. Meanwhile, local governments claim they can't approve projects that are not proposed. The Madison...

Fitchburg tries to stamp out suburban sprawl.
October 23, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Fitchburg wants to steer construction away from sprawl and toward urban growth, which leaves some developers accusing the city of succumbing to an identity crisis. They are painting themselves into a corner, said...

Builders oppose Milwaukee's local-bidding preference.
October 23, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Michael Tomasini doesn't want his company's Milwaukee address to give him an advantage when bidding city projects. Tomasini said M J Construction Inc. wins Milwaukee public works projects on an even playing field, and...

National Association of Home Builders questions healthy alternatives.
October 23, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Home builders want scientific proof before they accept ideas to improve air-quality in homes, but supporters say some changes are too important to wait. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has been...

Models of persuasion: Architectural renderings influence people to be sympathetic toward buildings.
October 24, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan They never walk alone because it makes them look isolated. They always wear the right clothing for the occasion, and the same person can show up dressed as a doctor in a hospital or as a security guard in a bank. They...

Price prompts opposition to Cassville plant.
October 24, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Cost might be the final, disputed word on the Nelson Dewey Generating Facility expansion in Cassville as decision day nears. We'll find out what the state thinks in three weeks, said Rob Crain spokesman for Alliant...

Janesville historic filling station running on empty.
October 24, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder The fate of a 78-year-old Janesville gas station is balanced between officials who want to tear it down and historians who say the building represents the city's heritage. The city's often shortsighted in tearing...

Inside JobTrac.
October 27, 2008... Shorewood/School PE Building Addition Project: Shorewood High School Physical Education Building Addition and Renovation, Shorewood Bids due: Oct. 30 Owner: Shorewood School District, Shorewood Architect: Eppstein Uhen...

Golden shovel business shines despite downturn in construction industry.(Industry overview)
October 27, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan The nationwide decline in construction work has not put a dent in the golden shovel business, and Kimberly Baeth said she does not know why. Baeth, president of Golden Openings Inc., Urbandale, Iowa, said her...

Waukesha-based Total Team Construction weathers the economic storm.
October 27, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan In the last seven months, Total Team Construction LLC bid on nine jobs and six times placed second to bids that were below the actual cost of the project. The Waukesha contractor placed third for one job and lost...

Wisconsin workers enter industry on shaky ground.
October 27, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder Zach Freter won't rule out finding a different job. If I had to, I would, he said. I'm not going to throw away everything I've worked for in my life. Freter, 29, is accumulating his final hours as an apprentice...

Wisconsin construction retiree leaves the stress behind.
October 27, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder If the statistics hold true, John Mathews won't be alive much longer. I remember a training session I went to in the early 1980s, he said. I was told the average age of death for a laborer who retires at 62 is 63...

Construction workers in Wisconsin survive at the edge of unemployment.
October 27, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Cory Cramer isn't sure he'll have a job when he goes back to work after hunting season. He has a letter from Spancrete Group Inc.'s management saying he won't, but he said managers won't confirm that with him. ...

Wisconsin commission tracks Central Park rail crossing plans.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder A railway crossing for pedestrians at Madison Central Park is exactly what the Wisconsin Railroad Commission wants to avoid. We're trying to limit the number of crossings in that area if a Central Park is going to...

Theater rehab could revive Milwaukee neighborhood.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Reopening the Tower Theater could ignite the redevelopment of North 27th Street in Milwaukee, but the cost of the project makes it a tough play. The SOHI District, which represents the area south of Highland Avenue,...

La Crosse County debates LEED's green merits.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Paul Snyder La Crosse County will pay for a greenish jail, but the price tag for LEED honors might be too steep. I'm willing to spend money for energy conservation, said County Supervisor John Medinger. But I'm not sure what we...

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District wants Kinnickinnic River project to reduce area flooding.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Some people neighboring the Kinnickinnic River may have to sacrifice their homes so the river can be an asset rather than a ditch. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District wants to work on the river to reduce the...

Milwaukee needs help from contractors in order to remove the lead from every house in the city.
October 30, 2008... Byline: Sean Ryan Milwaukee needs help from contractors because its $6.9 million federal grant isn't nearly enough to wipe out lead from every house in the city. If the city wants to reach the holy grail of eradicating childhood lead...