Roller coaster, casino, retail possible for Two Rivers development site

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By PATTI ZARLING

USA Today Network

TWO RIVERS – City leaders are putting together a development plan for the former Hamilton Manufacturing Company site and they’re looking for your ideas.

“City Hall wants to hear from you before any decisions are made on future site development,” City Manager Kyle Kordell said.
Anything from an amusement park with roller coasters to a casino to housing or retail stores — every idea will be considered.

“We are open to anything and everything right now,” he said. “We want to hear from the community about what they’d like to see there. Give us anything you’ve ever thought might be a good fit for this property. No concepts are off the table at this stage.”

The former Hamilton site is on the west bank of the East Twin River, between Jefferson Street and the riverfront, near 16th and 18th streets. The site served as the home of Hamilton Manufacturing (later Fisher-Hamilton), which produced wood type, furniture and appliances for more than 130 years.

Kordell noted the site is one of the most important redevelopment sites Two Rivers has seen in a generation, because of its large size, central location and history. What happens on the property will help shape the city’s downtown and surrounding neighborhoods for decades to come.

He said three things need to happen with the property for redevelopment to move forward.

The first is rezoning the 12-acre site from industrial to downtown business with mixed use. This would raise the criteria for how clean the soil must be. Current owners Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. agreed to the rezoning and the necessary cleanup, Kordell said. Revising the cleanup plan works for the company.

Soil sampling also must take place. Kordell said many soil samples will be taken once the ground thaws in spring and will be reviewed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

“With a little bit of luck, everything will line up and the city will buy the property,” Kordell said. “Early review shows the soil it not that bad. We’re not overly concerned about that.”

He added: “The city wants to acquire the site and market it right away. The city doesn’t want to hang onto it. Instead of just waiting for a developer to find us, we want to be proactive with marketing this prime area.”

City leaders want to see some of the space kept open for public use, he said, such as a trail or dog park.

They are seeking public input for the next few months. By the end of April, administrators hope to produce three different community site plans for consideration.

Kordell said plans could come together in May or June with a final plan approved in early summer.