A collection of warehouses encompassing an entire city block near downtown Sheboygan are slated for redevelopment that could include housing, a marketplace and a brewery.
Carmel, Indiana-based KCG Development wants to redevelop 250,000 square feet of buildings, constructed between the 1920s and 1970s that are located on the block bound by Maryland Avenue, South 10th Street, Illinois Avenue, and South 11th Street.
The development also includes a 0.2-acre parcel adjacent to the buildings and a 0.37-acre site along the Sheboygan River across Commerce Street.
The main buildings could include up to 115 apartments. On the southeast portion of the property, 8,000 to 10,000 square feet will likely be turned into commercial space that could possibly be used for a brewery, said Matthew Gilhooly, development analyst with KCG Development.
“We have walked the building a number of times with our architect to get a feel for what we might be able to do,” Gilhooly said.
Currently, the building is owned by Chris Coakley, president of Milwaukee-based Coakley Bros. Co. The first floor is used for storage and the remainder of the building is primarily vacant. Gilhooly said if the project moves forward, KCG would purchase the building.
The overall project cost is upwards of $20 million and KCG will likely seek city assistance.
“We are very much at the beginning stages and there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle to put together with financing. We’re probably looking at eight to 12 months before construction, although we would shoot to do it quicker if possible.”
The Sheboygan plan commission will consider rezoning the property tonight. If approved, the developer will come back to the city with development plans for the site, said Steve Sokolowski, manager of planning and zoning.
Much of the complex was originally constructed by the Badger State Tanning Company in the 1920s after the original complex was destroyed by fire.
KCG plans to work with the State Historic Preservation Office and the National Parks Service to determine the best way to move forward with the historic buildings.
The site is located in a predominately industrial neighborhood on the edge of residential, commercial and retail uses. The building is expected to be eligible for historic designation and the redevelopment would preserve the history of the nearly 100 year old complex, according to documents filed with the city.
KCG has done six other projects in Wisconsin, including three historic adaptive re-use. The company is planning to close on a project in Fond du Lac that is an adaptive re-use creating 48 residential units.
