By Press Times Staff

ASHWAUBENON – The village is getting financial assistance from the Wisconsin Economic Development (WEDC) Corporation to redevelop a former Schneider property for residential use.

The WEDC awarded Ashwaubenon a $476,000 grant through the Idle Sites Redevelopment Program to assist with the expense of site preparation of the 20-plus acres of land along South Broadway.

Ashwaubenon Community Development Director Aaron Schuette said the village applied for a $500,000 grant through the program for property redevelopment.

The village, which purchased the property for $1.25 million, also contracted with RiverView Construction for more than $3 million to have the infrastructure for the site to be known as Aldon Station redeveloped into residential lots for future sale.

To make way for the redevelopment, the village previously contracted for asbestos removal and remediation as well as demolition of the buildings on site.

Schuette said the village has received approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for its plans to redevelop the site, which was previously zoned industrial, for two-family and multiple-family use.

“We are good to go,” Schuette said.

The village is responsible for road construction, utilities and mitigation of environmental issues in the development area with Ashwaubenon’s costs being recovered from the sale of property.

State Senator Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay), who represents Ashwaubenon and wrote a letter earlier this year in support of the project, said the partnerships with local governments and the state to redevelop property are not only helpful, but often may be necessary.

“By redeveloping underutilized parcels with the help provided by these competitive state grant programs, we can grow property values, provide new employment opportunities, create new sources of property taxes that may offset some of the burden on residential property owners, develop new amenities for community members and spur additional economic development,” he said.

Cowles said the former Schneider site is in a desirable location for residential development next to the Fox River.

In September, the village board approved a development agreement with Radue Homes, which will purchase the lots in the development from 2020-25.

The agreement provides for the purchase of owner-occupied residential units that include 38 duplexes, 16 townhomes and five four-story condominium buildings.