TWO RIVERS – Two Rivers council members have approved rezoning the site of the former Hamilton Manufacturing Company from an industrial zone to a business one.
Rezoning the area to a business district will allow a broader range of future development in the riverside property, including potential retail establishments, professional and medical offices, restaurants, personal services and even some residential development.
The change was approved unanimously by the Two Rivers City Council on March 2.
“This proposed zoning change creates greater flexibility and market responsiveness while aligning the property with the city’s long-term redevelopment objectives,” the city’s agenda said.
Two Rivers officials have been seeking public input this year on redeveloping the former Hamilton Manufacturing Company site along the East Twin River.
City Manager Kyle Kordell previously told the Herald Times Reporter all ideas are welcome, from entertainment and housing to retail, with no concepts ruled out yet.
First, there is still much work to be done to assess and implement any environmental cleaning that must be done. However, Kordell said he is optimistic the city will soon be able to buy the property from current owners Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
“The city wants to acquire the site and market it right away,” he said. “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.”
Kordell said city leaders hope to produce site plan proposals to consider by the end of April, with a final plan approved in early summer.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc County, part of the USA TODAY Network-Wisconsin. She can be reached by email at aschafer@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Two Rivers approves rezoning of former Hamilton Manufacturing site
Reporting by Alisa M. Schafer, Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter / Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter
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