‘Build it, they will come’ pays off for Fredonia

Fredonia’s tax incremental financing district is thriving, with just one 15-acre lot left and the village in talks with two interested parties, Village Administrator Christophe Jenkins said Tuesday.

The 51-acre TIF district encompasses the new industrial park, which was created in 2021 and is slated to end in 2040.

The village has invested about $5 million in the district, buying the land, grading it, adding roads and running utilities to the sites.

The estimated value of the land right now, Jenkins estimated, is about $7.5 million “with obviously a lot more coming.”

The first business to be completed in the industrial park is owned by Jeremy Gasiorowski, who constructed small business condos on Innovation Drive.

Gasiorowski has purchased a second parcel in the industrial park, Jenkins noted, adding he believes he plans to construct a similar facility there.

Down the street, walls are going up on Nine Ladies Dancing, a dance studio, and Paulsen Mechanical, Jenkins said, adding both buildings should be completed this year.

They are moving dirt at Meadowlark Storage, where owner Laura Logan is expanding her storage sheds onto 8.5 acres of land she owns in the industrial park. That land is across the street from her original storage facility.

A developer’s agreement was recently reached with Mirror Image Manufacturing and Finishing, which plans to build a 12,000-square-foot facility south of Paulsen Mechanical, Jenkins said. The company, which is currently operating in Belgium, plans to start construction this year.

Jenkins said Ideal Tree Service plans to set up a shop in the industrial park as well, and Badger Paperboard is expanding its facility, doubling its size.

The last property left in the TIF district, Jenkins said, is 15 acres. The village is hoping to attract one large business, he said, but is willing to split the property if needed.

The village’s real estate agent is “working on” a potential sale with two different prospective buyers, he said.

“It’s really exciting,” Jenkins said. “I hear nightmare scenarios around the state. We’re very proud to be in a position where development is actually happening.

“We’re rocking and rolling.”

He noted that the village took a chance when it created the TIF district — and it’s paid off.

“You typically create a TID when you have a bird in hand,” he said. “That wasn’t the case here. Here the philosophy was if you build it, they will come.

“Fortunately, we had the right people in place to really make this work.”

Key to the TIF district’s success is the fact it is located just off Highway 57, a major route for businesses, Jenkins said.

Another key to success, he said, is the fact the village was conservative in its cost estimates and the value of potential businesses there.

For example, Jenkins said,  the village estimated that Gasiorowski’s project would be valued at $150,000, and it came in at close to $500,000.

The village is also benefiting, he said, because officials work hard to welcome new businesses.

“Every community says they’re business friendly. We mean it,” Jenkins said.

Officials and staff work to streamline the approval process and connect potential businesses with Ozaukee Economic Development and organizations that can help them with financing and business credits, he said.

“We welcome anybody with open arms,” Jenkins said. “That’s been our philosophy since day one.”