Downtown Janesville plan appears to be victim of Great Recession
Podcast Episode
Plans to revitalize downtown Janesville are being chilled by the economy. The Janesville Gazette reports many of the organizations part of the plan developed in 2007 don't have money needed to execute the plan. Kyle Geissler reports.
Photo 
John R. Beckord
JANESVILLE — Nearly four years old, Janesville’s most recent downtown revitalization plan appears destined for a graveyard of plans long past, a victim of poor timing and the Great Recession of the late-2000s.
The 133-page study—the “City of Janesville Downtown Vision and Strategy”—was unveiled in late 2007 with much fanfare.
It carried four tenets:
-- Develop a cohesive vision for the downtown.
-- Identify key gaps, opportunities, and catalytic projects for the downtown.
-- Develop a clear and achievable implementation strategy.
-- Create a clear structure and public-private partnerships to implement the recommendations.
But within a little more than a year of the plan’s unveiling, the economy tanked.
Four years hence, and very little of the plan has been implemented.
Those involved in downtown development say progress is slow, but, they say, the operative word there is “progress.”
“I think we sometimes lose sight of the fact that progress has been made,” said John Beckord, president of Forward Janesville, the city’s private economic development organization.
“It’s not too long ago that we addressed one issue and dedicated a brand new parking ramp. There are ideas out there … the enthusiasm for the vision hasn’t dwindled.”
The plan
A key component of the plan was the creation of two different public-private partnerships to guide downtown revitalization.
One would have been the Downtown Renaissance Partnership, a small group of members appointed by the city and Forward Janesville to spearhead major redevelopment projects with funding provided primarily by city.
The other partnership would have involved a restructuring of the Downtown Development Alliance and the Janesville Design and Development Center into a new Downtown Action Alliance responsible for operations, beautification, business recruitment and marketing. It’s funding was suggested to come from a proposed Business Improvement District supported by assessments on its property owners.
None of that has happened.
The city and Forward Janesville are struggling with funding issues of their own. In fact, Forward Janesville dissolved the JDDC at the end of 2010 for that very reason.
The Downtown Development Alliance is still very much alive, but it’s trying to chart its course as an unfunded organization.
“Right now, we’re putting donation boxes in downtown businesses so we can put up holiday lights,” said Jeni Sauser, the DDA’s president. She said the group has discussed voluntary membership as a way to raise money, but that would put the group in competition with Forward Janesville and probably not raise all that much money anyway.
Another BID proposal is likely out of the question.
A previous attempt failed in 2003 when property owners representing 40 percent or more of the district’s assessed value—the benchmark defined in state law—signed a petition in opposition to a BID.
The same thing happened in 2008, when owners of about 45 percent of the district’s value opposed the study-supported BID proposal.
Sauser said a third run at a BID is not on the DDA’s radar, particularly given the difficult economy and a citywide property reassessment that boosted commercial assessments by an average of 27 percent.
“Times are tough,” she said. “We don’t even talk about a BID.”
It’s the economy
Sauser said the latest downtown plan is more a victim of poor timing than anything else.
“It’s nobody’s fault,” she said. “There are just a lot of things that happened.”
Beckord agrees.
“It’s no secret that resources are scarce, that belt-tightening is the order of the day,” he said. “Right now, it’s awfully hard to put the pencil to paper on a private sector project that works.
“Everyone’s strapped, and it’s just very difficult to raise money. But I’m still a firm believer that money follows good ideas.”
It’s not impossible, both said, that a private investor could emerge with an idea and the funding for a significant downtown project. It’s happened before, they said, noting redevelopment projects such as the Armory, Riverfront Athletic Centre and The Speakeasy.
But the current economic climate makes the prospects for such a scenario uncertain.
What’s ahead?
Beckord said the city has a number of infrastructure ideas that will help downtown revitalization.
Sometime in the next couple of years, the city is expected to change a portion of East Milwaukee Street from one-way traffic to two-way, a move supported by the DDA to make downtown a more conducive market for buyers and sellers.
Sauser said the recent “Rock Around the Block” was an overwhelming success, an example of an event that gets people excited about downtown Janesville.
“I think that’s one thing the DDA can do, concentrate on more events,” she said. “If we can just get a few things like that that have some teeth and staying power …”
With a budget based on volunteer efforts and free-will donations, Sauser said the DDA needs to better communicate with other groups to coordinate efforts and events.
“We all need to get together as one group and work together to promote things all around the community,” she said.
Another challenge, she said, is infusing the DDA with new blood. Many of the group’s volunteers have been carrying the water for years, and burnout will become a factor, she said.
The group is looking at social media as a way to recruit new volunteers and promote downtown Janesville.
“We need some new ideas, some new blood,” she said.
Beckord said a major downtown issue will be the parking plaza over the Rock River.
“It’s a difficult issue, one that’s been tossed around since well before I got here,” he said. “It certainly engenders a lot of passion on both sides.
“The real question, I think, is that if the plaza is removed, how will the city creatively replace that parking?”
Forward Janesville, Beckord, said, finds itself in a support role for downtown Janesville. It doesn’t have the resources to invest in projects, and it’s own staff is about half the size of previous staffs that worked on previous downtown plans.
“Our priorities are certainly different,” he said. “But we are certainly here to support downtown development.”
He applauds the DDA, which he said soldiers on without dedicated funding.
He also believes the commitment from City Hall is at an all-time high, even with its own budget challenges.
And finally, Beckord said there are several individuals working behind the scenes who have a strong vision for downtown Janesville.
“It’s been slow, but we’re making progress in some troubled times,” he said. “There are several things to be encouraged about.”
PAST STUDIES
Janesville has bookshelves lined with downtown studies, reports and plans. Here are those filed in the last 24 years:
-- 2007, City of Janesville Downtown Vision and Strategy.
This study was designed to develop a cohesive vision for the downtown, identify key opportunities and develop an implementation plan with public-private partnerships.
-- 2006, City of Janesville Downtown Parking Study.
This study consisted of an inventory of available parking spaces and an occupancy survey to determine space utilization during weekday business hours.
-- 2000, Downtown Design Guidelines Manual.
The guidelines were prepared to help guide responsible design and property improvements in the downtown area toward the goals of economic viability, aesthetic quality, and preservation of valuable resources.
-- 2000, Janesville Downtown Historic Preservation Plan.
This plan was designed to protect downtown Janesville’s historic resources by prioritizing individual buildings and districts for preservation and reinvestment, identifying specific areas and opportunities for rehabilitation and redevelopment and providing design guidelines that promote appropriate development and rehabilitation.
-- 1998, Janesville Riverfront Development Strategy.
This was a guide for developing the Rock River corridor between the Memorial Bridge and the Crosby/Willard Bridge.
-- 1996, Downtown Janesville Economic Enhancement Study “Excitement on the Rock”
Commissioned by Forward Janesville, the HyettPalma study used a comprehensive analysis to define a specific economic enhancement strategy for the downtown.
-- 1988, Downtown Plan and Revitalization Strategy.
This plan contained a long-range physical concept plan, a short-range action plan, and provided the structure to guide and coordinate public and private interests in downtown revitalization efforts.
-- 1987, Forward Janesville Planning and Design Project Final Report.
The purpose of this project was to identify the perceptions of a broad cross section of Janesville residents regarding major problems and opportunities facing their community and to propose alternative future development options.
Sep 20, 2011 at 10:31 a.m.
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Downtown is our history and without it where did we come from. It would sadden many to see the history of downtown go by the wayside.
Sep 10, 2011 at 8:31 p.m.
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The death of the Downtown Plan is a victim of "Lack of vision" not the recession! Another study, another bunch of money and the same result. Sounds a bit like insanity doesn't it???
Sep 10, 2011 at 8:28 p.m.
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Where's the talker Walker?
Him and Ryan used Janesville to promote propaganda.....so where's the jobs?
I thought the talk by Walker to the Green coats a while back was the big deal.
Sep 10, 2011 at 5:39 p.m.
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Oreally, that's the can-do spirit I've come to expect from Janesville: "Let's just give up. Maybe something will happen." Boy, we'll really get somewhere with that attitude.
Sep 10, 2011 at 3:54 p.m.
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Frankly, the best thing we could do about downtown is demolish it over time, keep the area around the river nicely maintained, and see what happens. We might be pleasantly surprised. Right now, it's a flood plain occupied by apparently derelict buildings. I think we all know that it has no future as is. By its very existence it prevents the future from differing from the present.
Sep 10, 2011 at 3:42 p.m.
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“I think we sometimes lose sight of the fact that progress has been made . . . we . . . dedicated a brand new parking ramp."
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Eeew. Parking ramps are a leading contributor of nonpoint source pollution. That's progress? You can't really blame the economy for that kind of thinking.
Sep 10, 2011 at 1:46 p.m.
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....local officials everywhere must just want scumbag bars in their downtowns and nothing else....
Sep 10, 2011 at 1:43 p.m.
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I generally avoid ALL downtowns and have for at least the last 10 years.
When I can't get out of my car and walk from business-to-business without being assaulted by HORRENDOUS racket by illegal exhaust pipes mostly from motocycles, I will NOT go there.
I go to malls, big box stores, and fast-food joints where I generally don't have to put up with that.
Sep 10, 2011 at 12:53 p.m.
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Does this mean GM is not coming back to Janesville?
Sep 10, 2011 at 12:01 p.m.
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No mayor = No leadership = No vision. All of the plans listed here were very weak during a time of the city's properity. By comparison, the city has done nothing to incentivize downtown and it's probably too late now. All of the "entitlements," the perks, dereg favors and media hype have gone to incentivizing vacant farmland and scattered site development. Without a downtown, a city lacks a cultural core to it's identity. Again, without leadership, Janesville will remain a somewhat nice but boring and very generic town. If you're not used to it by now or unhappy - you should move.
Sep 10, 2011 at 10:21 a.m.
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As Janesvillean stated in his post it's about vision.
Until there is a plan that shows what the end product will look like this saga will continue.
It will take cooperation between city government and private owners to get there.
This lack of cooperation has been the hold up all along, despite the 'excuse' stories such as this one.
For instance, changing the directions of the streets is not even one of the magic answers.
Sep 10, 2011 at 9:28 a.m.
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The recession ended in June of 2009. Where does the ice arena fit into the 2007 plan? A key component of the DDA/DRP is that its a public private partnership. At the end of the day if there is no compelling reason to go downtown it will never become what it could be.
Sep 10, 2011 at 8:41 a.m.
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When will they get it through their thick heads ??? It's all about FREE PARKING.. FREE PARKING.. FREE PARKING.. & plenty of it. Just like at the malls..
Sep 10, 2011 at 7:34 a.m.
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I like your attitude fear, just because you may disagree with a post doesn't make that person unintelligent. I tire of all the name calling and just plain hate that emanates from certain people on here. When I first started posting on this site it was to discuss the problems within our society today. There are times when i will post things I generally don't agree with just so there is an opposing viewpoint. I am neither a democrat or republican. But I do find it troubling that there are some people so incredibly bent on enforcing their own beliefs on others. That's not what these discussions are for.
By the way fear, walleyes are hitting on Williams Bay and smallies off of Conference Point on Lake Geneva. Take a trip over there today.
Sep 10, 2011 at 6:36 a.m.
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Oh my gosh ! Do you mean that this attempt failed too? Who would have ever guessed that ? Oh golly gee.
More money down the drain. Who wants to predict When will they spend thousands on yet another "study"? When will they learn?
Sep 10, 2011 at 6:33 a.m.
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If creating a BID district is impossible then hopes for a downtown recovery will remain dim. Voting against it was short sighted in the extreme. The small amount of additional taxes that downtown property owners would have paid would have been recovered many times over in increased viability of their businesses and increased value in their downtown investment. Without a BID district all bets are off.
Sep 10, 2011 at 5:07 a.m.
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Making some progress is better than no progress. Times are difficult and goals may have to now be projected over a longer period of time. A personal note - having Walker visit or was he asked by Forward Janesville to come to Janesburg was not a positive move with so many people against him. There are many in the business community that are not getting all the benefits that Walker is handing out to some.
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:55 p.m.
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I would like to point out that the user Iriss , copies and pastes "its" rhetorical garbage on every single post.
With almost NEVER any factual information in its posts , I would please urge all of you to continue to call this unintelligent person out , every single chance you get.
While IRISS likes to encourage ignoring posters "it" disagrees with , I would encourage you all to continue vigorous debate with all and any posters on these sites. Even the most silly and unitelligent. While there are some very intelligent folks I disagree with on here constantly and vigorously, I respect MOST of you and enjoy the opinions.
Iriss if you really want people to just agree with your ridiculous ideas and cant handle the challenge of REAL and VIGOROUS debate, I suggest that you start your own blog, and get out of here because you rarely if ever bring anything to the discussion.
Unlike Iriss, this will be the first and only time I ever am childish enough to copy and paste a post to every thread. But it was time someone called this embicile to the table.
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:27 p.m.
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It sounds to me like the DDA is more like DOA from all the comments here.
Beckford states that "Sometime in the next couple of years, the city is expected to change a portion of East Milwaukee Street from one-way traffic to two-way, a move supported by the DDA to make downtown a more conducive market for buyers and sellers". How is that going to make it better for businesses I ask once again? If two way traffic makes it better for businesses, wouldn't that have been done many years ago back when downtown was thriving? You can look at photos of downtown Janesville from the 50's, 60's and 70's and even some from the 80's and the one thing that they all have in common is one way traffic, I again ask that this be considered further before we waste anymore tax dollars doing so. It will be the death of what little the downtown has by doing this, traffic will be a huge mess for those who use the downtown as a route to travel to and from work, and will eventually make them go around downtown to avoid this, and once they no longer drive past these stores, it will be another case of out of sight, out of mind. I will say it once again here, you can make the traffic go in any direction you want, but in the real business world you need to give people a reason to come and shop downtown at your business and changing traffic direction will not be the answer you are looking for! You have to create a want for people to shop, make us want to come and buy from your store, don't just try and drive me in that direction, otherwise you are no longer a destination, your a place to stop and ask for directions......
Sep 9, 2011 at 11:18 p.m.
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Can the circuit be moved back there now?
Sep 9, 2011 at 9:25 p.m.
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Things change. Sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. I still like the cave at Monterey Park
Sep 9, 2011 at 8:40 p.m.
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Thousands of dollars invested into all this......gone. Glad my money is being spent wisely.
Sep 9, 2011 at 8:09 p.m.
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I love this type of story. It will no doubt be a part of this community's history - I just hope it will be a part of the beginning of a new future and not a harbinger of the beginning of the end.
Sep 9, 2011 at 8:07 p.m.
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People are living in a dreamworld. The downtown is not coming back. Have people not heard we had or have a recession? We are heading toward the next great depression. Do you really think money should be put into the downtown? Not.
Sep 9, 2011 at 7:10 p.m.
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oh and didn't the police get alot more money in tickets and parking meters when it was running.. and it was just a blast.. I loved going down there, I made some life long friends that i would have never met other wise, people came from two and three counties away every weekend just for that, and they all bought gas and food, I remember going to see a movie.. long gone.. so sad, what do kids realy have these days?
Sep 9, 2011 at 7:06 p.m.
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I know nobody wants to hear it just like they didn't years ago but the worst thing that city ever did was turn into big brother and shut down the circut.. Still to this day hear people say they won't go downtown Janesville just because of that, what did they really gain anyway?.. I personally never understood why they shut it down, I heard some lame reasons about some busniess did like it but they way I understood it they weren't even open when people were there.. so I think downtown got what they asked for and now they are ticked about it, they wanted people out, well they are gone,, there you go.. you shoved them to milton where they now have a longer distance between stop lights and a higher speed limit, That was smart! and now me and my friends and family won't go there on the weekends because the traffic sucks there too,, so.. all I will say is.. It's your fault Janesville, You got what you asked for!!
Sep 9, 2011 at 6:21 p.m.
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Exactly, frogger -- people don't realize that when they have been paying a lower tax because of a lag in reassessment, it is all the other taxpayers who are picking up the tab. I don't mind this happening, I do mind people whining about it and failing to acknowledge the subsidy.
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Realistically, nobody wants to "bring back" downtown. We can't reverse time and eliminate the automobile and all the other reasons that sprawl development on the dge of town is attractive. But the issue is that the downtown is STILL THERE. It didn't go away. No matter what condition it is in it will still need plans and projects. Unfortunately, nobody in Janesville really has the vision that even next door Beloit does. They have revitalized their downtown -- albeit in large part with the help of a billionaire and his widow -- and have even sought out recognition for their success. All this while still developing the Gateway project on the east side. It is possible, but Janesville too often seems ready, as BBB is, to just forget about the downtown as if it lost a game and is now something to ignore. Well, teams lose games and they still exist for the rest of the season, and the next.
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In the real world we can't just write off part of town, fence it off, and lock the gates, the way a certain other entity has done.
Sep 9, 2011 at 5:49 p.m.
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I found the Speakeasy assessment very interesting. Whe you bought the dump you paid taxes on what it was worth then and have been paying the same "dump value" for 8 years approx. Now you have to pay what is is really worth and you even said so it was assessed by the bank for A LOT and you say the city is screwing you. Just think the tax amount MORE you ould pay if you were on Milton Av.
Sep 9, 2011 at 5:47 p.m.
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"The city has done nothing to incentivize downtown."
This is interesting. So you should be paid to have a business downtoen that would be less overhead than one on Milton Ave.
I am getting REALSICK of gimmemgimmemgimmee from EVERYBODY.
Sep 9, 2011 at 5:11 p.m.
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Keep drawing TIFs around fertile vacant land at the edges of town and then punish downtown property owners with crazy tax DIS-incentives and knuckle-headed BID ideas. I'm surprised some are still toughing it out downtown. For what? Might as well board it up and move your business down Milton Ave. The city has done nothing to incentivize downtown.
Sep 9, 2011 at 4:46 p.m.
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I like how they say "It's nobodys fault" YES IT IS. It's the citizens of Janesvilles fault for not being smart enough to make an income. If the citizens have the income the city has the tax base. Their are PLENTY of citys in this country that are going right ahead with their plans.. But what's the difference? They are tech towns and we are a union factory town.... One takes a college degree, the other takes a degree in finding the best bar after work...
Sep 9, 2011 at 4:44 p.m.
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So do we not have enough parking for all the business that you keep saying ISN'T going on down town.
the quoted section here is Janesvillean from a different article.My comment follows.
Posted on September 9 at 9:02 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
"Those 45 spaces will go a long way to relieving the terrible shortage of parking downtown. Why, a month or two back I was only able to count 250 empty spaces within two blocks of One Parker Place at 2pm on a weekday! It's an urgent crisis indeed."
Shortage- the ONLY time I saw a shortage is when thousands of people attended rock around the block. People cannot handle walking a couple blocks. Even been to Chicago where it is a couple blocks just to get OUT of the parking garage??? To bad if you cannot park in front of the building. If you park in the ramp the WHOLE downtown is within walking distance. Park there and walk- you may lose a few LBs. I am so tired of hearing there is no place to park. If you go to the big box store or the mall I don't hear you complain when you have to park in the back 40. Same distance as down town if you have to park two stores down. Lazy Janesville. Maybe the entitlement they should just bring the product to your door for free so you don't need to get your lazy arse of the couch???!!!
Sep 9, 2011 at 4:42 p.m.
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Ya think?
Sep 9, 2011 at 4:24 p.m.
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I think the people who believe downtown is going to come back live in a dream world.
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