Janesville moving ANGI project along
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Milton-based ANGI Energy Systems is considering a move to the former Gilman/ThyssenKrupp facility, 305 W. Delavan Drive, Janesville.
JANESVILLE — A Milton-based maker of natural gas compression equipment is one step closer to Janesville.
After a public hearing Tuesday, the Janesville Plan Commission sent a zoning amendment for ANGI Energy Systems on to the city council, which is scheduled to take up the issue Jan. 23.
If Terry McGuire and Tom Lasse of Badger Property Investments are successful in their bid to buy the former Gilman/ThyssenKrupp factory at 305 W. Delavan Drive, ANGI wants to become the building's sole tenant.
ANGI has asked the city for the zoning change to allow both incoming and outgoing deliveries on the east side of the facility off of Jerome Avenue. The previous zoning only allowed shipments out of the facility on that side.
ANGI's possible departure from Milton became public last year when the city expressed interest in moving its library, City Hall and police and fire departments into the former Burdick building, where ANGI now has about 60,000 square feet of manufacturing and material handling floor space for gas and control panel assembly, compressor assembly, welding and fabrication, machining, and hydrostatic testing.
Lasse told The Gazette in December that he and McGuire have entered a contract to buy the former Gilman building and lease all 215,000 square feet of it to ANGI. The two men also own the Burdick building in Milton.
Neighbors have expressed concern with an increase in truck traffic, its safety and the potential for property damage as trucks try to maneuver into the plant's lot off Jerome Avenue.
In the past, truck drivers have turned south off of Delavan Drive onto Jerome. They drove to the railroad tracks and then backed blindly into the Gilman lot. On occasion, that resulted in ripped up lawns and sideswiped vehicles and fire hydrants.
ANGI rented a large truck in late December and successfully demonstrated that the vehicle could be maneuvered into the plant's docks without backing up on Jerome or creating property damage, associate planner with the city Brad Schmidt said Wednesday.
ANGI plans to expand the curb cut on Jerome to make access easier, and previously grassed areas near the docks will be paved to making things easier for drivers, Schmidt said.
ANGI officials have told the city that the Janesville operation would result in six to eight trucks delivering to the facility daily, and most would be in smaller delivery-type vehicles. The company plans one or two outbound shipments daily.
An ANGI spokeswoman was unavailable Wednesday to discuss the potential move.
Jan 8, 2012 at 9:55 a.m.
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Keep an open mind to the potential.
LNG export contracts and investments already lining up on the gulf ports : see : http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chenier...
Yes, it is shale and fracking problems need to get addressed.
Jan 6, 2012 at 9:28 a.m.
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Anytime an empty building is again opened and filled with workers, it is a good thing.
Hopefully this will work out.
Jan 6, 2012 at 12:42 a.m.
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LNG is not going to "take over" oil anytime soon, even if production is slightly increasing, and it won't be an export commodity if the earthquakes and groundwater contamination issues from fracking continue to mount. Let's cool off the irrational exuberance -- there's no LNG boom in the offing. But ANGI is poised to take advantage of increased vehicular use.
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As to the Jerome Street problem, I'm surprised the place got configured so awkwardly in the first place, especially given the huge amount of unused green space in the north corner. Tweaking the apron is probably about the only possible improvement given the way that wing was built. Too bad this opportunity isn't being taken advantage of.
Jan 5, 2012 at 5:40 p.m.
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This is great news for Janesville. ANGI is part of the new energy boom in the US. We will become a net exporter of energy over the next few years as Nat Gas takes over oil for automotive and other energy uses. Gas compression companies will be in high demand, as we start to export LNG, a lot of compression capacity will be needed. It is estimated we have the next 100 years of energy covered with new shale/frac US Nat Gas reserves.
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