Lake Wissota Business Park

Chippewa Falls is located on the Chippewa River in Chippewa County, an hour east of the Twin Cities and adjacent to Eau Claire. The city’s 14,000 residents benefit from a diversified economy that successfully blends tourism, retail, agriculture and industry.

 A HIGHLY TRAINED WORKFORCE

Chippewa County recently received an international award for local college training programs focused on the local manufacturing industry—a consortium of about 19 local companies that designed curriculum with Chippewa Valley Technical College. Chippewa Falls is home to many large employers because of its proximity to transportation—Interstate 94 and US Highways 12, 29 and 53 are major highway arteries for the community―as well as its highly trained technically savvy workforce and its beautiful setting.

LAKE WISSOTA BUSINESS PARK

The Lake Wissota Business Park is a 200+ acre mixed-use development for industrial, office and commercial uses. The southern portion of the business park is designated for office and high/medium-amenity development, while the northern portion of the park is designated for general industrial use.

Site Features & Contact

No significant topography issues

Roadway access

No utility easements that would prevent development

Rail access

140 contiguous acres not affected by wetlands

Commercial airport access

No known environmental impediments to immediate industrial development

Freight airport access

No known archaeological/historical impediments to immediate industrial development

140 contiguous developable acres

No known impediments to immediate development related to endangered species

American Land Trust Association (ALTA) survey

Fire insurance classification rating 3

Site not located on or adjacent to flood plain

Industrial zoning

Flight path certifications not proximate of any airport

Single owner with documented willingness to sell

Charlie Walker, President/CEO
Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation
770 Technology Way
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729

715.723.7150

ccedc@chippewa-wi.com
WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Community Intro

Requirement Comments

Community overview

  • General community fit for industrial activity
  • Chippewa Falls population: ~14K; Chippewa County population: ~60K; Broader region (~50 mile radius, including Eau Claire) population of ~250K
  • 7.4 percent unemployment
  • City’s Technology Way Technical Park includes: TTM Advanced Circuits (HC: 1,000), SGI (Silicon Graphics International) (HC: 300); Cray Inc. (HC: 250); etc.
  • Chippewa Falls Logistic s Park contains tool & die companies: EDI and Allied Dies
  • Chippewa County recently received an international award for local college training programs focused on local manufacturing industry – a consortium of ~19 local companies designed curriculum with Chippewa Valley Technical College

Site environment overview

  • General surroundings fit for industrial activity
  • Site located in Lake Wissota Business Park, a 200+ acre mixed use development for industrial, office, and commercial uses
  • The southern portion of the business park is designated for office and high/medium-amenity development, while the northern portion of the park is designated for general industrial use; a few industrial users have begun to occupy the medium amenity areas: General Beer (distribution) and Chippewa River Ind.

Roadway access

  • Proximity to interstate and other highways providing convenient access for labor and logistics
  • Access roads in place to site, or plans in place to extend access road(s) to site

Rail Access (if applicable) – not required

  • Feasibility of service (if site is to be marketed as rail-served)
  • Union Pacific, Canada National and Progressive (smaller rail carrier that connects to both Union Pacific and Canada National) all present in the area
  • Progressive controls a right-of-way into the park from their transload facility across the street from the western boundary of the park – spur can easily be extended onto the site over existing right-of-way
  • Canada Northern is developing a growing intermodal yard ~3 miles south of site.
  • Click here to download a rail infrastructure map
  • Click here to download a regional transportation map

Commercial Airport Access – Access to airport(s) with commercial air service

  • Driving distance to proximate commercial airport(s) and overview of service available
  • ~10 minute drive to Chippewa County Regional Airport (between Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls) which offers direct service to Chicago
  • ~90 minute drive to MSP International Airport via I-94W

Freight Airport Access – Access to airport(s) with freight air service

Site Intro

Requirement Comments

Master Site plan and/or site plan illustrating exact dimensions and number of parcels for the specific site being submitted for certification

  • Minimum of 20 contiguous developable acres
  • Total acreage: 140 acres – includes original 106 acre “mega-site” (as indicated in the site plan) as well as the platted medium amenity plots (~34 acres to the south and southeast of the 106 acres)

Aerial photograph illustrating the specific site being submitted for certification as well as the surrounding properties

  • Aerial views illustrating site and surroundings submitted
  • West: Industrial (Cray, Inc.); East: Hwy 178 and some residential across highway; South: (across County Rd. I) developed medical campus and commercial; North: agricultural land
  • Click here to download an aerial site image

ALTA Survey (American Land Trust Association) inclusive of site being submitted for certification

Flood Plain map (FEMA-produced FIRM map)

  • No part of the site may be located on (or directly adjacent to) a flood plain

Flight path specifications (if site is within 2 miles of an airport)

  • Documentation (letter or map from FAA) indicating any restrictions related to airport proximity
  • Not applicable

Ownership – entire site must be wholly controlled by a single owner with documented willingness to sell to an industrial user

Asking Price – current asking price for sale or lease of the land must be indicated

  • Documentation of asking price on a per-acre basis
  • $15K/acre for industrial targeted sites; incentives available depending on jobs created

Topography – no significant topography issues that could present major obstacles to industrial development of the site

  • Topographic map with clearly defined contour intervals of 2’ or less

Easements – site not intersected by utility or any other easement that would prevent development of 20 contiguous acres of the site

  • Maps of all utility infrastructure directly proximate to (or intersecting) the site
  • The industrial section of the park only has one easement traversing the site: a former rail easement, which has now been converted to a Rails-to-Trails easement, which is controlled by Chippewa County; County indicated that the easement would definitely be abandoned to accommodate an industrial project, and would face no obstacles, because another trail already goes around the park in the same direction

Wetlands – demonstrate that a user can utilize 20 contiguous acres that are not affected by wetlands

  • Completed September 2012 – No wetlands delineated in areas designated for development; small pockets of wetlands found in areas designated as storm water facilities
  • Click here to download the wetland report

Environmental Assessment – no known environmental impediments to immediate industrial development

  • Phase I within the past 2 years; Remediated sites provide completed. Phase II and documentation of liability protection

Geotechnical – minimum of 5 soil borings (for 20-acre site); no presence of sink holes or limestone caves; suitable water content / water table depth

  • Completed January 2011 – 16 borings conducted on site: ~23 ft. deep
  • 2-3 ft. of LOM, then sand and gravel (estimated that sand goes down ~75 ft.)
  • No ground water or bedrock encountered
  • Click here to download the geotechnical report

Archaeological / Historical

  • No known archaeological / historical impediments to immediate industrial development

Endangered Species – no known impediments to immediate industrial development related to endangered species

  • Completed December 2012 – no actions required with regard to industrial development of the subject property; suitable habitat for bald eagle is present on the site, but no evidence of bald eagle presence observed

Fire Protection

  • Fire Insurance Classification Rating
  • Distance to the nearest servicing fire department
  • Class 3; Fire Station is ~2 miles from the Park in Chippewa Falls
  • 3-5 minute response time reported

Zoning

Requirement Comments

Industrial zoning (or equivalent) currently in place, or zoning change procedure underway as of field investigation

  • Zoning certificate and relevant ordinance; or, letter from municipal authorities communicating status of zoning change procedure as of field investigation date

Surrounding area zoning – zoning of surrounding properties compatible with industrial development of site

  • Comprehensive Plan of area (if applicable)
  • Zoning map of area including site (if applicable)
  • Existing/planned zoning of surrounding land
  • Codes, Covenants, and Restrictions on site and surrounding sites, as applicable
  • West: Industrial; East: Hwy 178 and then some residential; North: agricultural land; South: commercial section of the Park, then medical campus across County Highway I
  • Some building codes and covenants and restrictions do apply to the site
  • Click here to download more zoning information

Electric & Gas Utility Infrastructure

Requirement Comments

Proximate electric power infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Utility maps indicating location and current size / capacity of proximate transmission lines, distribution lines, and substations; Available capacity that could be provided to the site for each of the above
  • 3 hydro dams in Chippewa Falls: Wissota Dam 2 miles from park (36MW); Chippewa Falls Dam 2 miles from park (24MW); Jim Falls Dam 12 miles north of park (57MW)
  • 115kV transmission line runs east-west along County Hwy. S and northern boundary of the site, which feeds Eagle Point Substation, at the northeastern corner of the park
  • Existing distribution from Eagle Point Substation to the park is 23.9kV aerial lines along Cty. Hwy S, Commerce Parkway, and County Road I which then runs underground, south along St. Hwy. 178, thru the LWBP
  • Hydro Lane Substation located 2 miles SE of lark near Wissota Dam
  • Click here to download more electric utility information
  • Click here to download more utility infrastructure information

Detailed description of dual feed potential (current or proposed redundant service)

  • Overview (and map) illustrating dual feed electric service routes, including location, size and capacity of each node of delivery (substation, distribution line, etc.)

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of electric service to the site

  • Cost, timing, and funding responsibility of any improvements required to provide proposed service to the site

Proximate natural gas infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Utility maps indicating location and current size/capacity of proximate transmission lines, distribution lines, delivery points, etc; Available capacity that could be provided to the site for each of the above

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of natural gas service to the site

  • Cost, timing, and funding responsibility of any improvements required to provide proposed service to the site

Proximate water and wastewater infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Water: 16” water main runs along Lakeview Dr. from Commerce Pkwy. to middle of park; a separate 16” water line runs along southern site boundary
  • 1M gallon water tank SW of park, fed by 9 drilled wells in 2 fields; 4 elevated tanks across the community store a total of 2.25M
  • 2.4 MGD avg. pumped capacity for system (875 MG/yr.); current infrastructure can pump an additional 700 MG/yr.
  • Nitrate removal facility, iron and manganese removal facility
  • Chippewa Falls in in lowest 8% of state for water rates
  • Wastewater: 24” sewer line runs south along Lake Wissota Drive out of park to lift station at SW corner of site
  • Treatment plant has built capacity of 5.6M GPD and current average usage is 2.2M GPD, 40 percent of hydraulic capacity
  • Click here to download more utility infrastructure information

Introduction of any proposed improvements to/extensions of water and/or wastewater service to the site