Rapids East Commerce Center

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

Located in the heart of Wisconsin, the City of Wisconsin Rapids offers all the advantages a small, close-knit community, but also possesses the strong business climate and skilled workforce that have attracted nationally and globally recognized employers. While the city has a rich history in the paper industry, it is home to a diverse range of companies in all sectors, including Ocean Spray, NewPage Corp., and Renaissance Learning Inc. About two hours north of Madison, Wisconsin Rapids has a population of 18,000, and more than 175,000 people live within a 30-mile radius of the city. There are numerous educational and training programs available through Mid-State Technical College, which has a campus in the city. Wisconsin Rapids also features a quality of life that is ideal for families. In addition to 10 parks and 25 acres of recreational trails, the city has a zoo, four golf courses, three museums, and a skate park. This Certified Site comprises 51 acres in the southeastern corner of the Rapids East Commerce Center, located just off State Highway 54. There is a Canadian National rail line that runs 1,200 feet north of the site and an airport about 40 miles away.

Site Features & Contact

No significant topography issues

Roadway access

No utility easements that would prevent development

Rail access

51.32 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

51.32 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

Adam Tegen
Director of Planning and Economic Development
City of Wisconsin Rapids
444 West Grand Avenue
Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495-2780

715.421.8225

ategen@wirapids.org
WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Community Intro

Requirement Comments

Community overview

  • General community fit for industrial activity
  • Wisconsin Rapids pop.: 18,367; Wood County pop.: 74,749
  • Site is ~115 miles or 2 hour drive north of Madison and ~164 miles or 2 hour 40 minute drive from Milwaukee
  • Manufacturing remains the primary sector, however the community has experienced increasing unemployment since Consolidated Papers was acquired in 2000
  • Click here for a Wisconsin Rapids community overview.

Site environment overview

  • General surroundings fit for industrial activity
  • Site comprises the southeast corner of the Rapids East Commerce Center (RECC) and is currently undeveloped but being farmed for wheat by a local farmer
  • The southwest corner of the Commerce Center is comprised of large storage facilities for fertilizer and other agricultural products
  • There is an additional ~77 acre site proximate (across Commerce Drive), but that site is outside city limits and is not owned by the city

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
  • Site is 0.6 miles from the intersection of 48th Street and State Highway 54, then 13 miles on St. Hwy. 54 to Interstate 39, the closest major north-south highway
  • Property is only accessible from 48th Street or Commerce Drive
  • Click here to download a transportation map.

Rail access (if applicable) – not required

  • Feasibility of service (if site is to be marketed as rail-served)

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

  • Driving distance to proximate commercial airport(s) and overview of service available
  • Property is located 40 miles away (~42 min) from Central Wisconsin Airport via I-39 and SR-54
  • Property is located ~75.4 miles away (~82 min) from Outagamie County Regional Airport near Appleton via SR-54 and SR-10
  • Property is located 170 miles away (~2 hours 45 minutes) from Gen. Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee
  • Click here to download airport location information

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
  • The total useable acreage of the site is 51.32, rectangular in size
  • There is a 1.16 acre wetland on the eastern edge of the site, and a 1.67 acre power line easement on the western edge of the site, making the total parcel size 54.15 acres
  • The site is located in TIF District 6
  • Click here to download the site plan

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

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

  • ALTA survey completed in August 2013 illustrates the above-noted wetland and utility easement, as well as wooded areas in the western and southern sections of the site
  • Click here to download the ALTA Survey

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
  • The site is not within 2 miles of an airport

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

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
  • There is a 100’ overhead electric line easement running along the western and northwestern section of the site (total acreage in the easement is 1.67 acres)
  • Click here to download the ALTA Survey

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

  • Wetlands delineation study conducted on the entire site in April 2009 demonstrates the presence of one wetland on the eastern edge of the site, totaling 1.16 acres
  • 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

  • Subsurface Soil Investigation completed in December 2009 included 20 soil borings scattered across the entire site; this study documented water table depths between 2.2 feet and 5.2 feet across the site
  • The study presents detailed recommendations and considerations with regard to development of the site in light of the high water table and sandy soil composition
  • Significant investment in engineering of the site could be required for uses that require deeper foundation work or higher load-bearing capacity
  • another site developed in a proximate section of the park was designed for 2,000psf soil bearing capacity and required granular fill compacted to 95% standard proctor under the foundation, plus an additional three inches of compacted crusher run gravel under the floors
  • 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

  • WDNR Endangered Resources Review completed in August 2013 and indicated no impediments to development

Fire protection

  • Fire Insurance Classification Rating
  • Distance to the nearest servicing fire department
  • Class 3 rating applies to the entire city

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
  • Zoning Maps of immediate area and surrounding area submitted
  • West of site: Industrial Park District (rest of RECC)
  • North of site: not zoned or annexed, designated for manufacturing in the master city plan
  • South of site: not zoned or annexed, designated for agricultural in the master city plan
  • East of site: zoned agricultural
  • 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
  • Two separate distribution feeders run to a switching station ~1.5 miles south of R.E.C.C. from where the distribution system loops around the site via underground lines (adjacent to site boundary)
  • The underground distribution line adjacent to the site boundary is a 13.2 kV line and has available capacity to serve the site today

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.)
  • The Washington St. Feeder serves the underground loop at the site from the Peach Substation, ~3 miles southwest of the site
  • The Woodlands Feeder runs to the above-mentioned switching station (~1.5 miles south of R.E.C.C.) from the High School Substation, ~4 miles southwest of the site
  • Approximately 18MW is available from either the Peach Substation or the High School Substation for delivery to the site

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
  • In order to enable delivery of up to 18MW capacity to the site from the Peach Substation, the Washington St. feeder would need to be reconductored on the last mile leg from the switching station to the site
  • The reconductoring process would reportedly require approximately 2 months

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
  • We Energies has a 2” gas distribution line running along the northern boundary of the existing RECC, but that line ends ~400 feet west of the site boundary on the other side of 48th St.
  • This existing 2” line could be extended to the site within 1-2 months to provide up to 12Mbtu at a pressure of 60 psi
  • Click here to download more utility infrastructure information

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
  • The above-mentioned 2” line is served by a 4” line (We Energies) located at the western boundary of the RECC, ~1 mile from the site
  • This 4” line could be extended to serve the site to enable delivery of a total of 36Mbtu to the site (extension would reportedly require 2-3 months)
  • Click here to download more utility infrastructure information.

Proximate water and wastewater infrastructure availability and capacities

  • Wisconsin Rapids Water Works and Lighting Commission (WWLC) has a 16-inch Water main running along the entire northern boundary of the site; this 16-inch line is part of a loop that feeds the entire area around RECC.
  • WWLC has a 15” Sewer gravity main running along the entire northern boundary of the site; this line runs to the Dewey Lift Station where it connects with a 21” line that runs to the City of Wisconsin Rapids Wastewater Treatment Plant

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

  • The Water loop that feeds RECC is fed by a 2-million gallon tank at Baker Substation, and the entire system has a capacity of 6MGD, with average usage of ~2MGD
  • The Wastewater Treatment Plant underwent a major expansion in 2011, representing a $28M investment and build out of significant extra space for further capacity expansion if ever needed
  • 2013 Wastewater measurements indicate an average annual flow of 2.32 MGD and a peak monthly flow of 3.7 MGD