Foxconn update: Southern Racine County rumored to be top contender for facility
Business reporters in Milwaukee were abuzz the other day as several things happened that fueled more speculation on Foxconn's future in SE Wisconsin, including potential sites. It's good news for Milwaukee's southern suburbs, mainly Franklin and Oak Creek, due to the rumored location for the massive facility for iPhone and Sharp television manufacturing.
As the Journal Sentinel honed in on a Taiwanese corporate jet baring Foxconn's corporate colors landing at Mitchell International Airport, additional reports came out that House Speaker Paul Ryan met with Foxconn officials at the governor's request, and after narrowing down sites it's looking like Kenosha County lost out in favor of large parcels along I-94 in Racine County. This is speculated due to several political occurrences all happening at the same time:
The Racine County Board approved $500,000 to their economic development board for activities related to unspecified projects
Racine's Mayor told the Journal Sentinel that representatives with the Foxconn recruitment efforts approached him to see if water and sewer could be extended westward to I-94
The Villages of Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant met jointly in closed session to discuss a potential future development project in Racine County
If Foxconn chooses southern Racine County, such as the I-94/Hwy 11 interchange, for their facility, that's an 18-minute drive from Hwy 100 and Loomis, and a mere 10 mins from Franklin's southeastern most point at 27th and County Line Road. Why that interchange? Because it would make sense for both villages to meet jointly to discuss the potential facility if it located there - Hwy 11 travels through Sturtevant, is a major road that connects Burlington to the west with Racine to the east, and likely any water and sewer from Racine would have to go through that tiny village before hitting the massive open fields along I-94 in Mount Pleasant near the interchange.
Given several factors, namely the lack currently of sewer and water in northern Racine County in areas like western Caledonia, Raymond, and Yorkville, it leaves Franklin and Oak Creek as top contenders for Foxconn employees who don't mind a short commute and still want to live closer to Milwaukee's attractions and amenities, and enjoy the suburban life of Milwaukee southern suburbs - namely the great schools and excellent services like police, fire and parks.
All of this comes on the heels of FT's previous post, which highlights the numerous apartment developments being proposed for Franklin and Oak Creek's side of 27th Street between College and Drexel, and additionally Neumann Companies' proposal for a subdivision and condo development near 76th & Oakwood Road also puts those homes within sight of potential Foxconn employees, should the company decide to build in Racine County.
Lastly, the news that keeps coming out should be a constant reminder to political leaders in both Franklin and Oak Creek to monitor the action - Foxconn's rumored 10,000 new employees will likely be a lot more than that for the communities after factoring in loved ones and families of those employees moving in.