Bear Development and Paddock Lake officials pose for a groundbreaking photo. From left: Jonah Hetland, Bear Development; Paddock Lake Trustee Chris Kram; Paddock Lake Trustee Gary Kaddatz; Paddock Lake Trustee Gloria Walter; Paddock Lake Trustee Barb Brenner; S.R. Mills, Bear Development; and Tim Popanda, Paddock Lake village administrator.
Local, county and state officials joined representatives of a developer of a multi-family housing development for a ceremonial ground breaking Thursday afternoon in Paddock Lake.
When completed, Whitetail Ridge will include a three-story building with 50 units for senior housing and a 10-unit rental town home style building not restricted to seniors. The project is being developed by Bear Development and was the recipient of tax credits from the state for building affordable housing. It is located west of Highway F and south of Highway 50 in Paddock Lake.
State officials, including Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, used the ceremony Thursday to announce another round of tax credits like Whitetail Ridge received last year.
Other elected officials in attendance included: Paddock Lake Trustees Barb Brenner, Gary Kaddatz, Chris Kram and Gloria Walter; County Executive Jim Kreuser; and state Rep. Samantha Kerkman.
“This is such an exciting time for Paddock Lake and Kenosha County,” said Brenner, one of several speakers during a program at the site.
Paddock Lake village administrator Tim Popanda said the development is significant for a couple of reasons. First, the village has already heard from people seeking to move into the senior portion of the development.
“There’s a lot of interest,” Popanda said, adding that one family he has heard from is excited that moving to the development could mean being able to stay in the village instead of moving to Burlington for affordable senior housing.
Whitetail Ridge also represents new development in the village’s west side tax increment financing district. The additional residents should help spur the commercial development sought for the TIF, Popanda said.
“Something needed to start and this is part of it,” Popanda said. “We really think we’re going to see some significant development.” Infrastructure in the TIF can get started now.
S.R. Mills, president of Bear Development, praised the vision of village officials in creating the TIF and the courage of state officials to issue the tax credits. The tax credits help the developer bridge the gap between making such a project profitable or coming up short.
“It took some courage to figure this out,” said Mills, who pointed out that his boyhood home was less than a mile down Highway 50.
Bear Development officials have talked about a later phase of the project adding single family homes south of the multi-family buildings.
A view of a plan for the site of Whitetail Ridge (click for larger view).
A view of the exterior of the senior housing portion of the project.
Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch
Bear Development and elected officials pose for a groundbreaking photo. From left: Wyman B. Winston, executive director, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority; Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser; state Rep. Samantha Kerkman; Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch; Paddock Lake Trustee Barb Brenner; S.R. Mills, Bear Development.
