Party on the Pavement set for Saturday

From The Journal Times.com:

Ryan Patterson

The 23rd annual Party on the Pavement Street Festival will return to Downtown Racine on Saturday, Sept. 19. 

Alex Rodriguez

RACINE — The 23rd annual Party on the Pavement will take place from noon-7 p.m. Saturday in Downtown Racine.

The 12-block street festival, recognized as the Best in State by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, according to a news release, includes several blocks downtown being closed to vehicle traffic.

Admission is free.

Twelve blocks of Downtown Racine will host the 23rd annual Party on the Pavement on Sept. 19.

Submitted

There will be many food, drink and shopping options available to buy.

Music at several stages will take place throughout the day, with genres including blues, rock, jazz and R&B.

A new event is live wrestling, which is scheduled to take place from 2-5 p.m. at the intersection of Main and Sixth Streets.

Sweatshop Movement will perform hip-hop and breakdance battles at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Sixth Street.

Party on the Pavement attendees enjoy the festivities on Main Street in 2023. The 23rd annual event will take place from noon-7 p.m. Saturday in Downtown Racine.

Hanna Van Den Einde

The Division BMX Stunt Team is set to perform at the intersection of College Avenue and Sixth Street at 12:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Mini-German Fest at Sixth Street and Park Avenue will feature live Bavarian music, bratwurst, pretzels, schnitzel and German beers.

There will also be a classic car show on Sam Johnson Parkway, disc golf, axe throwing and a mechanical bull.

Fr0m: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/education/article_1fb47564-88d2-4479-b0a8-a6e95bf9cf37.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

            Recent stories by Racine Journal Times reporter Ryan Patterson

Microsoft's Mount Pleasant data center employs 375 people

From JSOnline:

Ricardo Torres

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

More than 375 people are working at Microsoft's Mount Pleasant data center, a company executive says.

Bowen Wallace, corporate vice president for Microsoft, gave an update on the project to the Racine County Economic Development Corp. on May 7 at its "Impact 2026" event in Racine.

"We've hired over 375 full-time Microsoft employees," Wallace said. This includes workers who deploy network server devices, operate and maintain electrical and plumbing control systems.

Microsoft is nearing the full completion of its first data center in Mount Pleasant and the company plans to have roughly 500 workers at that facility when it's completed.

A second data center is currently under construction, which Wallace said, at its peak, will have roughly 3,000 construction jobs.

Microsoft is planning to add 15 more data centers to its property in Mount Pleasant during the next decade.

Wallace called the Racine County project the "absolutely flagship supercomputer in Microsoft's portfolio."

"When this project started back in 2023, it went from an idea to construction start faster than any project in our portfolio had ever done before and ever done since," Wallace said.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/05/08/microsoft-has-more-than-375-workers-at-mount-pleasant-data-center/89985117007/

Microsoft's data center will make it Racine County's top taxpayer

From JSOnline:

Ricardo Torres

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

For the last several years, the Foxconn Technology Group has been the largest taxpayer in Racine County. But in 2026 it will be dethroned when Microsoft pays property taxes for massive data centers being developed nearby. 

Based on Microsoft’s assessed property value from Racine County, the company's facilities in Mount Pleasant are worth about $1.224 billion, which means its tax bill is $19.75 million.  

Microsoft is in the process of building a second data center in Mount Pleasant and has committed to spend roughly $7.3 billion on its development in Racine County.

In 2026, Microsoft's property value will increase as construction continues. The company is also searching for another location, possibly in Racine County, for another data center.

In a statement, a Microsoft spokesperson said: "We believe our data center operations serve as an economic and innovation driver for the region, and we look forward to our continued partnership with the community of southeast Wisconsin to build out that vision."

Across the road, a facility developed and owned by Taiwan-based Foxconn is valued at $514 million with a tax bill of $8.3 million. That's a fraction of the initial investment promised by the tech company when it announced Racine County development plans several years ago. 

Foxconn had been the largest taxpayer in the county since 2020 when it paid $5 million on its property assessed at $260 million at the time.

In 2025 Foxconn announced it was planning to add more than 1,300 jobs at its facilities in Mount Pleasant and could get $16 million from Wisconsin taxpayers, according to an agreement with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.

With that expansion, Foxconn could receive up to $96 million in state tax credits through 2029.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Tom Daykin contributed to this report.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2026/01/05/huge-microsoft-data-center-will-push-past-foxconn-as-top-taxpayer/87920779007/

GZ PrintPak invests $7M in Mount Pleasant bag plant, creating 40 jobs

From JSOnline:

La Risa R. Lynch

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Holiday season shoppers might be bringing home a piece of Wisconsin – a shopping bag made in Mount Pleasant.

GZ PrintPak, a global printing and packaging company, this year began manufacturing paper bags for high-end retailers at its new facility, at 13505 Louis Sorenson Road.

The company now plans to expand its Racine County operation to produce collapsible and standard rigid boxes, along with co-packing services.

The company will invest $7.1 million into its 69,000 square-foot manufacturing facility, creating 40 jobs, according to a Dec. 4 announcement.

“We’re really proud to be here, because Wisconsin offers an ideal mix of workforce availability, infrastructure, and location advantages – enabling us to better serve our customers across North America,” said Peter Levenec, chairman and chief commercial officer of GZ Media, GZ PrintPak's corporate parent.

GZ Media, based in the Czech Republic, is the world’s largest vinyl record producer.

GZ PrintPak is the only U.S. manufacturer to have developed an automated system for producing fully recyclable luxury paper bags, according to the company.

The company says it offers an attractive alternative to overseas suppliers by leveraging tariff-free manufacturing and competitive pricing.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is supporting the expansion by authorizing up to $300,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The tax credits are contingent on the number of jobs created and the capital invested in the project.

“Wisconsin is known as a global leader in the paper industry, and GZ PrintPak is the kind of innovative international paper manufacturing company that belongs in Wisconsin,” said Sam Rikkers, WEDC deputy secretary and chief operating officer.

The expansion also was praised by officials from the Racine County Economic Development Corp., the Village of Mount Pleasant, and the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development agency.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2025/12/10/czech-company-gz-printpak-making-high-end-paper-bags-in-wisconsin/87691347007/

Foxconn promises 1,374 new jobs, gets $16 million more in state money

From JSOnline:

Foxconn to invest additional $569 million over four years

Tom Daykin

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Foxconn Technology Group is getting another $16 million from Wisconsin taxpayers in return for the company expanding its Mount Pleasant operations by adding more than 1,300 jobs.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., a state agency, approved what it calls "performance-based tax incentives" for Foxconn, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer.

The company said the additional work was tied to demand from data centers such as the massive $7.3 billion Microsoft complex under construction nearby on land previously controlled by Foxconn.

The state funds will support the company’s investment of an additional $569 million, creating 1,374 new jobs over the next four years, according to the agency's Nov. 25 announcement. 

With that expansion, Foxconn could receive up to $96 million in state tax credits through 2029.

Under the amended WEDC contract, the company will create 2,616 jobs and spend $1.2 billion in capital investments during that period.  

“WEDC has been committed to ensuring Foxconn’s success and growth in our state,” said Sam Rikkers, deputy secretary and chief operating officer, in a statement.

Foxconn says it's expanding to meet rising demand from U.S. customers.

“As the demand for more data infrastructure continues to rise, Foxconn will keep responding to our customers’ needs with flexibility and at scale in the United States,” said Jerry Hsiao, chief product officer.

This is Foxconn’s second contract amendment with WEDC.

A 2021 agreement allowed Foxconn to earn up to $80 million in state tax credits by the end of 2025 based on the company’s planned investment of $672 million and creation of 1,454 jobs.

WEDC says it's verified that as of Dec. 31, 2024, Foxconn had invested nearly $717 million in its Mount Pleasant operations and created 1,242 jobs, qualifying the company for $62.9 million in tax credits.

Then-Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn in 2017 agreed to a $2.85 billion tax incentive package ― including state and local funds ― if the company met annual hiring and capital investment goals.

Foxconn promised to bring 13,000 high-tech jobs to Wisconsin and create a massive large-screen LCD manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant.

But those plans failed to materialize, and Foxconn instead shifted to contract manufacturing with fewer jobs and lower capital investments.

That led to the 2021 renegotiated WEDC contract under the administration of Gov. Tony Evers.

Meanwhile, much of the land acquired for Foxconn has since been sold to Microsoft Corp. for its data center campus.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/real-estate/commercial/2025/11/25/foxconn-gets-new-16-million-in-tax-credits-for-expanding-operations/87471431007/

Foxconn approved for $8.75 million in state tax credits. The company had 1,114 workers in 2023

From JSOnline:

Tom Daykin

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Foxconn Technology Group's Wisconsin operations − which shrank from an envisioned transformational development to an ordinary contract manufacturer − have been approved for $8.75 million in annual state tax credits, according to a new state agency report.

The tax credits are for employing 1,114 full-time workers and investing $24.6 million at Foxconn's Racine County operations in 2023, according to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. report.

Taiwan-based Foxconn in 2023 received $6.3 million in tax credits. It had 1,029 full-time workers and invested more than $26 million at its Mount Pleasant facilities in 2022, according to WEDC.

Then-Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn in 2017 agreed to a $2.85 billion tax incentive package − including state and local funds − if the company met annual hiring and capital investment goals.

Foxconn promised to bring 13,000 high-tech jobs to Wisconsin and create a massive large-screen LCD manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant.

But those plans failed to materialize, and Foxconn instead shifted to contract manufacturing.

A 2021 renegotiated agreement under Gov. Tony Evers' administration allows the company to receive up to $80 million in state tax credits through 2025.

In return, the job target was reduced from 13,000 to 1,454, and Foxconn's estimated capital investment was cut from $10 billion to $672 million.

The company so far has received tax credits totaling $52.5 million since 2000, WEDC records show.

Meanwhile, much of the land acquired for Foxconn has since been sold to Microsoft Corp. for its data center campus.

In May, Microsoft announced it would spend $3.3 billion by 2026 to build a first phase of the project, a threefold increase from the $1 billion it initially said it would spend.

That investment by Microsoft is expected to generate enough property tax revenue to pay back the money spent by Racine County and the Village of Mount Pleasant to acquire land and build roads, sewers, and other infrastructure for the original Foxconn development plan.

Foxconn didn't immediately respond to the Journal Sentinel's request for comment on the latest tax credit award.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram,Bluesky, X and Facebook.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2024/12/11/foxconn-gets-8-75-million-in-state-tax-credits-for-jobs-investment/76890058007/

Kathleen Gallagher: Microsoft's AI lab a powerful opportunity for building regional growth

From JSOnline:

Kathleen Gallagher

Special to the Journal Sentinel

The moment is right, and resources are aligned to build a global manufacturing AI center of excellence here. The question is whether we’ll seize this opportunity or let it slip away once again.

I was on the Journal Sentinel team that won a 2011 Pulitzer Prize for our story about a Medical College of Wisconsin team that sequenced for the first time ever all of a patient’s genes for diagnosis. Six years later, when our book, "One in a Billion: The Story of Nic Volker and the Dawn of Genomic Medicine" was published, the Medical College hadn’t built on this historical achievement and, in fact, had lost most of the team that worked on it.

There was another chance with TomoTherapy, the company built on UW-Madison medical physicists’ new and better radiation therapy system. TomoTherapy went public in 2007, but was acquired in 2011 by Accuray, a California company whose technology wasn’t as good. That time the team stuck around, but the company left. A different twist on the same story.

Time and time again, we get a foothold in a trending technology, maybe even launch a company, then watch the potential to leverage it into something bigger evaporate.

This time should be different.

Maybe you’re thinking the key to becoming a manufacturing AI powerhouse is Microsoft’s $3.3 billion Racine County data center complex. Nope.

Data centers are server warehouses that support AI, nothing more. And they’re ubiquitous. Iowa, with its cheaper electricity prices, has 56 data centers. It would take a long time to catch up -- and I’m not sure why we’d even want to try.

AI innovation lab at UWM presents a big opportunity

The real opportunity, and the heart of this matter, lies in the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab taking shape at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

At the lab, Microsoft’s AI experts and developers will help manufacturers and supply chain companies design and prototype AI and cloud solutions.

This is Microsoft’s third such lab in the U.S. and seventh in the world -- and the only one focused on manufacturing. It’s set up to help companies automate production processes, better collect and analyze data and find new business opportunities and markets. Imagine the competitive advantage with an AI system that detects a predicted snowstorm along a key route and suggests ordering critical components ahead of schedule.

But remember, we’ve got this habit of failing to build on top of good starts while others move forward.

Without strategically connecting local resources and developing a robust, shared platform, there’s no far-reaching, lasting economic growth. No rising standard of living. No one plus one equals five.

Key local partners have lined up to help fund lab

Some local organizations that should be part of building our manufacturing AI ecosystem are obvious and thankfully they’re involved.

Microsoft and the Green Bay Packers partially fund the lab. Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. (WEDC) is providing $1.1 million: $600,000 for TitletownTech and $500,000 for UWM to build out space in its Connected Systems Institute (CSI).

CSI, which is focused on advanced manufacturing, is headed by Joe Hamman, previously a senior director at Regal Beloit Corp. And here’s a key detail: Rockwell Automation is a founding partner of CSI.

Building momentum requires technology and domain expertise, plus significant collaborative innovation – solo performances won’t get the job done.

Microsoft has technology expertise. And Rockwell, the world’s largest company focused on industrial automation and digital transformation, has the all-critical domain expertise. The two companies last month announced an expanded strategic collaboration that offers manufacturers advanced cloud and AI products to capture critical insights without extensive retrofitting, enable use of natural language prompts for code generation and troubleshooting, and more.

TitletownTech will help recruit companies, projects

Now add TitletownTech, which will recruit companies and help them prepare projects for the AI lab, and you’ve got the magical piece that so often eludes us: the ability to drive more collaborative innovation.

TitletownTech, the $95 million venture firm launched by Microsoft and the Packers in 2019, has built a collaborative network of 27 corporate venture partners, more than half of whom engage with its portfolio companies. They provide feedback, test new ideas, co-develop technology, become pilot customers and/or invest resources and capital. Amerilux International, for example, has worked with three of Titletown’s portfolio companies. Schneider National also has worked with several, and in 2022 led a funding round for ChemDirect. This is new to mainstream Wisconsin venture capital.

And it’s a great way to accelerate development and commercialization to achieve first mover advantage. Microsoft’s AI lab isn’t just a place where companies can work on new technologies; it’s a place where they can connect into a network that helps them evaluate commercialization models, identify early adopters, engage strategic partners, and examine funding options.

Kathryn Clouse, who was senior manager, transformative innovation at Kohler Corp. and senior design engineer at Pierce Manufacturing, will lead Titletown’s work at the lab.

Microsoft’s AI lab won’t be for everyone. Some companies, victims of the “not invented here” syndrome, will continue to over-value internal ideas and dismiss new, outside ideas. Others won’t want to commit to Microsoft Azure as their cloud platform, despite Microsoft’s commanding lead in generative AI.

And many will wrestle with a gnawing question: Who owns the data that comes to the AI lab? Typically, companies own their data unless they sign agreements giving it to the service provider, say for extended hours for analysis or other work.

Microsoft’s AI Co-Innovation Lab and the ecosystem developing around it represent an ambitious undertaking with no guarantee of success. But this is an opportunity to change the narrative from “win-lose” to “win-win.”

If it works, we’ll have a manufacturing AI center of excellence, a model for company engagement with startups that drives later-stage funding, and a shining example of cooperation that improves our state and region’s economic competitiveness and prosperity.

Kathleen Gallagher was a business reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Milwaukee Sentinel for 23 years. She was one of two reporters on the team that won a 2011 Pulitzer Prize for the One in a Billion series. Gallagher is now executive director of 5 Lakes Institute, a nonprofit working to grow the Great Lakes region's high technology entrepreneurial economy and culture. She can be reached at Kathleen@5lakesinstitute.org.

From: https://www.jsonline.com/story/money/business/2024/12/11/kathleen-gallagher-microsofts-ai-lab-a-powerful-growth-opportunity/76740178007/

Racine shows it now has the capacity to play bigger role as host city

From The Journal Times.com:

Caroline Neal

RACINE — Downtown Racine residents may have noticed more statewide conferences and other large gatherings in the city.

Some business owners and leaders attribute this uptick to recent developments in the area, such as Hotel Verdant, as well as the new management at Festival Park.

The addition of these facilities, they say, give the city the capacity to host large events.

Since September, Downtown Racine has hosted statewide conferences including Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Downtown Development Placemaking Workshop and the Wisconsin Public Transportation Annual Fall Conference.

“I think for people who have not been to Downtown Racine from across the state, (they) don’t realize what a gem it is — the proximity, the walkability,” said Kelly Kruse, executive director of Downtown Racine Corporation. “The architecture is probably some of the best in the state when it comes to our historic buildings.”

Kruse said the WEDC’s training conference brought together more than 40 downtown directors and board members from across the state in September.

Kruse said that in 2021, Racine hosted a regional one-day workshop but had not hosted a statewide training.

Christopher Adams, developer for Hotel Verdant, said the boutique hotel has 80 rooms, adding about 40% more rooms to the downtown area when combined with the DoubleTree.

When these conferences come to town, Adams said he sees an increase in business.

“When we had the transit event in October, both hotels, I believe, were (at) 100% occupancy,” he said.

Although he said there’s not really a “standard day” because the day of week and time of year can affect occupancy, Downtown Racine hosting an event is “definitely helpful,” Adams said.

Trevor Jung, transit and mobility director for RYDE Racine, said the group volunteered to host the Wisconsin Public Transportation Annual Fall Conference last month.

The conference brought more than 200 transit professionals to Downtown Racine and Memorial Hall.

“But the only reason that we were able to put our hand in the air and bring this event to Racine … was because of the ecosystem that now allows for it in downtown,” he said.

Patrick Flynn is the founder of 5k Events, which is general manager of Festival Park.

Since Flynn took over management, Festival Park has hosted political events for both Republican and Democratic figures.

In June, President-elect Donald Trump spoke at Festival Park.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz rallied supporters in October at Memorial Hall; a week later, Vice President-elect JD Vance also addressed a crowd in Memorial Hall.

“Everybody benefits from those events, not just us,” said Kevin MacDougall, Festival Park’s director of sales. “The spider web extends out into the community. We all work together because it’s in everybody’s best interest to make the downtown vibrant. Whether we’re hosting an event, we help the DRC promote their event and vice versa. It’s not competitive at all. It’s collaborative.”

Adams said Hotel Verdant coordinates with other businesses on “an ongoing basis” to accommodate their needs.

“I’ve been reaching out to businesses in downtown and trying to see how we can work together with different folks,” he said.

Tamara LoPiparo, owner of The Maple Table, believes the economic effect is a “rising tide raises all ships” situation.

“Hopefully, the economic impact of these events will encourage people to spend not only in the bars and restaurants, but also all the wonderful little shops we have,” she said.

For Kruse, these conferences might help increase foot traffic during the week, when small businesses have fewer people walking through their doors. Often, she said, these conferences occur during non-summer months, which can also be challenging periods for small businesses.

“Having the influx of people from out of town that have money to spend on going out to eat, maybe doing some shopping that they weren’t expecting on their lunch break while they’re here for a conference — all of these things can play a major impact,” she said.

Red Onion Cafe’s owner Corey Oakland said that although his business is “fortunate” to be busy on the weekends and weekdays, he believes these conferences can have an impact beyond the event itself.

“One of the things that I always say I really miss, as an example, would be when the triathlon was in the area,” Oakland said. “We literally got to know people from around the world that would be here. You’d see them once or twice a year. They’d come in, and you’d, in a way, get to know these people.”

Having large events in town that fill up the hotels can have a positive impact for the cafe as it would encourage people to grab a coffee or stop in for lunch, he said.

“You can’t deny that if you bring several hundred people into a downtown area, it’s going to have a positive impact,” Oakland said. “Not every store may feel that impact, but it’s definitely sort of a trickle down situation.”

Still, he said Racine’s location in between Chicago and Milwaukee can make it challenging for the city to compete as a host.

Oakland also said that Racine’s distance from the interstate isolates it, which could be a drawback for companies trying to make transportation to a convention easier.

“As somebody who’s lived here for many, many years, it’s not a huge issue,” he said. “But for somebody who’s considering a convention, that might be something of a barrier.”

This, he said, is why Racine’s location on Lake Michigan is important.

“It’s worth the 20 minute drive from the freeway to see where we’re situated on the lake,” Oakland said.

Adams, like Oakland, said Racine’s spot on Lake Michigan — as well as the Root River, the marina and the historic downtown — makes the city a good location for conferences.

“It’s a quaint, mid-sized city that a lot of people haven’t seen before. It’s got a lot going for it,” he said.

Kruse said the historic element of Downtown Racine’s architecture still remains because of the city’s strict codes.

And while these requirements can be frustrating for new property and business owners, Kruse said the codes have been a “blessing.”

“It certainly makes a big difference on the overall aesthetic,” she said.

Kruse said the walkability of downtown also is a draw for Racine — a belief shared by LoPiparo.

Whereas bigger cities like Milwaukee can be tough to navigate, in Racine “everything’s just a couple of footsteps away,” LoPiparo said.

“Some of these people coming in, if they’re staying at (Hotel) Verdant or DoubleTree, they might not even necessarily need a rental car because they can walk to all the restaurants, they can walk to Festival Hall,” she said. “Everything is there for them.”

The variety of Racine’s restaurants is another benefit for the city.

“We have so many restaurants, which when you are traveling, restaurants and being a foodie is a big deal. Having the array of restaurants and hospitality that we have is great,” Kruse said. “It’s really exciting that we finally have everything that we need to be a host city.”

For the WEDC conference, Kruse said DRC made sure visitors had the necessary information in their welcome bags, including a downtown visitors guide as well as a list of open restaurants and the self-guided walking tours and day trips.

“Not only were we able to have that foot traffic those days that they were in town, but giving them a reason to come back is really important,” Kruse said. “So that we’re really making that connection. Not just, ‘Hey, thanks for coming by,’ but we’re working directly with all of these and saying, ‘Here’s a reason to come back.’”

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/business/racine-capacity-host-conferences/article_f88eac60-9873-11ef-87f6-6b3c3ecd06d2.html#tracking-source=home-top-story

I lived near downtown for over a decade.  This story is just more of the BS that they've been peddling for years.  Downtown is "nice," yes, but it's hardly unique.  There are thousands of old cities with the same amenities and "historic" buildings throughout the USA.  The public funds wasted on downtown could have been put to much better use rather than propping up the pipe dreams of a privileged few.  The DRC never stops blowing smoke up the taxpayer's ass.  Racine is not Lake Geneva and never will be.