Preliminary Plans Approved
During a June 9 meeting, preliminary site and operational plans for mass grading at the future site of Uline's corporate headquarters in Pleasant Prairie were approved. Uline is a leading, international, packing supply company with a strong belief in operational excellence and customer focus. Representatives from Uline, CenterPoint Properties, JSD Professional Services and Epstein Uhen: Architects presented information related to the company and its proposed corporate campus.
The approval, granted during the June 9 Village Plan Commission meeting, will allow grading to begin for the installation of additional storm water facilities and infrastructure improvements on approximately 200 acres that Uline will be acquiring from CenterPoint for its new corporate campus. Preliminary plans are to build 418,000 square feet of office space and 1,800,000 square feet of warehouse/distribution space in two phases. The first phase is proposed to include 218,000 square feet of office space and 1,053,000 square feet of distribution space.
Construction of the corporate offices is expected to begin later this summer and to be completed during the spring of 2010. Initially, nearly 650 employees are expected to occupy the headquarters. Construction of the first phase of distribution space is expected to be complete by the end of 2009. Upon completion, the distribution center is expected to run 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Initially 200 employees will work from the Pleasant Prairie distribution center. Completion of all phases for the Uline campus is expected in 2015.
Floodplain Adjustment Completed
On June 16, the Village Board granted approval for zoning map and text amendments that will complete a floodplain boundary adjustment on property owned by CenterPoint Properties, the Pleasant Prairie Community Development Authority, and Jockey International. The property owned by CenterPoint will be the future corporate headquarters for Uline. The amendments mark the completion of another step towards the development of commercial properties south of Highway Q along the I-94 corridor.
As part of the floodplain boundary adjustment, mass grading for certain storm water management facilities on the properties was started in the fall of 2007. Work included the creation of 1,397,411 cubic feet of floodplain to compensate for the removal of 1,119,624 cubic feet of floodplain. The work accommodated the construction of a bypass swale and pond along the western side of the project area; the construction of three ponds and a conveyance ditch near the center of the site; and miscellaneous grading efforts to accommodate improved storm water drainage. The work has provided greater capacity to manage storm water on the site. Prior to being able to approve the related map and text amendments, approvals for the work were required from FEMA and the Wisconsin DNR. The floodplain boundary adjustments received final approval from both FEMA and the DNR earlier this spring.
Plans are also being developed for property owned by the Pleasant Prairie Community Development Authority (CDA), a separate part of the project area. The plans define a business service area that will compliment and support the surrounding commercial development with a hotel and conference center, restaurants, gas/convenience and small retail. The CDA will sell the land for development according to the plans.
Previously completed work has laid the foundation for corporate interest in the area. This included the establishment of a Tax Incremental Financing District in 1999; the acquisition of land formerly occupied by two adult book stores, a military museum and an RV dealership in 2003; the installation of fiber optics to accommodate high speed internet and digital media services in 2005; and the construction of public improvements, such as sanitary sewer and water main in 2007.