Kenosha, WI, March 6, 2023 — The City of Kenosha and the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc. today unveiled the conceptual design for the Innovation Center to be built as one of the first two structures at the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood.
“We are excited to share the cutting-edge design of the Innovation Center, which will be a focal point, welcome center and home to our entrepreneurial development efforts,” said Mayor John Antaramian. The design is by Milwaukee-based EUA and was selected from design concepts submitted by five architectural firms with offices in Wisconsin. The building is an approximately 60,000-square-foot, two- and three-story structure to be situated on a plaza and adjacent to the greenway corridor that runs through the site.
“The design conceived by EUA is modern, has sweeping glass, and portions of the structure are elevated above functional plaza space below,” said Debra Ford, the KIN board president and chancellor at UW-Parkside. “We really felt this design had the ‘wow’ factor to help set the tone for the revitalization of this site and the neighborhoods around it and signal the educational and career opportunities we can provide for Kenosha and the region.”
Eric Romano, workplace studio director at EUA, noted, “This is a catalytic project we see influencing continued development, talent recruitment and retention and a broader community impact well beyond the borders of this site.”
The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood is the master-planned redevelopment of a 107-acre former auto manufacturing site into a live/work/learn/play neighborhood driven by a mission of innovation. The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc. is a non-profit organization led by a board of community, education, business and government partners to drive this transformative project. The City of Kenosha worked with many stakeholders to develop the master plan for the development and will begin construction of the first phase of infrastructure this year, opening the entire site to new investment.
In addition to the Innovation Center, the city is entering into agreements with the Kenosha Area Business Alliance Foundation to begin construction of a new Lake View Technology Academy to bring science, engineering, technology and math-based learning at the high school level to the neighborhood.
