CALEDONIA, WI – DeBack Farms Business Park was developed by Wispark, LLC in partnership with the Village of Caledonia and Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC), to attract companies requiring fast and easy access to I-94.
“The DeBack Farms Business Park is attracting new development to the Village of Caledonia, bringing in companies like Norco, General Mills, and Central Storage and Warehouse,” says Jim Dobbs, Village President of Caledonia. “The Village’s partnerships with Wispark, Racine County, and RCEDC were key to developing DeBack Farms. Our work has set the stage for future development along County Hwy K, encouraging further investment and providing additional opportunities for all community members in the greater Racine County area.”
In 2014, the Village of Caledonia formed Tax Increment District #4 to enable the extension of water and sewage capabilities west along Highway K. In addition, the Village of Caledonia undertook the I-94 Corridor Land Use Study to provide guidance for future development in the area.
Extension of key infrastructure enabled Wispark to move forward with planning and development of DeBack Farms Business Park working with the Village of Caledonia, Racine County, and RCEDC. The business park includes over 1.1M SF of land, divided into seven lots. With the business park’s close proximity to I-94, between Milwaukee and Chicago, it was designed to meet the needs of companies, especially those in the distribution and manufacturing industries.
In 2016, Norco Manufacturing, the park’s first occupant, developed its 133,000 SF facility to manufacture and assemble large-scale door systems. Norco’s door systems are installed in corporate and military hangars, commercial and industrial buildings, and unique architecture buildings to allow for moving of large machinery and equipment (i.e. airplanes, trucks, etc).
In 2019, Central Storage & Warehouse (CSW) opened its 100,000-square-foot climate-controlled cold storage warehouse, serving a variety of large and small companies. The site’s location, with easy access to Milwaukee and Chicago allows CSW to better serve its clients, continuing to be one of the most popular places for refrigerated storage in the Midwest.
In 2021, Scannell Properties purchased 65 acres from Wispark to launch the most recent round of development in DeBack Farms and Caledonia. Three industrial buildings are planned for the site. The first building (323,000 SF) will be occupied by General Mills’ new distribution facility, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
Site preparation for the second speculative industrial building totaling 443,000 SF will begin fall of 2021 providing additional industrial space for new businesses to locate in Racine County.
August of 2021, Bader Liquor Co. Inc. purchases 4.9 acres from WisPark to launch a new facility.
This 24,538 SF facility will be used as a warehouse and distribution center for their liquor products. The facility is also in close proximity to Badger Liquor Co. Inc.’s regional office in Milwaukee.
According to plans submitted to the Village, this building will be constructed by Fond Du Lac engineering firm Excel and Milwaukee Contractor CD Smith.
Today, there are two open lots for development at DeBack Farms Business Park, and over 600 acres in the surrounding area that are prime locations for new development projects.
“Even with the current development at DeBack Farms Business Park, the lots located here and around Racine County are plentiful”, said Deputy Director of RCEDC, Laura Million “There are many opportunities for growth within Racine County – we are excited to keep working with businesses and developers to invest in Caledonia and the surrounding community.”
For those looking to learn more about current lot availability at DeBack Farms Business Park, or to learn about other development opportunities nearby, please contact RCEDC’s Deputy Director, Laura Million at lmillion@rcedc.org.
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