WEDC investment will help fund redevelopment of former Cable School site
MADISON, WI. JUNE 27, 2023 – The Town of Cable is receiving a $150,000 state grant to help transform a long-neglected site downtown into a community hub.
The Brownfield Site Assessment Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) will support the asbestos removal and demolition of a former Cable School District building located in downtown Cable, 43430 Kavanaugh Rd. The 8,000 square-foot two-story building was built in the 1940s and formerly used by the Cable School District and the Drummond Integrated School District.
“A vibrant downtown is vital to a community’s economic growth, and the restoration of this site will play a key role in bringing visitors, residents, and businesses to downtown Cable,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s leading economic development organization. “This project will not only open new opportunities to the Town of Cable but improve the health and quality of life of downtown visitors and residents.”
Cable School was bought from the Town of Cable by J.E. Enterprise Procurement, LTD in 1996. The developer converted the building into a mix of office and retail spaces before selling the property to George and Joy Wolski in 1999. The Wolskis continued to use the space until the cost of upkeep became too costly. Once an important part of the community, the property has been unoccupied for more than ten years.
City officials say that while previous efforts aimed to renovate the former school, the property has deteriorated to the point where demolition is the only option. The site, which is in the center of downtown, has become a deterrent and hampered business development in the area and created health and safety concerns. Demolition efforts have been complicated by the presence of environmental hazards including asbestos, lead, and mercury. The WEDC grant will allow the Town of Cable to safely and efficiently eliminate those hazards.
“We don’t have an eyesore in the middle of town anymore,” said Bobbi McCauley, clerk and treasurer for the Town of Cable. “This project is going to help bring new life to the downtown.”
Discussions around the future use of the site are ongoing, but plans cannot take shape until the site is cleaned up first.
The property’s location makes it a centerpiece of the downtown. Redevelopment of this property aligns with the Town of Cable’s mission as a Wisconsin Connect Community and could bring retail, residential, and social opportunities to the downtown.
WEDC’s Brownfield Site Assessment Grant Program supports community development and redevelopment by funding site assessment and demolition costs in communities across Wisconsin. Grants are awarded to communities for site assessment and demolition of buildings with suspected or documented soil, groundwater, or vapor contamination.
