Gold Shovel & Certified in Wisconsin Sites

Gold Shovel Site Verification

The Gold Shovel Site Verification Program assists communities, counties, and private landowners in packaging and marketing development-ready land. They also work with site selectors and business owners looking to locate or expand in the eight-county Madison Region.

Offering a similar service to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Certified In Wisconsin program, the Gold Shovel program employs similar criteria but at a lower cost and generally requires one level of verification compared to the more rigorous level of the certified program. MadREP fervently supports the Certified In Wisconsin program and will work with you to certify sites. We are confident that verified shovel-ready sites that go through the Gold Shovel Program will enjoy a significant bump in promotion and market appeal.

Our region currently boasts the most certified and gold shovel sites in Wisconsin. Collectively, they perform significantly better than sites that have not been subject to such review.

Available Properties Madison Economic Development

The Evansville Rail Site is ideally located along the Union Pacific Rail System in the City of Evansville, just off N County Road M.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

A central point between Madison and Janesville, the City of Evansville is the fastest-growing community in Rock County. It is a city big enough to support real industry, and still small enough to be on a first-name basis with its business owners. Evansville is home to more than 5,300 residents and top private sector employers, including Stoughton Trailers, Baker Manufacturing, and Bluescope Buildings North America.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Evansville Rail Site is a city-owned industrial lot with rail access and a 100,000+ SF buildable footprint. All utilities are adjacent to the site.

Site features include:

  • Total available acres: 11.41 acres
  • Rail accessible site via Union Pacific rail line
  • All utilities are available on site including highly rated municipal owned water and light services.
  • Nearby access to I90/94 via Highway 14
  • Currently zoned light industrial with a potential building footprint up to 100,000 square feet.

For more information, contact:

Jason Sergeant
City Administrator
City of Evansville
jason.sergeant@ci.evansville.wi.gov | 608.882.2285

Colette Spranger
Community Development Director
City of Evansville
colette.spranger@ci.evansville.wi.gov | 608.882.2263

The Gateway business park is easily accessible, located at the entrance to the City of Baraboo, just off Highway 12.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

The City of Baraboo is one of the fastest-growing counties in Wisconsin, after Sauk County, boasting the idyllic small-town quality of life with proximity to outstanding metropolitan areas. Baraboo is home to more than 12,000 residents and top private-sector employers, including Ho-Chunk Casino, RR Donnelley, Seneca Foods, Sysco Baraboo, and Teel Plastics.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Gateway Business Park is a privately-owned class A business park offering three contiguous parcels along Highway 12 bypass and County Road W.

Site features include:

  • Total available acres: 26.66
  • Located at the off-ramp of new four-lane Highway 12
  • Zoned I-4, Planned Industrial/Business, allowable uses include commercial, medical, hospitality, and restaurant
  • Access to rail less than 1 mile from the site
  • Located within City of Baraboo’s Tax Increment District #7
  • Fully served by electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management facilities, streets, sidewalks, and street lights
  • No delineated wetlands or designated environmental corridors on site
  • No indication of environmental issues based on a Phase I environmental report

For more information, contact:

John Blindauer ABR, CRS, GRI
Bunbury & Associates
johnblindauer@topproducer.com | 608.662.7777

Jason Needham
Bunbury & Associates
jneedham@bunburyrealtors.com | 608.843.3711

Marshland Crossing is publicly owned land with direct access to State Highway 33 on the far west side of Horicon. It is adjacent to John Deere Horicon Works and the rail line.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

Horicon is a city of over 3,700 and located at the southernmost tip of the Horicon Marsh. It is northeast of Madison and one hour northwest of Milwaukee. In addition to flexible site development options, Horicon is offering TIF Financing assistance to your project as well as to provide utility extensions, site improvements, infrastructure, and reduction in land price. Our community officials have an excellent track record for quick approval that makes working with Horicon a breath of fresh air.

SITE OVERVIEW

Shovel-ready land owned by the City of Horicon that can be customized to suit future needs. Planned for a mix of uses and located within a successful TIF District. Site Features include:

  • Total available acres: 156
  • Potential rail spur and two recently improved access points and turn lanes from State Highway 33.
  • Existing utilities either on the site or within the right-of-way.
  • Wetland delineation has been completed and no other known development impediments are present.
  • Less than 8 miles from USH 151, which connects Madison and the Fox Valley.

For more information, contact:
Kristen Jacobson
City of Horicon
kjacobson@cityhoriconwi.us | 920.485.3500

The Park at High Crossing is located at Crossroad Dr., City View Dr., and Quarry Park Rd. 

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

The Park at High Crossing is on the east side of Madison, the capital of Wisconsin, and has a population of over 250,000. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison; a top 25 ranked research university globally. The Park at High Crossing is immediately adjacent to I-94/90/39 with direct access via the High Crossing Boulevard off-ramp for the 100,000 vehicles that pass this site daily en route to Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Rockford. The site is also just south of US Highway 151 and immediately west of the regional East Towne Mall. A central corridor between the Fox Cities in Wisconsin and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Madison is the epicenter of hi-tech and new economy business services in Wisconsin, ranking #4 in the United States for the percentage of its workforce with a computer science or math job. Lastly, the Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) is 10 minutes from The Park at High Crossing, and MSN offers direct flights to 23 major population and employment centers in the United States. Major area employers include  Alliant Energy, American Family Insurance, Baker Tilly, Cabela’s Outfitters, East Towne Mall, and UW Health.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Park at High Crossing is a privately-owned Class A Business Park of over 50 acres that is master-planned for a wide variety of complementary uses and opportunities for tenants.

Site Features include:

  • Total available acres: 50
  • 5 featured parcels of various sizes ranging 2-5 acres
  • Zone: Suburban Employment District, which allows for office, commercial, retail, flex space, and residential uses with density allowances and covenants to protect the quality
  • Proximity to the University of Wisconsin and Madison College campuses
  • Fully served by electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management facilities, streets, and street lights
  • Ne delineated wetlands, floodplains, or designated environmental corridors on site
  • No indication of environmental issues based on a Phase I report.
  • Excellent visibility and exposure to Madison assets and interstate traffic
  • Adjacent to Brand New Class A Office Space at 2810 Crossroads Drive
  • Vibrant retail environment nearby with restaurants and hotel accommodations.

For more information, contact:

Mike Schutte, President and Managing Partner
Investors Associated, LLP
mschutte@investorsassociatedllp.com | 414.491.4136

Patrick Carroll, General Counsel
Investors Associated, LLP
pcarroll@investorsassociatedllp.com | 262.617.9667

Waupun Industrial Park is publicly owned land on Highway 26 and Industrial Drive along S.T.H. 26 and Industrial Drive. Read more.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

Nestled along the southern branch of the Rock River near the northern access points of the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Waupun boasts small-town charm, a strong sense of community, and a vast array of amenities. Within a day’s drive, companies in Waupun can reach over 72 million people in the U.S. alone, including these major regional markets:

  • Chicago, IL
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Milwaukee, WI
  • Madison, WI
  • Detroit, MI
  • Des Moines, IA
  • Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Omaha, NE
  • St. Louis, MO
  • Indianapolis, IN
  • Cincinnati, OH

Waupun has three access points to Highway 151, which runs through Iowa and Wisconsin and passes through Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Madison, and Fond Du Lac. Waupun also has access to three state highways, and I-41 is about 15 miles east of the City. Rail service includes Union Pacific at Janesville, Canadian National at Waukesha, and Canadian Pacific at Watertown and Janesville. The Port of Green Bay and the Port of Milwaukee are each within a 90-minute drive. 

Fond du Lac and Dodge counties are serviced by the Port of Milwaukee’s Foreign Trade Zone 41.

Waupun businesses can access a private airport with a 3,200 ft. paved two-runway system, the nearby small aircraft Dodge County Airport, and charter and freight services at the Fond Du Lac County Airport. General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee is within an hour’s drive, Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Appleton International Airport, and Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh. Both Appleton International and General Mitchell International have customs facilities.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Waupun Industrial Park in Fond du Lac County is located just 70 miles from Milwaukee, 55 miles from Madison, and 160 miles to downtown Chicago. It offers convenient access to Highways 26 and 151, with lot sizes ranging from 1.12 to 78.1 acres. The Waupun Industrial Park is already home to Federal-Mogul, Horizon Construction, and Rust-Oleum.

  • Total Acreage: 92 developable or available acres
  • Lot sizes: 1.12 to 78.1 acres
  • 13.4% or 6,700 of the total workforce is employed in advanced industries; 5,400 other workers are induced (Brookings Institute)
  • Wisconsin’s I-41 Corridor, which includesFond du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton, and Green  Bay, with a high concentration of advanced, sophisticated manufacturing and higher education institutions
  • Within one hour of 4 commercial airports. Corporate general aviation airport in Fond du Lac

 

For more information, contact:

Kathy Schlieve, Department Director
Waupun Economic Development
kathy@cityofwaupun.org | 920-324-7912

Whitewater Business & tech Parks are located on publicly owned land east of State highway 59 and north of US Highway 12.

COMMUNITY OVERVIEW

With a population over 14,500, the City of Whitewater sits at the boundary of Jefferson and Walworth counties in SC, Wisconsin. It is home to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, our state’s fourth-largest UW System university and a great producer of business talent. Physically, Whitewater is surrounded by natural beauty with Cravath and Tripp Lakes, Whitewater Nature Preserve, and the southern end of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. Major employers aside from the UW Whitewater are Fairhaven Corp, Generac Power Systems, Husco INTL, Trostel LTD, and Universal Electronics.

SITE OVERVIEW

The Whitewater Business and Tech Parks are publicly owned land east of State highway 59 and north of US Highway 12. Site Features include:

  • Total available acres: 126
  • 9 featured parcels of various sizes ranging from 1.5 acres to 21.6 acres
  • Zoned M1-Manufacturing with a maximum building height of 100 feet
  • Proximity to the UW-Whitewater Campus
  • Located in Tax Increment Finance (TIF) District #4
  • Fully served by electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water, sanitary sewer, stormwater management facilities, streets, and street lights
  • Ne delineated wetlands, floodplains, or designated environmental corridors on site.
  • No indication of environmental issues based on a Phase I report
  • All parcels are listed at $29,000 per acre

For more information, contact:
Cameron Clapper, City Manager
City of Whitewater
cclapper@whitewater-wi.gov | 262.473.0139

Certified in Wisconsin

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation developed the Certified In Wisconsin® program to set consistent standards for the certification of industrial sites, putting in place all the critical reviews, documents, and assessments most commonly required for industrial use. Certified sites mean faster turnaround times, quick approvals, and low risk, so you can break ground on new development projects the moment you’re ready. See Certified In Wisconsin program details.

Available Madison Properties Economic Development

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

A brand new, 200-plus-acre corporate park development bordered on the east by Highway 151. Read more.

Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

A new, 350-plus-acre business park, of which 280 acres comprise a Certified Site. Read more.

DeForest, Wisconsin

DeForest’s Business Park is located on 115 acres on US 51 adjacent to existing industrial uses. Read more.

Beloit, Wisconsin

The new Gateway Business Park is easily accessible on the east side of the Interstate. Read more.

Janesville, Wisconsin

A 224-acre business park located on the city’s southern side, along Hwy 11, east of I-90/39. Read more.

Verona, Wisconsin

This 130-acre site fronts US Hwy 151, connecting to US Hwys 12/18, then to I-90/39/94. Read more.

Westport, Wisconsin

33 acres of contiguous buildable land 5 miles away from I-94 and I-90/39. Read more.

Fitchburg, Wisconsin

Easily accessible and located within minutes of commercial activity and area amenities. Read more.

Whitewater, Wisconsin

A 35-acre park on the east side of the city, with convenient access to I-90, Read more.

MORE INFORMATION

Interested in submitting a site for Gold Shovel verification? Gold Shovel eligible sites must demonstrate minimal requirements related to:

  • Location
  • Size & Zoning
  • Ownership
  • Transportation Infrastructure
  • Industrial Development
  • Municipal Infrastructure
  • Easements
  • Private Utility Infrastructure
  • Telecommunications Infrastructure
  • Floodplain/Wetlands
  • Topography
  • Environmental, Historical, and/or Archeological Impediments

Download the Requirements & Parameters Matrix to prepare your submission. For more information or to start the site verification process, contact MadREP CEO Jason Fields by email or phone at 608.571.0401.