Fundamental Considerations For Redeveloping The GM/JATCO Site

In late February, Forward Janesville hosted an event for our members, “Bringing the GM/JATCO Site Back to Life: What it Means to Redevelop a Brownfield Opportunity.” The event featured a panel of experts having a conversation about one of our community’s most important redevelopment opportunities: the former GM/JATCO site.

Spanning roughly 250 acres in Janesville’s southeastern quadrant, the former General Motors assembly plant and adjacent JATCO property have sat largely vacant since 2009. That’s nearly a generation without productive use on a site that once powered a significant portion of our local economy.

We have uploaded a full recording of the event to our YouTube channel, which you can view below.

While the scale and location of the property make it a transformational opportunity, redevelopment has not been simple. The site is classified as a brownfield — meaning it contains environmental contamination that must be managed as part of any future development.

Unlike “greenfield” sites that are clean and shovel-ready, brownfields carry added cost, risk and regulatory complexity. Developers often look for tools such as tax-increment financing (TIF) and other risk-sharing mechanisms to help make projects feasible.

During our event, experts in real estate, environmental remediation and utilities outlined several key considerations:

Brownfield sites inherently carry more risk and project challenges compared to greenfield sites. For brownfield sites to be competitive, developers look for risk-sharing mechanisms and financial incentives, like tax-increment financing (TIF).
There are varying levels of contamination on the GM and JATCO sites. Some portions are more development-ready (areas of the JATCO site) while others are more heavily contaminated and would require a DNR-approved mitigation plan.
Master planning and end use will be essential guides for site redevelopment. It will also be important to match land use to contamination levels.
Having the GM/JATCO site sit vacant does not help Janesville’s municipal budget or overall financial health. Janesville needs developed sites to increase assessed value and tax revenue.
Once a path forward is defined, the community should move quickly and avoid long delays. Sharing of factual information and public dialogue are critical.