Members of the Forward Janesville team recently traveled to Kenosha to attend the grand opening of the Kenosha Innovation Center, a project that stands as a powerful example of community redevelopment, collaboration and long-term vision. The center, located on the site of the former Chrysler engine plant, is now the anchor of what’s being called the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN) — a mixed-use district designed to spark new ideas, create jobs and reimagine what a once-idle industrial site can become.
For Forward Janesville, the visit wasn’t just about celebration; it was about learning. Like Kenosha, Janesville carries a deep automotive legacy. Our city’s former General Motors/JATCO site (Centennial Park) represents both a proud history and a vast opportunity — one that requires smart planning, collaboration, and imagination to transform. Centennial Park is one of the 2025-26 Policy Priority Area's for Forward Janesville's Government Relations Council. Seeing how Kenosha approached its own redevelopment gave our team a firsthand look at what’s possible when vision meets persistence.
The Innovation Center itself, a $30 million project, is the first major structure to rise on the site. While much of the surrounding land remains undeveloped, the building represents something far more significant than its physical footprint. It’s a symbol of momentum. Kenosha leaders, including former Mayor John Antaramian, explored many ideas for the site over the years, but it was this focus on innovation, education and entrepreneurship that the community ultimately rallied behind.
Forward Janesville’s interest extends beyond observation. Our member businesses have played key roles in projects like this one — including R.H. Batterman, which was involved in the Kenosha redevelopment effort. The presence of local expertise in projects of this scale reinforces that our region already has the knowledge and capacity to lead similar transformations here at home.
Just as importantly, the visit underscored how critical it is for Janesville to look outward — to learn from other Wisconsin communities that have turned once-contaminated or underutilized properties into centers of growth.
By visiting Kenosha, we gained a clearer picture of how partnerships among public officials, private developers, educators and community organizations can bring a shared vision to life. We also saw that progress doesn’t happen all at once — it begins with a single step, a single building, and a community that believes in what comes next.
As Janesville continues to explore the future of Centennial Park, we’ll keep looking to examples like Kenosha’s Innovation Center for inspiration. These visits help ensure that Forward Janesville — and the members we represent — remain part of the conversation, learning from successes elsewhere and bringing that knowledge home to help shape Janesville’s next chapter of innovation and economic growth.