Jan. 19, 2025 10a
From WGTD News:
An underutilized golf course in Wind Point that’s actually owned by the City of Racine could be getting a shot in the arm soon. Two prominent Racine residents and a nationally-known golf course developer based in Madison have partnered up to take an interest in Shoop Golf Course. The nine-hole course overlooks Lake Michigan and is adjacent to the Wind Point Lighthouse. Craig Leopold, husband of Helen Johnson Leopold, and longtime business park developer Jerry Franke, representing the Keiser Golf Group, went before a city council committee to formally state their interest in making unspecified improvements. The panel voted to approve an option to allow the Leopolds and Keiser to work exclusively with the city on the project. Shoop is one of three city-owned links.
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Racine Mayor Cory Mason’s plan to establish a satellite police department office in the downtown area appears to be coming to fruition. According to the city, the Racine Community Fund will pitch in $150,000 for the project while SC Johnson is prepared to give $389,000. The donations, along with a city match for the cost of one officer, are expected to fund the city’s latest Community Oriented Policing house for three years. A downtown storefront has already been lined up. A city council committee recommended approval of a lease with the owner of a property at 434 Main St. The building is located just north of Monument Square. A top issue for the new COP house: Downtown loitering.
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A home repair program in Racine that includes grants of up to $10,000 for people who live in owner-occupied single-family homes and duplexes has taken off. Three years ago, when the program was launched, just 37 applications were approved. According to city documents, the program last year received more than a-thousand applications. Of those, over 600 applicants followed through with all of the required information. Over 400 were eventually funded. This year, the city expects to honor nearly 600 requests. The program is funded through the tax incremental financing mechanism, and is open to residents in certain areas of town. Other grant and loan programs co-exist with this program. One specifically targets the Lincoln-King neighborhood. It’s funded with a $15 million state grant. The programs are designed to keep the city’s housing stock up to snuff, and improve the quality of life for city residents.
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A program in Racine designed to improve computer literacy among city residents is moving forward. The two-year program is funded with a $576,000 grant from the state Public Service Commission. The city is expected to use the money to buy laptops and hire temporary, part-time staff. Over 450 residents are expected to be tutored and supplied with laptops. The workers are expected to collaborate with schools, the health department and they public library.
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