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2015
Janesville General Motors Proposal

Ryan Rittenhouse
Urban Land Use and Planning
5/11/2015

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Contents
Background ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Development Goals......................................................................................................................... 2
Site Characteristics .......................................................................................................................... 3
Development Plan........................................................................................................................... 4
The proposed sequence .............................................................................................................. 4
Green spaces ............................................................................................................................... 4
Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 6
Residential Zones ........................................................................................................................ 7
Industrial Zones........................................................................................................................... 8
Office and Professional Use Zones ............................................................................................. 9
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 10
References .................................................................................................................................... 11

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Figure 1 An aerial view of the entire GM property ...................................................................... 12

Figure 2 A topographic map of the site. (USGS National Atlas, 2013)......................................... 12
Figure 3 The southern end of the site while facing southwest from Jackson St. ......................... 12
Figure 4 The southern end of the site facing north from Kellogg Ave. ........................................ 12
Figure 5 Facing due west from Jackson St. ................................................................................... 12
Figure 6 An example of the adjacent neighborhoods. ................................................................. 12
Figure 7 The private street that connects the north and south parcels. ...................................... 12
Figure 8 Facing northwest from Jackson St. ................................................................................. 12
Figure 9 Existing multi-unit housing adjacent to the site. ............................................................ 12
Figure 10 An example of the architecture and lot configuration. ................................................ 12
Figure 11 An orthographic view of the GM building. ................................................................... 12
Figure 12 A photo of the GM plant taken from the across the Rock River at Monterey Park. .... 12
Figure 13 A photo taken facing south from the northern edge of the property.......................... 12
Figure 14 A photo taken of the east side of the property. ........................................................... 12
Figure 15 The extent of the GM parcel. ........................................................................................ 12
Figure 16 The proposed land use configuration. .......................................................................... 12

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Background

In 1919, General Motors (GM) opened an assembly plant in Janesville, WI. For almost
100 years, the plant provided for the residents of the city, and the city itself. It provided
supplies through two world wars, and survived the energy and economic crises of two decades.
Unfortunately, the plant would not survive until its 100th birthday. In April of 2009, the last
medium-duty truck rolled off the assembly line signaling the end of the plant, a lifestyle, and an
era.
The closing of the plant shook the city to its core. Over 3,000 workers were laid-off
directly by GM, with estimates ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand more that were
laid-off as a result of the plant closing. The impact on the citys finances and morale cannot be
overstated. Property values plummeted as people tried to unload their houses. Unemployment
skyrocketed to over 13.6% with few opportunities for employment (BLS.gov). The employers
that were hiring, were inundated with applications despite the low wages and lack of benefits.
The people were terrified that Janesville would become another Flint, Michigan as seen in
Roger Moores film Roger and Me.
Fortunately, Janesville has avoided the fate of Flint. The city and its residents had to
make many difficult choices and sacrifices, but they persevered. According to the U.S. Census,
the city has experienced a 0.3% growth from 2010 to 2013. This statistic is usually a sign of
stagnation, but in Janesvilles case, it is a vast improvement over the hemorrhaging of residents

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it experienced from 2008 until 2010. Additionally, the unemployment rate has dropped
steadily to 6.2% in correlation with the steady increase in new jobs. However, the city is still
reporting a per capita income of only $24,152 which is likely due to the roughly 15% of its
citizens living below the poverty line. The low income is also reflected in abundance of multiunit housing being occupied. Its clear from the evidence that the downward turn in the
unemployment numbers are a result of people taking jobs that are not paying a living wage, or
simply giving up all together.
Even though many of those painful memories have waned for most, the south side scar
that is the GM plant still remains. The plant is technically in standby, meaning that it would
begin production if the need arose. This status is partially a function of the contract the
manufacturer has with the United Auto Workers union. It is presumed that GM has put this
plant on standby to avoid contractual obligations to the workers in the event of a plant closing.
The specifics of this technicality seem to be known to relatively few, but the impacts of it are
felt by the city and its residents. Standby prevents the city from taking action on the property
as long as it is not a public health hazard. Furthermore, it has kept potential developers at bay.
September 15th of 2015, that may all change when the U.A.W. contract expires freeing GM to
close the plant for good, and unload it.

Development Goals

This proposal, if implemented, will be considered a success if it achieves a few simple

objectives. First, it needs to continue the current planning philosophy of looking forward to

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new diversified future. The city has already made several bold steps to move Janesville into
emerging sectors of the economy, and this proposal will follow that trajectory. Secondly, any
development of the GM site must repair the fabric of the south side and city as a whole. This
objective is multi-faceted. Beyond simply connecting the east and west halves of the south
side, this proposal will bring the south side back in from the periphery of the citys development
strategy. Third, this proposal will provide green spaces to restore the land and the residents
appreciation for the City of Parks. And lastly, it will serve as a case study on the redevelopment
of a heavy industrial site to other land uses.

Site Characteristics

The GM parcel of land has many unique features to be exploited by an enterprising

developer. The tract is one mile long north to south, and varies between and 1/8 of a mile
wide. In total, the site occupies roughly 600 acres(Figure 1, Figure 15) The parcel is bisected by
rail lines, which separates the northern area with the plant from the southern area that was the
staging area to ship the finishes cars.
The southern half has almost zero grade for almost 60% of its length, with a steep hill
that crests to a plateau for the remainder (Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5). There are a
few existing structures surrounded by a primarily gravel surface. There are rail spurs at the top
of the hill, and a direct access to road to the northern half of the property.
The northern half of the property is the location of the manufacturing building (Figure 1,
Figure 11). This structure is one of the largest industrial complexes under one roof in the world

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at an astounding 4,800,000 cubic feet. This half of the parcel is bordered by an extreme grade
to the south and west, with the Rock River just to the north (Figure 2). The building footprint
occupies much of this parcel, thus the surface has been graded flat. The remaining portion of
the parcel that the building does not cover is paved with asphalt.

Development Plan
The proposed sequence

Given the state of Janesvilles economy, and the redevelopment of the downtown area
set to begin in summer of 2015, projects must be prioritized to ensure the realization of this
proposals goals. The redevelopment of this parcel will likely take a decade or two, therefore it
is imperative to begin with those items which improve the residents quality of life and that
entice business investment. To that end, it is recommended to begin with the construction of
the greenspaces. Next, development should be focused on providing infrastructure to support
the investments proposed by the private sector. And finally, additional single family detached
housing and multi-family units should be constructed to house the employees required by the
new businesses.

Green spaces

The inclusion of green spaces in this proposal play a crucial role in the success of this
development. The research of Christopher DeSousa at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee

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provides the social and fiscal rationale behind this design decision. According to his research,
green spaces are appreciated by a majority of those surveyed (De Sousa 2006). For some it was
simply a matter of aesthetics, but for most, the green spaces provided a place to engage in
social and physical activities. Furthermore, DeSousa found that businesses are more likely to
locate in cities that utilize green spaces, rather than cities that are blighted (De Sousa 2004).
Scott Brunner of Marquette University echoes DeSousas findings in the Marquette Law Review,
and adds to them. According to Brunner, the implementation of green spaces during the early
stages of brownfield redevelopment help maintain property values (Brunner 2011). This is
critical to the long-term redevelopment process because stable property values make tax
increment financing less risky for municipalities. Based on these reasons alone, the green
spaces in this proposal are a perfect fit for this project. Of course, there are other benefits to
the inclusion of green spaces early on, and for the lifetime of the development.
The perceived and real environmental impacts of the green spaces play a huge role in
the success of redeveloping a brownfield. The placement of the greenspaces in this plan were
carefully selected to take advantage of these benefits in particular. The city and the developer
must have the support of the public to ensure a timely and cost-effective execution of the plan.
The construction of green spaces early on achieve this in two important ways. Green spaces
are pleasing to look at, and appear to be solely for the benefit of the public. Additionally, green
spaces act as a wind break and natural sound barrier to shield the public from the noise and
dust of the remediation work. The placement of the green spaces in this plan are intended to
break up an otherwise barren landscape for the public benefit. However, their placement is
also intended for environmental benefit as well.

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The benefits of these green spaces to the environment span the lifetime of the project.
The green spaces in the southern parcel are located at the base of the grade, and in the
northwest corner adjacent to a conventional suburban sprawl type neighborhood. The green
spaces in the northern parcel are located along the northwestern edge adjacent to a
neighborhood that is similar to a Traditional Urban Fabric neighborhood. They will feature
bioswales to catch run off from the remediation efforts, and large trees to block dust and noise.
This was done to protect not only the citizens, but also the Rock River from run off that may
enter the sewers. As an added bonus, these green spaces will serve as catchment basins in the
long term as the development grows adding additional impermeable surfaces.
Infrastructure

Once the greenspaces are constructed, and the rest of the parcel has been remediated
for use, the city should begin investing in the infrastructure needed to seal the deal with
interested businesses. This proposal features a modified grid style road geometry for the
benefit of business and citizens alike. The grid has been designed to connect the east and west
areas of the south side allowing for a higher traffic volume. Additionally, the grid connects to
Reuther Way, a road that GM built for high volume truck traffic with direct access to Interstate
Highway 90. The grid features 5 new arterial streets to facilitate access to businesses for
employees and deliveries. The arterial streets will be 30ft. wide with a generous curb radius
for access by heavy vehicles. Lastly, street lights on arterial streets will be setback from the
curb, and well over the minimum 13 feet 6 inches necessary for truck clearance. This is
contrary to the streets in what will be the residential areas.

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The road geometry in the residential areas are designed with the public in mind. The
streets in the residential areas will be 22 feet wide with bulb outs for pedestrians and limited
on-street parking. This was done to discourage high speeds, and encourage more pedestrian
traffic. Additionally, street lights in the residential areas will be lower providing pedestrian
friendly lighting while minimizing light pollution. In theory, residents will choose to walk to
work, or to one of the many new green spaces.

Residential Zones

The residential areas in this proposal are designed to repair the fabric of the south side,
and provide a seamless transition across the cityscape. To achieve that end, the city blocks
have been configured similar to the surrounding neighborhoods (Figure 6). This proposal
features several blocks of single family detached homes, with only 2 blocks of multi-family units
at the far south end. The multi-family units are immediately adjacent to existing multi-family
units (Figure 9), thus continuing the layout into the new development. Also, the inclusion of
the multi-unit zones will allow for a mix of incomes.
The single family detached homes throughout the development will also be similar to
the surrounding neighborhoods. Ideally, they will be ranch styled homes with the longer side
facing the road (Figure 10). They will be set back from the road with a detached garage in the
back as seen elsewhere in the area. The deep rectangular lot configuration, in conjunction with
the narrow roads and abundant trees, should help mitigate the loss of a contiguous street wall.
The height-width ratio is expected to be 1:3 or less, consequently trees should be planted along

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the sidewalks. Sidewalks will be included along every street, with landscaping placed in
between the pedestrians where on-street parking is unavailable.
These proposals for the residential zone satisfy the proposal goals in numerous ways.
This proposal adds over 402 single family detached homes, and if modeled after the adjacent
multi-unit zones, nearly 100 apartments. That would provide housing for 1,200 residents at
Janesvilles 2.4 citizen per household average. The apartments will probably be occupied at
much lower rates, which would bring the population density of this development within
Janesvilles current population density of 1877.6 people per square mile. The ranch style home,
and apartment, are both affordable housing options which would remain in reach of the
average worker if the development fails to draw in jobs that pay above the current standard.
Despite the stigma associated with lower income housing, their contribution to the citys tax
base and the elimination of the brownfield should foster a more optimistic disposition towards
investing in business on Janesvilles south side.

Industrial Zones

This proposal includes a few select areas for industrial zoning to generate employment,
and to take advantage of existing infrastructure. The parcel contains a private road between
the bisected halves, railroad spurs, and a direct road to the interstate highway (Figure 7). It
would be a failure to ignore their potential. With that being said, it is recommended that these
industrial zones be used for distribution or light industrial. All too often, municipalities opt to
replace a former heavy industrial site with more of the same. This can lead to disastrous

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results. The public could tie the developers up in court for years, until the project was scrapped
directly from the drawing board. Furthermore, doing so in Janesville would be antithetical to
the vision the city has set forth. Ideally, these industrial zones would be part of a bigger
technology park that includes the neighboring office zones.

Office and Professional Use Zones

The office zones planned in this development are intended to provide flexibility and
future proofing. Located in between the industrial zone and the green spaces in the southern
parcel, the office zones provide benefits to the development. Their location will help shield the
residential areas below from the noise that will be generated by train and truck traffic further
up the hill. Their proximity to this area makes them a prime location for companies that
provide business services to manufacturing and distribution operations. The location also gives
office workers a view of the green space below, and southern exposure for maximal natural
light. The selection of this location could be used in another way as well.
The office zone is located with geographic centricity in mind. Residents of either parcel
would have to travel no more than of a mile to reach it. Additionally, the zone is located
adjacent to an existing retail center and connected to it via an arterial street. It would be
possible to use this zone for multi-functional use if there was a demand. Some office spaces
could be used for community enrichment activities, outreach programs, or even retail. If
successful, the space may be used for technology education and research.

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Conclusion
This proposal is intended to be used as a framework for the redevelopment of the
Janesville General Motors site. It has addressed concerns that the city, the private sector, and
the residents may have as the project moves forward. Additionally, this proposal provides
flexibility to adapt to changing social, environmental, and economic conditions during the
implementation of the plan. Through these guiding principles, this proposal will repair the
social, psychological, economic, and physical fabric of the city.

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References
Brunner, Scott W. 2011. Sharing the Green: Reformatting Wisconsins Forgotten Green Space
Grant with a Public-Private Partnership Design. Marq. L. Rev. 95: 305.
De Sousa, Christopher A. 2004. The Greening of Brownfields in American Cities. Journal of
Environmental Planning and Management 47 (4): 579600.
doi:10.1080/0964056042000243249.
. 2006. Unearthing the Benefits of Brownfield to Green Space Projects: An Examination
of Project Use and Quality of Life Impacts. Local Environment 11 (5): 577600.

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT552750000000003?data_tool=XGtable
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.692746,-89.0096939,12z
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/5537825.html
http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/

Figure 1 An aerial view of the entire GM property

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Figure 2 A topographic map of the site. (USGS National Atlas, 2013)

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Figure 4 The southern end of the site facing north from Kellogg Ave.

Figure 3 The southern end of the site while facing southwest from Jackson St.

Figure 5 Facing due west from Jackson St.

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Figure 8 Facing northwest from Jackson St.

Figure 7 The private street that connects the north and south parcels.

Figure 6 An example of the adjacent neighborhoods.

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Figure 10 An example of the architecture and lot configuration.

Figure 9 Existing multi-unit housing adjacent to the site.

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Figure 11 An orthographic view of the GM building.

Figure 12 A photo of the GM plant taken from the across the Rock River at Monterey Park.

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Figure 14 A photo taken of the east side of the property.

Figure 13 A photo taken facing south from the northern edge of the property.

Figure 15 The extent of the GM parcel.

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Figure 16 The proposed land use configuration.

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