Revitalizing the Heart of Kenosha
The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN) is one of the most ambitious revitalization projects in Wisconsin, transforming 107 acres of vacant land into a mixed-use development that serves the city’s diverse needs. The project, located within a prime high-growth corridor between Chicago and Milwaukee, aims to foster economic empowerment, community engagement, and innovation. A.W. Oakes & Son played a significant role in the utility installations and concrete paving work required to turn this visionary project into reality.
The KIN encompasses sustainable, innovation-focused spaces for offices, medical facilities, education, commercial and recreational use, housing, and more. A.W. Oakes & Son has been integral in laying the groundwork for the neighborhood’s transformation, from utilities installation to state-of-the-art concrete paving, ensuring a solid foundation for the area’s future.
Over Ten Years of Commitment
Mike Newholm, a project manager with A.W. Oakes & Son, has been involved in the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood site since 2013, witnessing its transformation from a contaminated industrial site to a clean, usable property ready for development. His experience spans nearly every phase of remediation and infrastructure work on the site.
In the early days, the project required extensive remediation. “We started with two small contaminated soil cleanup projects in 2013 and 2014, hauling material to the local landfill,” Mike shared. “By 2017, we had removed approximately 190,000 tons of contaminated soil and crushed 185,000 tons of concrete for reuse.” These efforts cleared the way for future construction and ensured the site met environmental standards.
Despite the progress, challenges arose. “Some of the soil was wet, making it tricky to transport, and removing the concrete was tough on equipment,” Mike explained. “In 2020, we dug a large pond, which was particularly challenging due to wet conditions that required pumping and treating water before discharging it into the sanitary sewer system.”
Over the years, Mike has observed a remarkable evolution of the site. “This was once a very contaminated Chrysler Engine Plant covered in concrete. Today, it’s a cleaned-up site with new roads and infrastructure,” he said.
Reflecting on key milestones, Mike cited the removal of crushed materials in 2017 and the completion of the pond in 2020 as standout moments. “Seeing the new roads poured recently was especially rewarding,” he said. “It’s gratifying to watch the site finally come to life as part of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood.”
Mike also expressed pride in the A.W. Oakes & Son team’s dedication. “I’m grateful for the quality foremen and employees who worked tirelessly on this project over the years,” he said. “This development is a major step forward for Kenosha, and I’m excited to see how it continues to grow with new businesses and residential units.”
Complex Utility Installations
Utilities Project Manager Jay Beesley, Lead Project Manager Jeff Blasczyk, Utilities Superintendent Cory Ivy, and Lead Utility Foreman Adam Lois shared insight into the complexity of the utilities work. "The utilities we installed included sanitary sewer, water main, and storm sewer,” Jay explained. This was no typical installation, given the site’s unique conditions. “Encountering massive footings from the old Chrysler plant slowed production and required specialty equipment for removal,” he noted, adding that the project involved a large storm trunk line system starting with a 10’x7’ concrete box culvert and ending with a 58”x91” concrete elliptical pipe. "This trunk line required machinery capable of lifting up to 60,000 lbs at times,” said Jay, underscoring the scale and complexity of the task.
The team faced several challenges but was committed to completing the project within schedule. Jeff Blasczyk highlighted this achievement, saying, “I am most proud of how our utility team worked diligently throughout the winter to help meet the planned schedule. This allowed our concrete and grading teams to take over and build most of the project during the summer/fall 2024 construction season.”
Coordination and Strategic Planning
The KIN project’s tight schedule demanded precise coordination and strategic planning to ensure smooth transitions between construction phases. Jeff explained, “Our planned goal was to get as much of the underground work done over the winter months to put the grading and concrete teams in position to get as much work done during the summer/fall construction season.” This forward-thinking approach paid off, as the team’s detailed schedule, developed through collaboration with superintendents and foremen, kept the project on track. Even with unforeseen obstacles, the A.W. Oakes & Son team always had backup plans ready, maintaining progress and minimizing delays.
Sustainability and Innovation in Action
Sustainability was a core priority for A.W. Oakes & Son throughout the utility installations. Cory Ivy shared an example of these efforts, saying, “We were able to incorporate sustainable practices into the project. We utilized the miscellaneous concrete footings and building foundations removed during utility installation as backfill by having our crushing team come in and process the concrete into sewer backfill on the project.” This sustainable practice not only reduced waste but also minimized the need for new materials, reinforcing the project’s commitment to environmental responsibility.
Cutting-Edge Concrete Paving Technology
For the concrete paving phase, A.W. Oakes & Son continued their high standards by implementing advanced techniques. Ed Anastas and Connor McMahon from the concrete paving team expressed pride in delivering high-quality pavement for the City of Kenosha. “We were able to supply the concrete from the Oakes concrete batch plant,” said Ed. “It’s always exciting to build brand new roads where they didn’t exist before.”
The team utilized GPS machine control for grading operations and TPS (stingless paving) for concrete fine grading and placement, showcasing A.W. Oakes’ investment in cutting-edge technology. "These machine control upgrades saved us significant time during grading and concrete placement operations,” Connor noted, “and was one of the major factors in completing the project within the contractual timeframes.”
Minimizing Community Disruption
Working in the heart of Kenosha required careful consideration to minimize disruption to the surrounding community. “We analyzed all available truck routes and selected the fastest, most efficient route that utilized state and county highways,” Ed shared. In addition, the team’s mobile batch plant limited the hauling distance, making the process both efficient and less intrusive. “We were able to limit the paving work to five days to place 27,000 square yards of pavement,” Ed added, demonstrating the team’s commitment to a streamlined and community-conscious approach.
Building Kenosha’s Future
The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood is more than just a development; it’s a catalyst for sustainable growth and an opportunity for community transformation. Through their involvement, A.W. Oakes & Son has demonstrated their dedication to quality construction, advanced technologies, and sustainable practices. Their work on this project highlights the vital role that construction and infrastructure experts play in shaping a community’s future.
By aligning themselves with the project’s goals of economic empowerment, community engagement, and sustainability, A.W. Oakes & Son continues to set a high standard in the industry. Their contributions to the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood underscore their commitment not only to exceptional construction but to the community of Kenosha as it steps into a new era of opportunity and growth.
 |
 |
* various photos from rhbatterman.com/kin-project
