Starting on the fourth floor there would be a central 18-floor, 140-room hotel tower. Flanking the hotel tower would be two 15-floor, 72-unit condo towers (144 condo units in all). All of that would be from Lake Avenue up. Below would be four levels of parking, 308 spaces total.

Watring said his firm is already working with an unnamed hotel operator. He also said his firm’s market studies have shown that this can work. "It’s a great concept," he said, "and we hope the city approves it."

Virginia Towers has cleared the first hurdle: The proposed design materials, the appearance, have gotten thumbs up from the design review commission.

Next, the project as a whole goes to the Racine Plan Commission for both a public hearing and consideration on March 26.

Backward step

These are tough times, but certainly in West Racine. While the city ponders the aforementioned project for Racine’s lakefront, it’s staring at a bigger void than ever in West Racine. The 3100 block of Washington Avenue, the redevelopment block on the south side, is deader than ever. Stone cold. No sign of life. No prospects.

And no developer.

Investment Real Estate Services, a Chicago area company, had the contract to secure tenants and put retail development on that cleared, city-owned block. IRES has done a good job with Westgate Square and seemed a perfect candidate to shepherd the West Racine block back to life.

But when the firm’s contract with the city recently expired, IRES withdrew rather than asking for an extension.

Alderman and West Racine businessman Jim Spangenberg approached the developer of a Waukesha project — commercial and residential — that he liked. But the developer had no interest in the Racine opportunity, said Kristin Niemiec of Racine County Economic Development Corp.

And two years ago, before the economy got sand in its gears, a request for proposals for West Racine laid a big egg, Niemiec noted. So there’s no reason to expect better results now.

Early next month the Racine Redevelopment Authority will meet to talk about what to do next in West Racine.

Tattoo you

Downtown appears on its way to getting a second tattoo/body piercing shop. And officials actually sound somewhat impressed by the opportunity.

The shop, to be called I Ov Thee Dragon, would be at 614 Sixth St., a former mortgage broker office. Johnathan Zbiden, the operator, tells city officials it will also be part art gallery, displaying creations of the tattoo artists.

The proposal was persuasive enough to get the Plan Commission’s endorsement and now heads to the Racine City Council for final OK.

Wind power

SC Johnson said it will reduce its global environmental footprint by 29,500 tons of carbon-dioxide annually by shifting partly to wind power in Michigan.

The Racine-based company announced it will buy power from the Harvest Wind Farm in Michigan. Wind energy will power 46 percent of SCJ’s second-largest North American manufacturing plant in Bay City, Mich.

SCJ said the energy saved would supply about 1,800 average homes a year, and the carbon-dioxide reduction is equivalent to taking almost 3,000 cars off of the road annually.

SCJ said it is one of the first manufacturers in Michigan to use wind power after striking a five-year deal with Spartan Renewable Energy. The utility will provide about 31.5 million kilowatt hours annually, the maximum capacity that Spartan can provide.

SCJ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Fisk Johnson said it is part of the company’s ongoing effort to reduce its reliance on coal-fired electricity.

Perfect audience

Country music singer Craig Morgan found the perfect audience for his recent hit song, "International Harvester." According to Case-New Holland, Morgan did a surprise performance of the song at the annual Case IH dealer meeting recently in Orlando, Fla.

Randy Baker, president of Case IH Agricultural Equipment in Racine, said Morgan was invited to sing "International Harvester" to honor the IH in the company name.

Business reporter Michael Burke can be reached at

(262) 631-1716 or by e-mail at:

mburke@journaltimes.com.

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