Surf Cat

Antaramian discusses road work, revetment, Foxconn and hobbies in the final offering of this week’s three-part series:

Q: What is the latest on local infrastructure?

A: We have a great deal of infrastructure we still have to repair and rebuild. 22nd Avenue is still being rebuilt. 60th Street is still being rebuilt. There are plans to rebuild 30th Avenue between 52nd Street and Washington Road. There are two new (stormwater) basins being built this year. I have to spend $15 million on (shoreline) revetment walls because I thought they would last a lot longer than they did. We’ll find a way to make it work. As a community, that’s what we do.

Q: Which of the highways leading to I-94 do you feel need expansion?

A: That is an old fight I’ve had with the state forever. They’re going to do Highway 50. That’s good to go. 52nd Street (Highway 158) is the street they should’ve done. That needs to be put on the state’s master plan for being rebuilt and redesigned. It should be a four-lane boulevard all the way through the city. It should be created in a way that alleviates some of the traffic patterns and problems you have on Highway 50. 52nd Street also needs to be expanded to 128th Avenue (west of I-94) so we keep the industrial activity north of 60th Street.

Q: The shoreline revetment projects arrived with extreme urgency and a significant cost. Are there any other lakefront projects planned?

A: Revetment is still needed. Southport (Park) is the next one. Then we still have another section on First Avenue. We’ve put a couple of (Kenosha Harbor) projects on hold. The real question is what is going to be the increase in volume in the Great Lakes and specifically Lake Michigan over the next four to five years. We continue to work closely with the (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). There’s an issue with the breakwater. The federal government, in all honesty, has walked away. The state government hasn’t been overly exciting either. Everything we have done has been at our own cost.

Q: At least you don’t have to worry about Foxconn, right?

A: We have not had any contact with Foxconn. I don’t think they were happy with us when we made the decision to walk away.

Q: Do you stand by that decision?

A: It was the right decision. That’s not saying anything bad about Foxconn or anyone else. We were concerned about the numbers they were asking us to participate with. We do things for the best interest in Kenosha. If Foxconn succeeds, and we hope they do, we benefit. It’s 11 miles north of us. The jobs they create will be positive for the community. Whatever they do, it’s not going to hurt our community. If they partially succeed, again, we benefit. We take no risk.

Q: Are you worried about Mount Pleasant?

A: I don’t know how Mount Pleasant put their numbers together so I can’t speak to that. I’m hoping they took care of themselves and are in good shape.

Q: What do you do when you’re not planning redevelopment, reconstruction and revetment projects?

A: I get out a lot. After the (Jan. 11) snowstorm, I was out checking streets and stopping and talking to people and hearing some of the issues they’re dealing with and seeing if they have any concerns.

Q: That sure sounds like work to me. What do you do when you’re not working?

A: You might consider that work. I consider that socializing.

Q: Do you have any hobbies?

A: I’m a reader. I do a lot of reading or listening to audio books. I listen to those when I’m exercising. When I’m not reading, I enjoy the family time I have. I love to play chess. I travel whenever I can. I intend to do a little more traveling in the next couple of years. (My wife) and I intend to take a little more time away from here and do a few weekend trips to different places.