The Village of Pleasant Prairie has applied for a $1 million Transportation Economic Assistance grant through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to widen Highway 165 from two to four lanes between Terwall Terrace and Corporate Drive. The road is the major access point from I-94 to the LakeView Corporate Park.
The road expansion project would include an additional bridge crossing the Des Plaines River.
Wisconsin’s TEA program provides financial assistance to municipalities to enable industrial development. If awarded, the TEA grants would be divided in two: $500,000 on behalf of Meijer, Inc. and another at $500,000 on behalf Niagara Bottling, LLC. Meijer has a warehouse and distribution center and Niagara has a bottling and distribution center in the village.
Village Administrator Michael Pollocoff said the grant is necessary to move forward with the $6.5 million road expansion project.
Pleasant Prairie’s tax incremental financing district would match each grant for a total of another $1 million and the Wisconsin’s Road Improvement Fund would pay for the remaining amount.
If the TEA grants are awarded, the village will sign a jobs guarantee with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, pledging 75 jobs by Niagara and 262 jobs at Meijer.
Each company has already met their commitment to jobs in Wisconsin.
