NEW BERLIN — The New Berlin Plan Commission will again discuss and possibly take action regarding Rockwell Automation’s proposed massive manufacturing facility on West Grange Avenue.
The Plan Commission will review and could take action on Rockwell’s submitted rezoning/planned unit development (PUD), comprehensive plan amendment, and land division requests, according to the July 15 meeting agenda.
It will be the first time the topic has been discussed since New Berlin residents spoke out against the Rockwell project at a public hearing during a Plan Commission meeting on June 1.
The first phase of the project calls for an 810,000-square-foot facility, including 770,000 square feet of manufacturing space and 40,000 square feet of office space, along the south side of the 14000 block of West Grange Avenue. Future expansion of the first phase could bump the facility to over 1 million square feet, according to project details. Construction would begin later this year.
The project details also outline the potential for a second phase that would include a separate 425,000square-foot light industrial building in the northeast corner of the property along Grange Avenue. City documents include a possible construction date of 2036 for the second phase.
Kyle Lindberg, Rockwell’s vice president of supply chain strategy and planning, and Patrick Theodossiou, development director at Sun-Cap Property Group, Rockwell’s developer for this project, both emphasized last month that there are currently only plans for the initial 810,000-square-foot facility.
Concerns from residents, most of whom live in neighborhoods bordering or near the proposed site, included noise and light pollution, power consumption and increased truck traffic in the area.
Residents also questioned what kind of work would be done at the facility. Lindberg said the manufacturing would focus on the assembly of electronic products, but also acknowledged that Rockwell has yet to finalize exactly which products would be manufactured at the plant.
Activities at the “advanced manufacturing campus” may include manufacturing and assembly operations, warehousing and distribution functions, and office, administrative and operational support uses, according to a project website. General site operations are anticipated to include employee and visitor parking, truck circulation and loading/ unloading at designated docking areas, and refuse and recycling services located within screened or enclosed service areas, according to the website.
Lindberg said last month that the plant is expected to produce “hundreds” of jobs, though couldn’t yet provide a specific figure. Capital investment is expected to between $211 million and $246 million, according to the website.
In addition to the Plan Commission meeting July 15, the New Berlin Common Council will meet July 28 to review and possibly take action on Rockwell’s rezoning/PUD, comprehensive plan amendment, and land division requests. Depending on actions taken by the Plan Commission and Common Council later this month, the Plan Commission is expected to review Rockwell’s use, site and architecture approval application at a later date. For more information on the project, visit https://bit.ly/rockwellnb.