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Rainbow Falls swept away

By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
Rainbow Falls Family Park is destined to disappear from the landscape in Plover this year.

Lokre Development Co. of Wausau, owners of the property, unveiled preliminary plans to the Plover Plan Commission on Monday, Feb. 2, that call for development of two auto malls and retail stores on the site of Rainbow Falls and the former Plover Manufacturers Direct Mall that was razed last year.

With the development will come the razing of Rainbow Falls and its water slides and entertainment center.

Some village officials expressed disappointment about the demise of Rainbow Falls, a popular attraction in the region, but welcomed the new redevelopment on a parcel of property that is a gateway to the village.

Robert Holden, Plover community development manager, said the village has entered into a predevelopment agreement with Lokre that will require the developer to pay all the development costs, plus all principal and interest costs until Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District reimbursement costs are received.

The TIF District is a state-created program that allows municipalities to remove buildings in blighted area and redevelop the property, using the increased property tax revenues to pay for the cost of public utilities such as sewer, water and roads.

The assessment of the property would be frozen at the amount before redevelopment, and other taxing districts, such as the Stevens Point Area Public School District and Portage County, would continue to receive property taxes based on that amount. The village would then use the additional property taxes from the increased valuation to pay for the improvements within the district.

The conceptual plan for the new development calls for two auto malls on the eastern half of the parcel fronting Interstate 39. The section west of Mall Road would be developed into retail stores, with the center section available for future development.

Rick Rettler of Rettler Corp., Stevens Point, said the development would have a campus-style setting. "The major statement is this is something other than what we are used to seeing," he said. While the landscaping plans are conceptual yet, he said all the park areas are broken into cells and the property "will be inviting to the public on a pedestrian scale."

The development will also create a water treatment, including fountains, he said.

Dan Mahoney, Plover administrator, said Lokre told him that retailers didn't want to be close to the Interstate, but that car dealers are interested in the location. Stevens Point already has car dealers along the interstate at the Highway 66 interchange, where Courtesy Motors and Scaffidi Motors are located.

Mahoney said the proposal will be brought back to the board later when a master plan is completed and that plan will have more details about the project. The commission and the village will have to approve the master plan.

One possibility with the redevelopment, he said, is to move Menards Drive to the east, which would allow Menards to expand its store to the east. Menards wants to expand at the site, he said.

The redevelopment will also allow the village to extend Mall Road to Maple Drive, he said.

Instead of having storm water retention ponds on the property, Mahoney said the proposal calls for storm drainage onto village property, which will allow for the fountain as a water feature, similar to the fountain at the Portage County Business Park in Stevens Point.

Rolly Lokre of Lokre Development said the project could begin June 1, with the dismantling of Rainbow Falls. Construction of an auto mall and two retail buildings could begin this summer, he said, with openings before the end of the year.

The mall was constructed about 1980 by Chet Skippy and Skippy Enterprises as Manufacturers Direct Mall and served as an outlet mall during its initial years. Later, local retailers moved into the space.

Lokre purchased the mall from Skippy in the spring of 1999 and then closed it to retailers on Aug. 31, 2000.

In 2001, the mall was developed into Dream City U.S.A., a family entertainment center, that opened in July but closed in September because of toxic mold. The mall was then razed last year.



	Rainbow Falls swept away By GENE KEMMETER of The Gazette Rainbow Falls Family Park is destined to disappear from the landscape in Plover this year. Lokre Development Co. of Wausau, owners of the property, unveiled preliminary plans to the Plover Plan Commission on Monday, Feb. 2, that call for development of two auto malls and retail stores on the site of Rainbow Falls and the former Plover Manufacturers Direct Mall that was razed last year. With the development will come the razing of Rainbow Falls and its water slides and entertainment center. Some village officials expressed disappointment about the demise of Rainbow Falls, a popular attraction in the region, but welcomed the new redevelopment on a parcel of property that is a gateway to the village. Robert Holden, Plover community development manager, said the village has entered into a predevelopment agreement with Lokre that will require the developer to pay all the development costs, plus all principal and interest costs until Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District reimbursement costs are received. The TIF District is a state-created program that allows municipalities to remove buildings in blighted area and redevelop the property, using the increased property tax revenues to pay for the cost of public utilities such as sewer, water and roads. The assessment of the property would be frozen at the amount before redevelopment, and other taxing districts, such as the Stevens Point Area Public School District and Portage County, would continue to receive property taxes based on that amount. The village would then use the additional property taxes from the increased valuation to pay for the improvements within the district. The conceptual plan for the new development calls for two auto malls on the eastern half of the parcel fronting Interstate 39. The section west of Mall Road would be developed into retail stores, with the center section available for future development. Rick Rettler of Rettler Corp., Stevens Point, said the development would have a campus-style setting. "The major statement is this is something other than what we are used to seeing," he said. While the landscaping plans are conceptual yet, he said all the park areas are broken into cells and the property "will be inviting to the public on a pedestrian scale." The development will also create a water treatment, including fountains, he said. Dan Mahoney, Plover administrator, said Lokre told him that retailers didn't want to be close to the Interstate, but that car dealers are interested in the location. Stevens Point already has car dealers along the interstate at the Highway 66 interchange, where Courtesy Motors and Scaffidi Motors are located. Mahoney said the proposal will be brought back to the board later when a master plan is completed and that plan will have more details about the project. The commission and the village will have to approve the master plan. One possibility with the redevelopment, he said, is to move Menards Drive to the east, which would allow Menards to expand its store to the east. Menards wants to expand at the site, he said. The redevelopment will also allow the village to extend Mall Road to Maple Drive, he said. Instead of having storm water retention ponds on the property, Mahoney said the proposal calls for storm drainage onto village property, which will allow for the fountain as a water feature, similar to the fountain at the Portage County Business Park in Stevens Point. Rolly Lokre of Lokre Development said the project could begin June 1, with the dismantling of Rainbow Falls. Construction of an auto mall and two retail buildings could begin this summer, he said, with openings before the end of the year. The mall was constructed about 1980 by Chet Skippy and Skippy Enterprises as Manufacturers Direct Mall and served as an outlet mall during its initial years. Later, local retailers moved into the space. Lokre purchased the mall from Skippy in the spring of 1999 and then closed it to retailers on Aug. 31, 2000. In 2001, the mall was developed into Dream City U.S.A., a family entertainment center, that opened in July but closed in September because of toxic mold. The mall was then razed last year.