Alliant Energy Center is \'hub\' for dairy industry; expansion expected to create jobs\, development

Thanks for staying with news 3-- a proposal to redevelop the alliant energy center could get a significant investment from the state.

Governor evers is proposing that his capital budget cover 30 million dollars of the first phase of the expansion project .

Rose schmidt talked to community leaders and stakeholders... who say dane county and the entire state could benefit from the plan.

Dane county officials expect the project to expand the exhibition hall to create more than 600 net new jobs and generate 25 million dollars income taxes over the next two decades.

Under the proposal -- the state would provide a third of the money.

The rest would come from taxpayer money as well as private partnerships like naming rights.

(nats of trade show?) you can almost always expect something to be going on inside the alliant energy center's exhibition hall... (((evers, "2:24 we're making this investment because many of the venue users have out grown the facility 29"))) and governor tony evers is announcing that the state plans to chip in 30 million dollars for a planned expansion project... that will convert the hall into a full service convention center... almost doubling the size in order to compete with other locations.

(((evers, "2:29 many of the prospective users are opting out for other venues that have adequate space and amenities located outside of the state of wisconsin 40 "))) a trend evers wants to stop... and instead -- expand the number and types of businesses that come to the area... and create an economic development boom.

Reuben: 10:09 so often south madison is looked at as last and there's not a lot of investment made here traditionally 17 currently -- alliant energy center hosts events like the dane county fair and the world dairy expo.... organizers are excited to see the end result of the expansion.

(((scott "34:29 it's one that we think has some real opportunities for improvement for our atendees and our exhibitors at world dairty expo 35 "))) the bad news for them is that the project is expected to take years to complete... scott 34:48 there's also probably some challenges relative to the construction phase adn the timing of the priject 54 and we'll certainly have to work around those to minimize the impacts to our atendees 58 but the good news is that with the state's dairy industry faces challenges..

County leaders say this expansion couldn't come at a better time.

((( parisi "5:46 this is still the dairy state 47 and that's why what we do here has an impact statewide 52 "))) dane county officials say design plans are still being drawn up to expand the exhibition hall.... so they don't know yet when the shovels will go in the ground... but it won't be this year.

Thanks