— Microsoft plans to invest billions of dollars over the next decade to expand its operations in Mount Pleasant, state and local officials announced.
Under the plan released Friday afternoon by the village of Mount Pleasant and Racine County, the Washington-based tech giant would spend billions of dollars to build new data centers in the area. The specific dollar figure for the plan was not disclosed.
The company’s initial $1 billion investment in the area was announced earlier this year before a summer groundbreaking, anchoring its presence in southeastern Wisconsin.
Microsoft would acquire 1,030 additional acres in the village’s Tax Incremental District No. 5 under this expanded plan, according to the release. About 630 of those acres would be bought from the village, while the rest would be purchased from a private landowner. These moves would bring its total land in the district to 1,345 acres, including the 315 acres it previously acquired from the village in May.
Gov. Tony Evers said in a statement the move will “have a positive impact that will be felt in the region and across our state” for years to come.
“We are thrilled to see a global powerhouse like Microsoft continue to see the value and benefit of growing their operations here in Wisconsin and the booming Southeast region of our state,” Evers said Friday.
The guv’s release also notes Wisconsin being chosen for a regional tech hub around personalized medicine “acted as a catalyst” for Microsoft’s decision to expand its Mount Pleasant footprint.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith said Wisconsin’s “strengths in workforce, infrastructure, and educational opportunities make it a great place for Microsoft to invest and grow our cloud services.”
Agreements covering the land purchase and proposed project will initially go before the village and county boards this week, according to the release, though no votes will be held yet. Both boards will consider the agreements later in the month. If approved, land transfers are expected to take place before the end of the year.
See details from the village and county: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/village-of-mount-pleasant-racine-county-to-consider-expansion-of-microsoft-datacenter-footprint/
See Evers’ statement: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/WIGOV/bulletins/37a6b42
— The latest MMAC report on Milwaukee’s economy suggests “a slow growth environment” in the region going into the final months of 2023.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce recently released its economic trends report covering September. It shows 13 of the 23 economic factors tracked by the business group were positive for the month, marking a slight decline from August’s 14 positive indicators.
“The aggregate number of positive indicators has been flat to trending downward for the better part of one year and September’s total is the smallest number of positives registered since March,” MMAC Vice President of Economic Research Bret Mayborne said in a statement.
Seven of the area’s top 10 industry sectors saw year-over-year job growth in September, with leisure and hospitality seeing the most growth at 3.9%. Meanwhile, the information sector had the largest decline with a 5.6% drop, the report shows.
Overall job growth was modest, MMAC found, as nonfarm jobs in the metro area rose 0.6% over the year to hit 863,100 in September. While that’s up slightly from the year-to-date average increase over the first nine months of the year — 0.5% — it falls short of the 2.2% growth rate seen last year.
Meanwhile, manufacturing jobs in the region rose over the year for the 30th month in a row. But the increase of 0.3% was the smallest increase seen over that period, according to the report.
At the same time, average weekly earnings for manufacturing workers declined 3.3% over the year while average hourly earnings fell 2.2%. And the average workweek length for these workers declined 1.1% after a 2.2% drop in August, reaching 35.1 hours in September.
See the report: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/mmac-september-economic-trends-report-for-metro-milwaukee-3/
— The Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors is highlighting a positive trend in the number of new listings in the area.
October listings for the metro region rose 2.9% over the year, from 1,771 in October 2022 to 1,823 last month. GMAR wrote in its latest report that is “truly good news” as it marks the third month of year-over-year improvement.
“However, again, our optimism is muted due to the severe decline in listings during the second half of 2022,” report authors wrote. “Nonetheless, a three month run is a good trend.”
By comparison, the total for October 2023 was 17% lower than the same month in 2021, the report shows.
Meanwhile, metro Milwaukee saw its first year-over-year home sales increase in 18 months in October, but that’s against a backdrop of declining sales one year prior. Sales in the region rose 3.6% over the year, from 1,492 to 1,545.
“That would normally be a point to celebrate, but sales were up this October because sales a year ago dropped by double-digits due to rising interest rates,” report authors noted.
See the full report here: https://www.gmar.com/resources/research-statistics/2023-housing-statistics
— Dairyland Cooperative has reached an agreement to work with the other two companies that handle transmission lines in Wisconsin on projects expected in the state over the next decade, clearing a hurdle for a major utility bill pending in the state Legislature.
Ben Porath, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Dairyland, on Friday declined to release details of the agreement. He told WisPolitics the deal addresses the cooperative’s concerns that it could be shut out of the $2 billion in transmission line work expected in Wisconsin in the coming years.
Along with Dairyland, American Transmission Co. and Xcel Energy are the other transmission utilities serving Wisconsin.
Of the three, Dairyland was the only one that opposed legislation that backers have dubbed “right of first refusal.” Porath said the company will now drop its opposition and register in favor of the legislation, which cleared a Senate committee Friday.
“We had the eyes of the Legislature on us asking us to get this done,” Porath said.
Xcel said in a statement the agreement could “ensure continued cooperation in developing the state’s high-voltage transmission system if the transmission bill is passed by the legislature this year.”
Ellen Nowak, a lobbyist for ATC and a former PSC commissioner, added, “We’ve resolved our business differences, and we’re excited to have them on board supporting ‘ROFR.’”
Neither statement offered any details on the agreement.
The Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the regional electric grid that covers the upper Midwest, has approved $10 billion in work on new transmission lines over the next decade with Wisconsin expected to see about $2 billion of that.
See more at WisPolitics: https://www.wispolitics.com/2023/231110report/#story-1
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— State health officials say they will conduct a review of all providers certified to offer child care coordination services as part of an effort to crack down on fraud.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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#TOP STORIES#
# Report: Wisconsin has sped up lead service line removal, but hurdles remain
# Wisconsin snubs bourbon by elevating brandy old fashioned to state cocktail status
# State cracks down on fraud-ridden infant mortality program
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– Wisconsin beef council launches MBA competition
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=997&yr=2023
# BANKING
– Associated Bank plans more key hires while cutting workforce 3% amid portfolio shift
# EDUCATION
– Best-selling author Jodi Picoult says Menomonee Falls School District won’t discuss book ban
– UW-Parkside cutting 10 percent of workforce
# ENTERTAINMENT & THE ARTS
– Maxim Lando goes big with Brahms to open WCO’s Masterworks series
# FOOD & BEVERAGE
– Ardent opens new tasting room in former Red Light Ramen space, adds a lounge
– 13 Madison-area restaurants who will cook for you on Thanksgiving
# LABOR
– American Roller buys Chicago-area firm, will move work and jobs to Union Grove
# MANUFACTURING
– Building Blocks: Boldt Construction completes Excellerate smart manufacturing facility in Little Chute
# REAL ESTATE
– Wauwatosa plans to win in the ‘long haul’
# REGULATION
– Kenosha City Council votes 12-3 to take up casino agreement for final consideration Nov. 20
# SPORTS
– Green Bay looks to reactivate Lombardi Neighborhood Association in time for 2025 NFL draft
# TECHNOLOGY
– Ontech Systems to move from Menomonee Falls to Milwaukee’s far northwest side
# TRANSPORTATION
– Port Milwaukee selected for $9.3M USDOT grant
– Milwaukee airport travelers nearing 5 million for the year
# UTILITIES
– Electric, gas bills will be higher but not as high as utilities wanted
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
http://wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 </i>
Agrace: World War II veteran and hospice care patient presented with Quilt of Valor
