MONROE - From cats and dogs to backhoe loaders and bulldozers. The former Green County Humane Society building is set to become the new site of Kundert Construction after the Monroe Common Council voted unanimously last week to approve a purchase and development agreement.
The dilapidated building, located along Wisconsin 69 at 1500 6th Avenue, will be purchased by Chad Kundert and Genevieve Kundert for $500. The purchasers plan to use the site for offices and a contractor's yard.
As part of the agreement, the Kunderts will need to make improvements to the property to raise its value to $25,000 before 2016.
"That property has very little value standing as it is," said City Attorney Rex Ewald, who drafted the document. "And this was a buyer interested in improving it, and the city has an interest in it being in private hands and productive.
"That's the fundamental reason for having a value requirement (in the agreement), is that they get it on the tax roll and it starts generating tax revenues."
Ewald said the next step regarding the sale is to close the agreement on or before June 30.
The humane society left the site in January 2013 to move into a newly constructed shelter near the Pleasant View complex. The City of Monroe Public Property Committee voted in September to begin advertising for sealed bids on the one-quarter acre property and set an Oct. 15 deadline for bids.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the city did not receive any offers during that time frame, and that the pending sale with the Kunderts is a win for the city.
"From the city's standpoint, you want to maintain and improve any property values you can," Rath said. "... They're agreeing to upgrade, so the city will get tax revenue in the future that we weren't getting now because it was in ownership of the city."
Kundert Construction has been in business since 1998. Its current location is on Shueyville Road, and the business rents a storage shed on Wis. 59, Chad Kundert said.
Kundert said when he first learned of the sale, he elected not to make a bid. "I didn't bid on it at that time, but I decided I'd like to look at it and thought the property wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. So I thought I'd put a bid on it and see what happens."
Kundert said he will also have to pay for all the surveying and closing costs, which demonstrates that "there's quite a bit more involved than the $500."
Kundert said he hopes to begin moving his business to the new location by the end of the summer, once he's able to get some work done on the outside. He said he plans to put new tin on the outside of the building and will add some new windows. He hopes to work on the interior of the building by next winter.
Kundert said he looks forward to relocating his business. "I think it's going to get a couple things established. There's great visibility there so there's going to be some advertising with having a sign out there. It'll be a place for us to have a shop where we meet in the morning and head out to do our thing."
The dilapidated building, located along Wisconsin 69 at 1500 6th Avenue, will be purchased by Chad Kundert and Genevieve Kundert for $500. The purchasers plan to use the site for offices and a contractor's yard.
As part of the agreement, the Kunderts will need to make improvements to the property to raise its value to $25,000 before 2016.
"That property has very little value standing as it is," said City Attorney Rex Ewald, who drafted the document. "And this was a buyer interested in improving it, and the city has an interest in it being in private hands and productive.
"That's the fundamental reason for having a value requirement (in the agreement), is that they get it on the tax roll and it starts generating tax revenues."
Ewald said the next step regarding the sale is to close the agreement on or before June 30.
The humane society left the site in January 2013 to move into a newly constructed shelter near the Pleasant View complex. The City of Monroe Public Property Committee voted in September to begin advertising for sealed bids on the one-quarter acre property and set an Oct. 15 deadline for bids.
City Administrator Phil Rath said the city did not receive any offers during that time frame, and that the pending sale with the Kunderts is a win for the city.
"From the city's standpoint, you want to maintain and improve any property values you can," Rath said. "... They're agreeing to upgrade, so the city will get tax revenue in the future that we weren't getting now because it was in ownership of the city."
Kundert Construction has been in business since 1998. Its current location is on Shueyville Road, and the business rents a storage shed on Wis. 59, Chad Kundert said.
Kundert said when he first learned of the sale, he elected not to make a bid. "I didn't bid on it at that time, but I decided I'd like to look at it and thought the property wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. So I thought I'd put a bid on it and see what happens."
Kundert said he will also have to pay for all the surveying and closing costs, which demonstrates that "there's quite a bit more involved than the $500."
Kundert said he hopes to begin moving his business to the new location by the end of the summer, once he's able to get some work done on the outside. He said he plans to put new tin on the outside of the building and will add some new windows. He hopes to work on the interior of the building by next winter.
Kundert said he looks forward to relocating his business. "I think it's going to get a couple things established. There's great visibility there so there's going to be some advertising with having a sign out there. It'll be a place for us to have a shop where we meet in the morning and head out to do our thing."