The City of Janesville’s negotiations with Janesville Mall owner Rockstep Capital lead to a more desirable location for the proponents of a proposed indoor sports complex.
The mall originally offered the former JCPenny Store on the property’s northeast side, but Janesville Neighborhood and Community Services Director Jennifer Petruzello told the city council Monday night that Rockstep Capital is now offering to let the city use the former Sears storefront on Milton Avenue.
The city hasn’t finalized the exact design of the proposed sports complex, but Petruzello said the mall is willing to let the city build an expanded facility at that location, and Rockstep Capital would pay to relocate current mall tenants in the area to facilitate the project.
Janesville Jets President Bill McCoshen said the potential donors he’s met with so far expressed a strong interest in having the complex more visible to the Milton Avenue corridor.
The mall would sell the former Sears building to the city for one dollar, but the city would still have to pay for the demolition.
Petruzello said negotiations with Rockstep Captial remain ongoing, and the next step for the city council will be approving a final design for the complex in April.
