The result of failed debt negotiations on the Lallapalooza Estates property, the city of Black River Falls (BRF) received the deeds on 75 unsold parcels at Lallapalooza Estates from developer J&B Haldeman Holdings, LLC.

“How do we want to go forward with that?” BRF administrator Brad Chown addressed council members at their Oct. 1 meeting.

“There’s such a negative connotation with Lalapalooza,” said council member Pete Olson. “We have to change those names (street) and move those big rocks up there.”

“Renaming the streets up there and removal of the sign is important,” shared council member Jeriah Rave Sr. “It’s minor, but I think it’s going to be better to take away the negativity.”

Chown advised, “We should do that before we try to move the lots, as only two homes would be affected.”

A 2013 reorganizational agreement established a baseline debt of $1.45 million to be paid off over a 12-year period. That figure accounted for $800,000 borrowed by the city and $620,000 appropriated from the city’s general fund to pay for infrastructure and utility projects at the development site.

The money to cover that debt was supposed to come from the sale of lots at Lallapalooza Estates. To date, two single-family homes and three duplex homes have been built on the properties. Another lot has been sold but no home has been built on the lot yet.

By: JoDee Brooke, Banner Journal / Wednesday, October 9, 2019