JANESVILLE 鈥 The city and the GM/JATCO Redevelopment Advisory Board are hosting a 鈥渃ommunity visioning鈥 workshop on June 24 that will allow residents to share their own ideas for reuse of the 250-acre former General Motors site on the city鈥檚 south side.
The , set from 5-7 p.m. June 24 at Hedberg Public Library, is the first time the city and the GM advisory board have invited public engagement. The event is a forum for the city to show off plans for the vacant brownfield properties at the GM/JATCO site.
It will also give the public updates on the long-term planning process, the environmental assessments and evaluation of reuse prospects for the site.
Nick Faust, assistant to the city manager, said that the workshop will help gather the public鈥檚 main interests right away. He said that will help the advisory board, consultant Stantec, and the city, to build a final plan that matches the community鈥檚 needs.
鈥淭he project鈥檚 process will rely on gathering public priorities early, especially around land uses, neighborhood connections, environmental considerations, and community values,鈥 Faust said. 鈥淭he goal is to help identify what the community sees as opportunities, what concerns residents may have, and what elements they want reflected in the redevelopment concepts that will be created later this year.鈥
Faust said the workshop is the panel鈥檚 main open house, but the group also will launch a website and community survey for those who can鈥檛 attend the meeting.
He said the feedback the city gathers will be summarized and shared publicly at a design workshop planned later this year, probably in the fall. He said all of the major project documents: summaries, maps and concepts will be available as they are produced.
At the upcoming workshop, residents are invited to share ideas on how the city might evolve the site, including potential land uses, amenities and economic opportunities.
The city also encourages discussion on community needs and what future uses could be most compatible with the neighborhoods surrounding the GM site.
The workshop will feature interactive stations, maps of the GM site redevelopment area and opportunities to provide written and verbal feedback.
Members of the advisory board, city staff and Stantec will be present to answer questions and listen to community input.
Faust said the focus is on interactive activities, mapping exercises and opportunities for residents to share what they see as priorities or concerns for the site.
The panel will be able to share what it has learned so far from environmental assessments, site visits and market analysis. The panel will also talk with residents about how their ideas could be incorporated into a reuse plan, and how they can stay involved with the process.
Faust said because this is a huge redevelopment project, the city wants people to know that community input is essential.
鈥淭he GM/JATCO site is a large, complex property, and the decisions made now will influence the city鈥檚 economic growth, infrastructure needs, and neighborhood connections for years to come,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he open houses are designed so every resident, whether you live nearby, work in the city or simply care about 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 future, has a chance to meaningfully contribute.鈥
The GM/JATCO Redevelopment Advisory Board was established in 2025 to help guide the vision, priorities and strategy for the large former industrial site. The board will use insights gathered from this workshop and the future engagement efforts to shape the conceptual planning work taking place throughout 2026.