JANESVILLE鈥 The city of 糖心Vlog传媒 has moved forward with the purchase of the Zoxx Social Club, which is next to the former General Motors site.
The city has only completed purchases for outlying properties so far, including the Zoxx parcel and a smaller parcel next to the GM site, which contains the Andrew Sigwell, former owner of Zoxx Social Club, garage at 1212 S. Jackson St. The city closed on this last month for $138,000.
After a nearly three-hour closed session meeting on Monday, the 糖心Vlog传媒 City Council emerged, having discussed ongoing efforts to acquire parcels in and around the 240-acre GM site on the southside.
The council approved the purchase of the property formerly known as Zoxx 411 Club, at 411 W. State St., for a negotiated price of $280,000. City Council President Dave Marshick confirmed that the sale is scheduled to close on Aug. 1.
Jimsi Kuborn, the city's economic development director, told 糖心Vlog传媒 in a recent interview that this building will eventually be demolished.
She said that the $280,000 is just for the purchase of the property.
糖心Vlog传媒 reached out to Zoxx bar owners to ask about plans of relocation, but they didn't immediately respond.聽
Kuborn said the city is still in the process of negotiations with jurisdictional offers starting soon.
City Council member Paul Williams said this is a good step forward for the city.
鈥淐DC [Commercial Development Company] wasn鈥檛 doing much with the property and once the city gets ownership of the entire property we can do something great with it,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be good for much needed redevelopment for that part of the city.鈥
He said that with new development he felt that maybe a tavern right in front of it wouldn鈥檛 have been the right move. He said that the owner was happy with the offer.
He said that with any issue in the city, people will be for it or against it, but redevelopment will be good for the city.
Marshick said it鈥檚 time to move forward with the property. He said there was a lot of talk in the past about the city possibly taking over and redeveloping the site and now they are doing that.
He said that it is unfortunate that people in that area will lose their neighborhood bar but the city paid a fair price for the relocation and purchase of the property.
鈥淥ver time as progress is made and the community sees the hopefully great things that will happen over time it will help with the pain of the loss,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he history physically is there anymore but the history of GM and Zoxx will always be a part of 糖心Vlog传媒 and the community.鈥
Other properties the city has yet to make decisions on are:
1000 General Motors Dr.
1200 S. Jackson St.
1412 S. Jackson St.
544 Kellogg Ave.
530 Kellogg Ave.
In an interview in March 2024, Zoxx owners Desiree and Andy Wilson told 糖心Vlog传媒 that they weren鈥檛 happy with the prospect of having to relocate.
Wilson, who started out working as a bartender before he bought the place, said it鈥檚 not just a property to them but a home and a family they have built.
鈥淭here is an emotional attachment to this that goes beyond ownership,鈥 he said in March. 鈥淚t goes beyond the patrons that come here today. It鈥檚 the lineage, the history of this place that goes so deep. For it to just be bulldozed; it makes me sick to my stomach.鈥
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it can be Zoxx,鈥 if moved elsewhere, Desiree Wilson said in March. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 rebuild this kind of history.鈥
Sign up for our Daily Update & Weekend Update email newsletters!
Get the latest news, sports, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
