Letter from Don Groetzinger

Dear Visitor

Among our greatest assets is our location on the shores of Lake Michigan: our land mass protrudes out into the lake by up to 10 miles and we are located between two of the largest population centers in the country, Chicago and Milwaukee.

While our isolated physical location is seen by many as a negative, it is also a positive in that it has sheltered us from much of the hubbub that goes on around us: the endless flow of traffic on the Interstate highway; the crushing activity of industrial development that we see in Kenosha; the endless flow of population moving across the state line escaping the congestion of the big city. All of this makes us look like an oasis, a place to which folks in the big cities might plan an escape, a resort within a few miles’ drive to spend a long weekend, or a week or more, relaxing and enjoying the many activities we have available or can create.

Thus, it is important to maximize our assets and make them marketable commodities that the masses of city people would want travel to Racine to purchase.

How could we do this to greatest effect? In several ways. Each is driven by the objective to develop the Lake Michigan shoreline from Milwaukee county to Kenosha county into a resort community. I call this “Racine Riviera,” or a resort on the coast.

The first project involves setting up a flower festival with plantings along the downtown and residential streets, in city planters and even, perhaps, in supportive residents’ front yards. Festivals of this kind quickly attract tens of thousands of repeat visitors, many of whom stay for at least one night. Thus, this project in itself would generate business for the town and overnight lodgings in the surrounding communities as well as the city of Racine itself. Equally, it would beautify the city and make it a pleasure to live in, and to walk or drive through.

The second project, which could extend the first, involves developing the shoreline from Meyer Park on the south to the small boat harbor on the north into a promenade parkway of floral gardens, trees, and a meandering walkway with park benches where visitors may sit and enjoy the scenic beauty of the lake. This kind of project is especially successful in cities like Racine that have an extensive and attractive historic built environment. Thousands of visitors come enjoy the lake, the parks and flowers, and to wander the downtown and residential neighborhoods.

The third project, which is a long-held dream of mine, although I may never see it complete, extends the first two by creating a botanical garden close to the city. I personally see this as a beautification of the Three Mile Road quarries, with additional facilities in some of the adjoining land that currently seems under-used. Imogene Johnson has recently emphasized the importance of all our communities working together to survive and thrive. This project in particular invites Caledonia to a fruitful collaboration that will benefit all our communities. I mentioned that many people believe Racine is too isolated to attract tourists. I hope they will visit the Butchart Gardens website to see what can be done with an exhausted quarry. Despite a four-hour road trip followed by a ferry-ride to reach those gardens, they attract a million visitors a year!

Would it not be wonderful to live in a city beautified with flowers and attracting tens or hundreds of thousands – even a million – visitors a year to stimulate our economy and enjoy our natural and urban heritage? I hope you agree. Please let us know your thoughts by leaving a message on the “Talk to Us” page, or
directly.

Sincerely

Don Groetzinger