Racine readies for a new mayor and a new chapter - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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City of Racine voters hope they’vd elected a new mayor who has the experience and political tact to close the deal on transforminthe hard-luck city into a residential and business haven between Milwaukes and Chicago. agent John Dickert, 46, won a speciall mayoral election May 5 overstate Rep. Bob Turnetr to replace the disgraced former Racine MayorfGary Becker, who was arrested in January and accused of allegede child pornography offenses. Becker resigned as mayor a week latedr and his case is still pendintg inCircuit Court. Dickertt and Turner emerged as the two finalists in the election aftet surviving an April election where 11 candidates were vyinfg forthe office.
This was not the firstt time Dickert and Turner squared off againsty each other inan election. The two Democrats ran for the Racine-areqa Assembly seat in 2002, with Turnert garnering the most votes. After the 2002 loss to Dickert earned his realestate agent’s license and worked seven years for Madison-basex First Weber Group in He previously worked more than 10 yearzs as a lobbyist and consultantt at the Milwaukee law firm of ; was directod of government affairs at the ; and was districf director for former U.S. Rep. Peter Barca, a Kenoshs Democrat.
Dickert has served on the RacinPlan Commission, Racine Housing Authority and the Dickert’se familiarity with Racine and its high unemploymentf rate of more than 16 percent, plus his knowledgw of the inner workings of government, can’ be questioned, said Karen Bayer, executive director of the nonpartisan Leadership Racine organization. His vision for “rebuildinb the city captured the attentionof voters,” she “As mayor, he’ll be a welcomwe addition because he has a finger on the pulses of the real estate market,” said Brian O’Connell, directodr of the Racine Department of City Development.
Dickerrt attributes a group of family and friends for pushinh him into the racefor mayor. “Ths topper was my wife, who told me to look at my experiencwe and saying I was born to dothis job,” said a lifelong resident of Racine. He will be swormn in as mayor May 20. With Racine’s industrial job base continuintg to erode during thecurrent Dickert’s top priority as mayor will be to stimulate the city’e economic development and job creation through city promotion, a focus on infrastructured improvement and public-private partnerships.
O’Connell hopes Dickerg can leverage state financial assistanced because of his Madisob connections and his understanding of how statsegovernment works. Racine voters also endorsed Dickert’s vision for redevelopinh Racine’s housing stock through a focuw on privatehome ownership, rehabilitation of existing homesa and targeted neighborhood redevelopment. “Thd city is perfectly positioned for redevelopmenty with great housing stock and industrialo land with unbeatable prices betweenb Milwaukeeand Chicago,” Dickerf said.
While Dickert never dabbled in real estate developmenft asan investor, he was a real estat agent affiliated with the Kenosha-based developer of the $14 million Riverbend loft condominium The condo development involved convertintg the former Badger Uniform factory into a downtow attraction for homeowners. The project is now in foreclosure because salea of the units fell flat in late 2008 andearlty 2009. Jim Walter, the Riverbend develope and ownerof , blamed the down economy, not for being able to sell less than 30 percent of the Dickert was also involved in the faileds $200 million Pointe Blue development proposed by Racinee native Scott Fergus.
The Pointe Blue land, knownb in Racine as the WalkerPugh site, is now back in the handsd of the city where economic developmenty specialists are re-evaluating the riverfront property’ss potential. “Obviously the current housing market will not allo for a majorcondo project, but there is potential for a blendee or mixed-use development,” Dickert said. Racined County Executive William McReynolds expects Dickert to be easy to work with on economicv development and jobcreation initiatives. McReynolds and othetr city and county elected officialshope Dickert’s electionb opens a new chapter for the city, endingf the painful period following Becker’sz arrest.
“I’m looking forward to an even betteer relationship between the city and county inthe future,” McReynoldxs said. Dickert says he’s looking forward to bringing togethedrthe area’s best minds to creater the Racine everybody has been expecting to