By Maddie Heimsch - January 24th 2024

 

JANESVILLE

The Janesville City Council signed on JP Cullen Construction to build the upcoming Woodman's Sports and Convention Center on Monday.

The center, which will replace the current unused Janesville Sears building, will include an ice arena, a multipurpose arena and a convention space. The building will sit at 140,000 square feet.

"This project has been ongoing for about seven years," said Friends of the Woodman's Center Co-Chair Christine Rebout. "We're delighted to have approved bids and be ready to get that construction started in the coming weeks."

The JP Cullen team will begin demolition in February, followed by construction that is estimated to finish in July 2025.

George Cullen, JP Cullen Co-President is a Janesville native. He said the project was special to him and the community.

"The Woodman's Center is a transformational project in Janesville," he said. "So we immediately start to roll up our sleeves and get to work on executing the project."

A community survey in 2019 found that 88% of Janesville residents felt that the city's facilities weren't able to meet local needs.

"Having a local contractor means that your friends and neighbors are benefiting from the project and working on the project," said Rebout. "It will be really exciting to watch them move in.”

The center is estimated to bring $23 million to Janesville annually and create 228 jobs.

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