Racine Unified School District moves forward with major remodel, looks to hire small, diverse construction companies

RACINE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The Racine Unified School District (RUSD) is moving forward with a major remodel in the new year.

The $595 million 2020 referendum project aims to improve and expand the district's facilities. 

"This is a huge project, but it's very significant because it's a school district," Kennedy Construction Management President Al Kennedy said. "We need to get back to that old cliché, 'It takes a village to raise a child.'"

The school board established a goal of working with small and diverse construction-related businesses in Southeastern Wisconsin. 

"We reached out to contractors that (were) in Kenosha, Walworth, Waukesha and Milwaukee County to have this project here at Racine Unified School District be a success," Kennedy said.

Every seat in an introductory session Thursday night was filled with possible candidates, all bringing different skill sets to the table.

"We're trying to get as many people in the community involved in the project. There's a lot of opportunities that will be available. So, we want to make sure we're maximizing on all of those," CG Schmidt Project Executive Ryan Schmidt said.

London Thomas, owner of White Glove Environmental, attended the meeting. He told CBS 58 he hopes this project can be an opportunity not only for himself, but also the people who work for him.

"Hopefully you'll see me the entire six years," Thomas said. "It's super encouraging for the beginning of the year and it gives us the opportunity to forecast what the remainder of the year will look like."

Speakers at the meeting warned it will be a big undertaking for any business that wants to get involved, but the collaborative effort will be beneficial for the entire community. 

"If we get the small, local businesses, the ma and pops to actually get involved in this, grow their firms, to be a part of generational wealth. They can create that, then they can hire people that's in their local communities," Kennedy said.

The project is part of a larger referendum that will bring $1 billion to the district over the next 30 years. It passed by five votes.

Kennedy said it's not too late for small businesses in Southeastern Wisconsin to get involved in the process.

There's another meeting on Jan. 19. Click here to sign up.