County Officials Among Those Informally Discussing River Bend Purchase

is up for sale, and Racine County is a potential suitor.

The YWCA owns the 80-acre parcel. However, Maureen Martinez, an official with the YWCA, said the group isn’t in formal negotiations with anyone.

“We have not received a formal offer to purchase from anyone for the sale of River Bend,” Martinez wrote in an email.

Still, other sources have confirmed that at least some informal discussions are in the works.

Racine County Executive Jim Ladwig said officials with the YWCA had approached him and he’s had discussions about buying the property. The County does have about $600,000 they received from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which is earmarked for recreational and conservation land purchases along rivers. But the County doesn’t have money to update or operate the property. Before the County would even entertain purchasing the property, they would need another entity to lease the property from them.

“And before we did that, we’d need firm business plan, and they would need to operate it without county resources being involved,” Ladwig said. “The County doesn’t have the ability, nor is it a mission of the County’s, to run a nature center. Ultimately if someone steps forward, we would look into it. But until that happens, what are we going to do?”

But that too could be in the works, Ladwig said a number of volunteer groups have stepped forward and they have formed small group to study what it would take to operate the facility.

Ladwig also said he was aware that an unnamed private buyer was also talking to the YMCA, but Martinez said they aren't in formal discussions with anyone.

Kent Kamakian, who has lived near River Bend and walks through the property almost daily, said he’d just like to see the property used.

“I’d like to see it used as a campground or a place to have jazz concerts,” he said. “But lately I haven’t seen it used that much, not like it used to be. During summer and fall I usually see birthday parties or wedding receptions held, but not anymore.”

We’re waiting for a phone call back from a person who is part of the volunteer group. We’ll update the story when he calls back.