To pave the way for a new Foxconn plant, one Wisconsin county is reportedly labeling livable houses as “blighted” in an effort to tear them down.

In an article by Belt Magazine, reporter Lawrence Tabak wrote that Racine County authorities held a public meeting during which they announced plans to proceed with turning over 3,000 acres of farmland, farm houses and rural properties to the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer that will soon open a plant.

Owners of that land attended the meeting to voice their dissatisfaction with those plans.

“The Village is telling us our land is worthless, while at the same time you’re telling Foxconn it’s the best property in the world,” Racine County resident Robby Jensen told the board. “I don’t know how any of you guys can sit here and do this.”

Over the past year, many residents were told they would have to give up their property to make way for Foxconn’s expansion. Several owners received offers for their property, and while some are still waiting to see what they’ll receive, most remain unwilling to surrender their homes.

“We spent our life savings on this thing, and now we gotta move,” 18-year Racine County resident Alfredo Ortiz said at the meeting. “It’s an insult.”

In 2017, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Foxconn signed off on the deal that would bring a flat-screen plant to Racine County — its board pledged $764 million for the project.

Although the development was heavily lauded by Walker and Racine authorities, many local residents were upset about the plant on both environmental and social grounds.

Email Veronika Bondarenko

Show Comments Hide Comments
Sign up for Inman’s Morning Headlines
What you need to know to start your day with all the latest industry developments
By submitting your email address, you agree to receive marketing emails from Inman.
Success!
Thank you for subscribing to Morning Headlines.
Back to top
×
Log in
If you created your account with Google or Facebook
Don't have an account?
Forgot your password?
No Problem

Simply enter the email address you used to create your account and click "Reset Password". You will receive additional instructions via email.

Forgot your username? If so please contact customer support at (510) 658-9252

Password Reset Confirmation

Password Reset Instructions have been sent to

Subscribe to The Weekender
Get the week's leading headlines delivered straight to your inbox.
Top headlines from around the real estate industry. Breaking news as it happens.
15 stories covering tech, special reports, video and opinion.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
Unique features from hacker profiles to portal watch and video interviews.
It looks like you’re already a Select Member!
To subscribe to exclusive newsletters, visit your email preferences in the account settings.
Up-to-the-minute news and interviews in your inbox, ticket discounts for Inman events and more
1-Step CheckoutPay with a credit card
By continuing, you agree to Inman’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

You will be charged . Your subscription will automatically renew for on . For more details on our payment terms and how to cancel, click here.

Interested in a group subscription?
Finish setting up your subscription
×