MADISON — The city of Janesville still may get $15 million in state taxpayer funding for the proposed ice arena and convention center at the Uptown Janesville Mall, but the decision has been delayed.
The State Building Commission on Thursday deadlocked 4-4 on every motion that included projects in the governor’s capital budget recommendations, rejecting the governor’s proposed nearly $3.8 billion in investments in state infrastructure.
The budget included $15 million in state taxpayer money toward the $50.3 million needed to get the ice arena project off the ground.
In previous budget cycles, a deadlocked vote from the commission meant that the plan goes on to the Legislature’s powerful Joint Commitee on Finance, where Republicans hold a majority and already have signaled they plan to rewrite the governor’s budget.
In the last budget cycle, Gov. Tony Evers signed the final budget plan in July.
Even if the state funding comes through, the ice arena is still short of its $50.3 million goal.
Earlier this month, the project lost out on a $4 million federal grant.
So far, the city has committed to $17.3 million to the project.
A federal appropriation of $5 million also has been approved.
A private fundraising group has set a $7 million goal.
