The City of Racine will open a new facility in July to improve waste and recycling operations and accept drop-offs from residents. The facility is the city’s solution to dispose of garbage and recycling after the privately owned Kestrel Hawk Landfill closed. It will also replace Racine’s Pearl Street Facility as the main drop-off point for residents’ bulky household waste and furniture, and items that require special disposal such as tires, electronics, and appliances.
“When the landfill closed, we were forced to make a change,” Mayor Cory Mason said. “We explored several options and found that building this facility is the most cost-efficient way to keep Racine’s waste collection and disposal running smoothly. It means city government can keep doing its job. Most residents shouldn’t notice everything that will be accomplished behind the scenes after we empty their garbage and recycling bins.”
Construction began in spring 2023 and was completed in June of this year. Through the Racine Works Program, the construction project generated about 15,000 hours of work for underemployed and unemployed City of Racine residents. Racine-based Bukacek Construction was the lead contractor.