Old Kenosha Grocery Store Becomes $10M Innovation School

An empty grocery store is about to become hundreds of students' favorite place to learn.

KTEC Schools of Innovation purchased the abandoned Pick 'n Save at 1901 63rd Street in Kenosha for $5 million last October. The building closed in 2017, but this fall it will reopen as a state-of-the-art learning campus after a $10 million renovation.

The public charter school currently serves about 300 students but expects 415 in the fall. At full capacity, the new 55,000-square-foot building could support 600 students from elementary through high school.

What makes this campus special are the 2,000-square-foot lab spaces for construction, robotics, transportation, and welding. These aren't afterthoughts tucked in a basement. They frame the common area behind large windows so younger students eating lunch can watch older kids working with real tools and equipment.

"This building was really meant to be aspirational for all of our students," said CEO Angela Andersson. "Aspirational for our youngest learners, who are getting to see our older students in there working on diesel engines or in robotics and manufacturing."

Partners like Snap-on, Festo, and Lincoln Electric are helping design the lab spaces to mirror actual workplaces. Students will graduate with hands-on experience they couldn't get in a traditional classroom.

The welding lab is particularly exciting because KTEC doesn't currently have space for one. Now students interested in skilled trades will get real-world practice before graduation.

The Ripple Effect

This transformation shows what's possible when communities reimagine empty spaces. A building that once served families buying groceries will now prepare the next generation for careers in growing industries.

The school's partnership with the University of Wisconsin means students earn credits toward college while exploring career pathways. Elementary students see their future possibilities every day through those lab windows.

Local contractors are making it happen too. Kenosha-based Partners in Design serves as architect, while Madison-based Findorff handles general contracting. The project keeps dollars local while building something the whole community can celebrate.

KTEC plans a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 13 at 4:30 p.m. at the new campus. Community members are invited to see how an old grocery store became a launchpad for young innovators.

One closed building is opening doors for 600 students to build the futures they dream about.