Baraboo: Baraboo is getting some more help in its effort to redevelop its riverfront. The city is getting a $600,000 grant from the federal government to help clean up the soil.

The money is coming from the Environmental Protection Agency in the form of a brownfield grant which is used to clean up polluted areas- in this case some prime property on the Baraboo River.

Pat Liston has a vision for the future of the Baraboo riverfront. "It's just ripe for redevelopment."

The brownfield grant will be used to clean up the Alliant Energy site. Alliant has agreed to move and sell the land to the city. "For redevelopment purposes it was critical that we get in there and do further remediation of the soil," says Liston.

The area is upstream from the Circus World Museum, one of Baraboo's biggest tourist attractions. "We call it the Ringling Riverfront," says Liston.

Liston says within five years he hopes this is a mixed-use development with shops, condos and restaurants. "The main development will be on the south side of the river."

"The Riverfront area is kind of a diamond in the rough for Baraboo," says Gene Dalhoff, Executive Director of the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce. He says this will be a big boost for Baraboo, and developers are already expressing interest. "There are a number of people that are sitting on ideas, that are waiting for the right moment. They're waiting for a few more changes down in that area."

Including this latest grant the Mayor estimates they're received $4 million in state and federal money to help redevelop the riverfront.