For visitors looking to stay in downtown Janesville, lodging options are limited to one hotel. But there is an emerging second option: A handful of short-term rentals tied to downtown storefronts for visitors who want to stay within walking distance of downtown businesses, restaurants and attractions.
A Beloit business operator thought she'd latch onto downtown Janesville's renaissance by moving her soap shop to west Milwaukee Street. What she said she found instead was an apartment above her shop that was a free-for-all of violent crime, drug dealing and drug ODs.
A local apartment management company that last year took over the former Cotton Mills apartments in downtown Janesville announced it has bought a 96-unit apartment complex on the east side.
By August, a mostly vacant triplet of West Milwaukee Street storefronts will be transformed into loft-style apartments with off-street parking and a private courtyard.
