Mayor John Antaramian talks with guests during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday. Antaramian, the city's longest serving leader, is retiring and Mayor-elect David Bogdala will take the Oath of Office on Tuesday.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Mayor John Antaramian gives a speech during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday, April 12, 2024.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Mayor John Antramian, right, smiles after being given a proclamation plaque by Rep. Tip McGuire during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday, April 12, 2024.
SEAN KRAJACIC, KENOSHA NEWS
Mayor John Antaramian talks with guests during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday, April 12, 2024.
A major chapter of Kenosha’s history is coming to a close.
Mayor John Antaramian, the city’s longest serving leader, is retiring and Mayor-elect David Bogdala will take the Oath of Office on Tuesday.
Antaramian, a 69-year-old Kenosha native, was first elected to the position in 1992 and served for 16 years before stepping down.
Following eight years in the private sector, Antaramian was elected mayor again in 2016 and won re-election in 2020. Before becoming mayor in 1992, he served about a decade in the State Assembly representing the area.
Antaramian has long been known for working behind the scenes in Madison — on both sides of the aisle — and in the halls of Congress to advance Kenosha’s interests.
During his two stints as mayor, Antaramian was instrumental in making the lakefront a vibrant destination place, as well as shepherding the creation of industrial parks and encouraging western Kenosha expansion and development with federal, state, local and private funds.
Antaramian spoke with the Kenosha News in his third-floor office in the Municipal Building about his legacy and advice for the next mayor of one of the state’s largest municipalities.
“Cities either go forward or backwards; there is no in-between,” Antaramian said. “I believe I helped move Kenosha forward.”
Antaramian will leave numerous projects in development that the next mayor will have to deal with including a Menominee Indian proposal for a Hard Rock casino on the city’s far west side; work on the massive Downtown redevelopment plan; and construction of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood at the former Chrysler site in Uptown.
He thanked the community for trusting in him and his vision.
“From my perspective, I’m just very proud of the community,” Antaramian said. “I think we have done so much in the sense of changing when we had to. Change isn’t easy, as I said before. I look at it from the perspective of the community that has allowed me to do these things.”
Kenosha is resilient
Antaramian, a married father of two adult children, said Kenosha is resilient.
“They could have fought all these things forever and ever, and we could have never gotten anything done,” Antaramian said. “They didn’t, they trusted me. I appreciate that.”
He also highlighted city staff who he said are “dynamite” and sometimes people forget “the amount of work that we request from our employees.”
“I really do appreciate all the hard work of all the staff,” Antaramian said. “People don’t realize the people who work for the city have been dynamite. They have really done an amazing job.”
Antaramian said he will miss serving the community but he is ready to retire and spend more time with family and friends.
“You know, every politician has their own time in which they know it’s time to leave,” Antaramian said. “It’s just time for me to leave. It’s time for someone else to come in and kick the tires and move us in the direction they think they need to move us.”
When questioned about whether he had any advice for Bogdala, Antaramian said he believes Kenosha is in good hands.
“I think he will do a very good job. I do believe that he cares about the community; he wants to see the community better. I truly believe he will do a wonderful job,” Antaramian said. “I think he’ll move the city forward; he’ll follow through on the many of the things we started.”
Antaramian said the only advice he has for Bogdala is to “look to the future.”
He will oversee his last City Council meeting Monday night.
On Friday evening a retirement party was held for Antaramian at the Civil War Museum. Hundreds of locally elected officials, city staff and friends and family of Antaramian attended.
The museum was decorated with old newspaper clippings highlighting major accomplishments and photos of historic moments. A cake was decorated to look like a clipboard with a “Retirement checklist.” Among the items on the cake checked off were “museums + Uptown Library,” “Hard Rock Hotel/ Casino” and “tall ships and shops.”
Peter Barca, Department of Revenue Secretary and a longtime friend and colleague of Antaramian, addressed attendees, saying Antaramian devoted his life to making Kenosha a “shining city on a hill.”
“I can’t think of anything that John didn’t think he could change and make better for the people of our community,” Barca said. “He thought big. He shot for the moon. And you know what, he hit the stars on so many occasions.”
Bogdala said Saturday all the praise and accolades showered on Antaramian were “more than justified for a man who has done so much for our city.”
Bogdala atttended Friday’s event and said he appreciated Antaramian highlighted the essential work of city staff and alderpersons over the years.
“The biggest thing, and he said it in his speech, is it really was a group effort and he led the group,” Bogdala said. “The energy right now is immense. I can only hope to achieve half of what he’s accomplished. Kenosha will succeed.”
Antaramian Q&A
How do you feel leaving this position?
I don’t think I’ll be sad. I’ll miss the people. I’ll miss the city staff. I’ll miss the public.
Again, my style of communication always was going out to different places and seeing people — and I’ll still be doing that, just because that’s my nature. But I won’t be at as many places as I used to be. I enjoy, you know, always talking to folks and finding out what they’re thinking.
Are there any projects you wish could have been completed or started?
I always tried to get a Revolutionary War museum, which was going to tell the story of the Revolutionary War, initially in one wing from the British perspective and in (another wing) the American perspective. I just thought that was always a neat idea.
I would also have liked to have been able to get the construction of a performing arts center done.
You made some people upset when you pulled the plug on Kenosha’s bid to house the massive proposed Foxconn Technology Group plant. What do you think looking back?
There were people mad at me. The problem with Foxconn was when we looked at it, it didn’t make sense. The numbers didn’t work. Now, as it turned out, I believe we were right when you look at what’s going on.
See Tuesday’s Kenosha News for more coverage of Antaramian’s retirement and Bogdala taking office.
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Mayor John Antaramian talks with guests during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday. Antaramian, the city's longest serving leader, is retiring and Mayor-elect David Bogdala will take the Oath of Office on Tuesday.
Mayor John Antramian, right, smiles after being given a proclamation plaque by Rep. Tip McGuire during his retirement party at the Civil War Museum on Friday, April 12, 2024.
On Friday evening a retirement party was held for Antaramian at the Civil War Museum. Hundreds of locally elected officials, city staff and friends and family of Antaramian turned out.