On November 14, 2025, the Hendricks Family Foundation submitted an application for rezoning for the block area immediately to the west and adjacent to The Lincoln Academy (from the west side of Spruce up to the existing facility). The application was jointly submitted by The Lincoln Academy and Hendricks Commercial Properties as a part of a broader rezoning application in preparation for an expansion of the school.

The rezoning will allow for an addition on the south-east corner of the current school and will also address green space, traffic and parking needs. The potential addition of sports fields is also a part of the long-term plan; those decisions will be considered at a future date.

The Hendricks family and the Hendricks Family Foundation have made substantial investments in The Lincoln Academy. The school’s purpose, to equip Beloit children with a rigorous academic education, integrate character education and expose children to career exploration from the start of their K12 experience, aligns perfectly with our highest priorities. We believe that improving educational outcomes for children in the city is a critical issue affecting the health and well-being of the entire city.

When a home across the street from the school was put on the market several years ago, we purchased the home to allow us to support potential long-term needs at the school. We have continued to purchase additional homes since that time. Our intent is to work with the TLA Governing Board to facilitate a donation of the land to the school.

The foundation team has worked incredibly hard to be fair and accommodating in negotiating purchases with owner occupants in the neighborhood. There have been a mix of accommodations – flexible terms, fair/above market purchase prices, $1 leases post-purchase to support successful moves, moving allowances or even assistance helping some owners find, and purchase their next home.

We maintained some rentals for extended periods of time, only recently vacating the original rental units. Our colleagues at Hendricks Commercial Properties managed these homes with the utmost professionalism. They made timely repairs, and in some circumstances, even lowered rents. As tenants navigated moves HCP was flexible with final rent payments, waived some arrears and advanced security deposits to help ensure families could find alternative housing. One tenant sent the following after her move,

“Thank you all for your 1 year of great management! Never leaving our family with unanswered questions due to the great job and excellent customer service of (your team). Also, when we needed something fixed or maintenance issues we could call and always get an answer from a dependable (maintenance manager) and his crew, best guys ever! Always respectful of my home, very polite, excellent customer service all around. I want to be honest and transparent at the end of this vacate letter. People told me that this company will treat my family unfairly and probably put us out on the street because we were a black family. I want you all to know the honest truth from me and my family. WE NEVER BELIEVED A WORD THESE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY SAID! Me and my family are believers, and we knew if GOD brought us to this he would bring us through this. WE always shut out the noise! AGAIN, A HUGE THANK YOU! P.S Please read my letter to your team; I pray that it affirms for them that they are doing a great job with the people!”

While we are committed to supporting The Lincoln Academy, we also respect and share concerns about housing availability in the city. The foundation, as well as our Hendricks colleagues, have been engaged with local stakeholders to create and support solutions for a number of years. For example:

In 2023, we commissioned a study related to housing issues in Beloit in order to increase understanding and help drive solutions.

Our team invited ACTS Housing to consider Beloit as their first replication site based on their Milwaukee model and we have supported them since their launch in 2018. In addition to financial support, we helped to cultivate partnerships with the city, the county, local financial and community-based organizations, and B200.

We provided operating and capital support in recent years to a variety of local organizations working to support individuals and families struggling with homelessness or housing instability including but not limited to Beloit Cares, GIFTS Men’s Shelter, Project 1649, Family Services/Next Steps, Stateline Works of Mercy and Rock Valley Community Programs.

Our colleagues at Hendricks Commercial Properties have been exploring workforce housing options and partnerships on a number of sites in the community including the old YMCA, Brassworks, and in the downtown.

They say that two things can be true at the same time. We agree. We also acknowledge that priorities often compete. With both in mind, our community can expect that we will continue to help meet the critical need of increasing the number of quality educational options for children. We will also continue to work with our colleagues and partners to find solutions to the housing needs in the city. Our ongoing work will focus on both.