Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1086494
I N D E V E L O P M E N T 2 0 1 9 23 CO N TAC T Wendy Gehlhoff, Director Florence County Economic Development wgehlhoff@co.florence.wi.us P.O. Box 410 Florence, WI 54121 (715) 528-3294 www.ExploreFlorenceCounty.com SPONSORED PROFILE SPONSORED PROFILE motel, two B&Bs, rental cabins and campgrounds. A field research report completed by Hospitality Marketers International determined this market can support a 39-room mid-priced hotel. Two hotel brands have expressed interest; however, investors are needed to implement the project. The county is offering TIF cash incentives and $1 per acre or more of land at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Hwy. 70. Nearby hotels in Iron Mountain, Mich., do not provide the close proximity to recreation and up-north supper club atmosphere that visitors desire. www.wedc.org WISCONSIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION WEDC programs aid development across the state By Barb LaMue SPONSORED MESSAGE The Wisconsin Economic Development (WEDC) works closely with communities, property owners and developers to assist in the planning, management and implementation of strategic development projects in downtowns and neighborhoods. Key programs include: • The Community Development Investment Grant Program, which supports urban, small city and rural community redevelopment efforts by providing grants of up to $250,000 for shovel-ready projects with an emphasis on downtowns. Projects funded with grants have ranged from those expected (retail, office and residential) to recently trendy (craft breweries and arts and entertainment centers) to newer trends (food co-ops and co-working spaces). • The Historic Tax Credit Program, which has been successful in helping to incent reinvestment in the state's historic main streets, downtowns and commercial districts. While most projects see the historical use of the property continue, in some projects we have seen the conversion of factories to residences and train depots to coffee shops. • The Wisconsin Main Street Program, which provides a grass-roots, comprehensive, public-private approach to revitalization. WEDC recently received 20 applications for its Main Street Makeover Contest, a level of interest that reflects the continued trend in the preservation of downtowns. The contest is designed to provide services to the winning business and to highlight the benefits of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, which has resulted in the creation of more than 2,700 new businesses and 14,000 new jobs since its inception in 1987. With the establishment of the Opportunity Zone program through the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and its incentives for the investment of capital gains, these WEDC programs and others may be able to provide additional funding for Opportunity Zone projects. For more information on Opportunity Zones, go to https://www.wheda.com/Opportunity-Zones/ Barb LaMue is Vice President of Business and Community Development at WEDC. For more information on WEDC programs, contact your Regional Economic Development Director online at https://wedc.org/inside-wedc/contact-us/#regional Catch-A-Ride program In Winnebago County, 81 percent of job seekers report lack of transportation as a major challenge. Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corp., in partnership with Feonix Mobility, Make-the-Ride Happen, and East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, has developed a new workforce development program called Catch-A-Ride (CAR) to assist individuals who do not have access to transportation to get to work. The program is set up like Uber or Lyft: Approved individuals indicate they need a ride through an app and a volunteer driver receives a notification with a pick up and drop-off location. For more information, visit: www.greateroshkosh.com/ whats-happening/catch-a-ride/