Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/140775
UPFRONT face time P H OTO G R A P H B Y S han e Van box t e l / I M A G E S T U D I O S , F O R I N S I G H T Sam Perlman Sam Perlman came to Door County by way of New York City and his native Chicago, where he worked in the music industry and the arts. He says his role as economic development manager for the Door County Economic Development Corporation during the past 10 years calls for many of the same skills. He sat down with Insight Editor Margaret LeBrun to talk about the current status of the peninsula's economy. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m on Door County's diversity W e a r e , i n m a n y ways , a weather-dependent economy in Door County for agriculture and tourism. With the cold spring we've been a little nervous, but we always go into the season very cautiously optimistic. We estimate the population here grows from about 30,000 to a seasonal population of about 150,000 – and then we get about 2.2 million visitors on an annual basis. We are marketing and pitching Door County as a great place to live, work, start a business, relocate a business, expand an existing business. In Sturgeon Bay, they're looking at the west side waterfront between the old and new bridge. In Sister Bay, they're looking at creating a really beautiful waterfront park, with a 1,000-foot beach downtown. Washington Island is working on redevelopment around Detroit Harbor and focusing on improved waterfront access, improved beaches. All three of these plans are looking at new business opportunities, possibly restaurants, retail, and in Sturgeon Bay, a new hotel. Sturgeon Bay is doing pretty well, though there have been rough patches over the last handful of years. You know you've had a bad recession when even rich people weren't buying yachts. Palmer Johnson [continued] » J u l y 2 013 • Insight | 17