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w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m M a y 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 35 first phase, expected to be complete in spring of 2016. Once constructed, the hotel will represent the first new hotel rooms added to the county's inventory since 2000, says Jack Moneypenny, president and CEO of the Door County Visitor's Bureau. In a region where tourism is a vital sector of the economy, the new rooms are a welcome addition for business. "We have been seeing good growth from 2009 to 2014," Moneypenny says. "We haven't had many properties close, but we've had the same inventory since 2000." e proposed hotel has overcome opposition that included arguments the region's hotel operators are still struggling to fill existing rooms. Others objected the proposal was rushed and there was not enough public input into the process of shaping the vision for the site. Visitors directly spent nearly $300 million in Door County in 2013, an increase of 3.45 percent from 2012, according to the latest data published by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Total business activity related to tourism exceeded $381 million, an increase of nearly 4 percent. e tourism industry supported more than 3,000 jobs in Door County and generated nearly $33 million in state and local taxes in 2013, according to the data. While Door County's tourism industry may have fared better than other regions during the Great Recession — it's less dependent on convention business and has always been a popular short-stay destination — tourism officials are seeing a resurgence in advance bookings that should bode well for the new rooms once they are online. With the hotel component of the West Waterfront Development heading into the construction phase, Sturgeon Bay planners are already working on a second phase. It includes more than $5 million in development for the public amenities, plus an anticipated $11 million in private investment, most of which will be centered around the redevelopment of the old granary. Requests for proposals have already been solicited, and while the granary has long had a place on the city's waterfront, planners are willing to consider projects that both renovate the structure or demolish it to make way for other improvements to the property. [continued ] » "We have been seeing good growth from 2009 to 2014. We haven't had many properties close, but we've had the same inventory since 2000." – J a c k M o n ey p e n ny, p re s i d e nt a n d C E O o f t h e D o o r Co u nt y Vi s i to r 's B u re a u As NatureWise® Business Partners, these companies have made a commitment to a more sustainable future. By purchasing local wind and biogas energy, they're helping to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, and build a future of clean, safe and renewable energy. ank you for being NatureWise. YOU LOOK GOOD IN GREEN. CHAMPION LEVEL Advanced Disposal Allied - Skaleski Moving & Storage Church Mutual Insurance Company The COOP D & D Equipment DVO Anaerobic Digesters EcoDoor Imaginasium Independent Printing Michael S. Hill N.E.W. Plastics Corp. Nicolet College St. Norbert Abbey Service Litho-Print, Inc. Solberg Standard Forwarding University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Van Lanen STEWARD LEVEL James and Joe Perry James Morrissey Usitex, Inc. ADVOCATE LEVEL Hans Breitenmoser Jr. Farm Herb Shop LLC The Green Glass Company (NEWID Inc.) Jandrain Properties Jefferson Street Inn Jeffrey Pokorny Kevin Biese LaserForm LLC Oshkosh Door Company Interested in becoming a NatureWise Business Partner? Learn how at wisconsinpublicservice.com/naturewise.