Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/85110
FACE TIME PHOTOGRAPH BY BILL KAPINSKI/ IMAGE STUDIOS, FOR INSIGHT Jeff Mirkes on a vibrant Green Bay Jeff Mirkes worked in banking until 12 years ago, when he began working in economic development. The executive director of Downtown Green Bay Inc. and Olde Main Street Inc. sat down with Insight Executive Editor Margaret LeBrun to talk about the impact of Schreiber Foods and Associated Bank moving as many as 1,000 employees into downtown Green Bay. www. insightonbusiness.com WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT the growing confidence in our downtown for consumers and entrepreneurs. There are a number of big pieces to the puzzle that are moving in the right direction – we are probably seeing more synergy than we have in the past 20 years. The announcement last summer by Schreiber Foods to build a $50 million downtown corporate headquarters is definitely influencing other entrepreneurs, and Associated Bank making the decision to acquire the Regency office center and bring 500 people to the downtown is another very significant decision. We have corporate leadership that is influencing the success of our downtown and really having a big impact on our community. These are very exciting times for our downtown. We will be nearing completion of the City Deck this fall. We've had a couple of years of event programming there, and it is clearly making a difference in the way people interact with the Fox River and the impact that people' from numerous other locations in the region and locate them in the Regency office center. They moved the first wave and have one floor already filled up. Schreiber will also have Associated Bank will take people Oc tober 2012 • s attitudes have on downtown. INSIGHT | 19 [continued] » U PFR O N T