Creating connections

Northeast Wisconsin’s small and rural communities offer abundant advantages, from a lower cost of living to outdoor recreational opportunities to less population density. At the same time, both Shawano and Waupaca counties saw small decreases in population between the 2010 and 2020 census numbers.

The difficulty in attracting new residents is straining employers’ ability to recruit and retain workers, and that’s leading economic development organizations to focus efforts on addressing factors that are keeping people from considering moving to smaller communities. Broadband and housing top the list.

Peter Thillman, chief economic development officer for Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., says the county is working on a “middle mile” project that will build a fiber backbone. “We need to build the backbone in the county so we [can] have fiber throughout the county and then figure out a way to get it to houses,” he says.

The project will cost millions of dollars, so bringing it to fruition will require bonding as well as Public Service Commission and American Rescue Plan Act funds, Thillman says. “You’ve got to get a whole mix of it together because it doesn’t make sense for a telecom company to do it. There’s not payback on it.”

Jeff Mikorski, executive director of the Waupaca County Economic Development Corp., says his county is facing similar broadband challenges. Larger cities have adequate service, but coverage in the central and northwestern portions of the county is spottier. WCEDC is working with New North Inc. to identify gaps and devise solutions.

Securing strong broadband coverage is vital for several reasons, Mikorski says. Groups that need and expect reliable service include visitors, tourists, businesses, farms, schools and remote workers. 

“When the county is losing population, we want to find ways to encourage people either to come back into the county or move back into more rural, outdoor sports areas from other bigger communities,” Mikorski says. 

Both Shawano and Waupaca counties also need more housing options. While many communities need more workforce housing options, a study in Shawano County revealed that it needs more market-rate housing. It’s creating a situation in which people who could afford market-rate units are taking up workforce housing because of the lack of options available, Thillman says. S.C. Swiderski constructed a 300-unit, market-rate apartment complex in Shawano, and it now has a waiting list. 

The county also needs more single-family homes. Van’s Realty & Construction of Appleton has been building homes in Shawano, but Thillman says rising costs make the proposition more challenging. A starter home that used to cost $250,000 has risen to more like $340,000. 

Some communities in Shawano County are taking a creative approach. Gresham was home to several foreclosed lots on Lower Red Lake that were given back to the village. Its public utility is building a spec house and it’s already sold. It’s looking at the possibility of adding more homes and working with AbbyBank on financing options. 

Communities throughout Waupaca County are adding housing options as well. Terri Schulz, president of the Waupaca Area Chamber of Commerce, says the City of Waupaca is working on a new housing development on the east side of the city that will include apartments, condos and single-family homes. Housing development projects also are underway in Clintonville and New London.

Sense of place

Enticing people to move to a community goes beyond providing the basics, and Shawano and Waupaca counties are addressing those factors as well.

Shawano County is working with the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh on a study examining the economic impact of Shawano Lake on the local economy. Thillman says the data will help SCEPI share the word about the value that asset brings to the community. 

The City of Shawano also is completing a plaza project on its Main Street. Slated for the completion this fall, the open-air plaza will create a space that connects the city’s downtown to Franklin Park.

“It will provide a city center destination with programmed activity that brings the focus back to the downtown area and provides ancillary benefits to all the surrounding businesses,” the city’s project website states.

Waupaca recently completed major renovations in its downtown. Its scope included sewer line and under-street utility work as well as a new street, sidewalks, lights, benches and flower pots. The Waupaca Area Chamber also raised funds to put in a sound system for events, bike racks and a bike-fix station, and stamped sidewalk poetry.

“It’s a neat project. It looks fabulous. We’re really proud of it,” Schulz says.

To connect students to future careers, Waupaca County received a $50,000 grant to institute the Inspire program in high schools. Developed in Sheboygan County, the program’s mission is connecting students to meaningful career experiences and employers to their future workforce. 

Schulz says a search is underway for someone to lead the program, and the plan is to roll it out in the three largest school districts — Waupaca, Clintonville and New London — this fall and increase its footprint from there.