Kaukauna’s economic development growth can easily be seen driving along Interstate 41.
The city’s Commerce Crossing Business Park is home to multiple new projects looking to take advantage of its location, with its proximity to both Green Bay and Appleton.
“For businesses, it makes a lot of sense to locate here in Kaukauna, the north point of the Fox Cities, since we have easy access to the places up and down 41,” says Dave Kittel, Kaukauna’s director of planning and community development.
Tann Corp. is one of Commerce Crossing’s new tenants. A leading manufacturer of air pollution control systems, it moved operations from three separate Fox Valley locations into a new, single facility located just north of I-41. The new building’s manufacturing space is 45,000 square feet, which is double its former space, and the ceiling is tall enough for a 25-foot crane elevation.
Other new projects in the park include a 76-room GrandStay Hotel, a $55 million independent/assisted living and memory care community with 179 units, and a $20 million housing complex, Legacy Creekside Apartments.
Legacy Creekside is being built in stages, with a total of 175 market-rate apartments expected to be available once the project is completed. A total of five, three-story buildings will be constructed.
“The first building is up and already full, so they are working on the next one,” Kittel says. “It’s a great addition to the community.”
Away from I-41, Straightline Refrigeration is building a new 32,010-square-foot industrial facility in the NEW Prosperity Business Industrial Park, which is located at the corner of Kelso Road and Electric City Boulevard. Straightline is an industrial ammonia refrigeration systems designer, manufacturer and installer specializing in dairy, food processing and cold storage industrial refrigeration.
“This is an exciting addition to the community and will be under construction in 2025,” Kittel says.
Further along I-41, Neenah continues work on development plans for Arrowhead Park, which will eventually serve as a connection between downtown and Little Lake Butte des Morts.
“I think this is one of the most complex projects the city has taken on,” says Chris Haese, Neenah’s director of community development and assessment. “The site was a former landfill and lake bed, which makes it unique to work on. The plans are coming together, and we’re taking steps to bring it to reality.”
Some of the 25-acre park’s amenities include a new entryway for vehicles and pedestrians, a welcome center with food service, an amphitheater, nature-based playgrounds and more. The Loop the Lake Trail goes through the property along the shoreline, and the park has a kayak launch.
Elsewhere in Neenah, RGL recently completed a $12 million, 300,000-square-foot distribution center, which Haese says is a great addition to the city.
Neenah also has a signed agreement with Edgewater Door to build a new 45,000-square-foot facility on Schulz Drive in the Southpark Industrial Center. Construction on that project should begin this year. Edgewater Door is currently located on Western Avenue.
Housing projects are also in the works for the city in 2025, with work continuing on the Bridgewood Luxury Apartments, which will include 45 townhome units, and multiple new homes going up in the city — most on Neenah’s southwest side.
“We had 81 new homes approved in 2024 and we usually have about 40 each year, so you can see the growth there,” says Haese, who adds the city will conduct a housing study and needs assessment to ensure Neenah has enough of the right kinds of housing available for people in the community.
In neighboring Fox Crossing, CopperStone Assisted Living & Memory Care is constructing a 75-unit assisted living community. Planned to open this fall, the community will feature a variety of living options, including one-bedroom and studio apartments as well as providing different levels of care as residents age.
In Menasha, the Elisha D. Smith Public Library reopened in February after a $9 million renovation. The project included updates to the exterior and interior improvements aimed at accommodating more community gatherings and in‑house programming.
Fox Commons continues to grow
The reimagination of the former Avenue Mall in downtown Appleton continues. The Fox Commons — as which the mall is now known — is home to Lawrence University, Mosaic Family Health, gener8tor and Prevea Health, and it will now also include the Fox Den.
The Fox Den will feature up to 10 food stalls and micro-retail spaces next to the building’s central atrium area. Each space will be pre-constructed to offer entrepreneurs with affordable start-up opportunities and low overhead costs. A $250,000 Community Development Investment grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will help bring the project to life.
The building’s other tenants and nearby businesses and retailers will provide foot traffic to the Fox Den, says Kara Homan, Appleton’s community and economic director.
“These opportunities help owners take their businesses to the next level and then, at some point, maybe they occupy an entire building on College Avenue,” she says. “It creates opportunity for some of those smaller entrepreneurs to put down roots in the city of Appleton’s historic core.”
