• The Lakeshore

Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan Counties

Woodland Properties breaks ground for new facility

A groundbreaking event was held for Sycamore Lodge Senior Living (assisted living) and Woodland Residences (independent living) to be built at 275 S. State St. in Mishicot.

Sycamore Lodge, a development of Woodland Properties, LLC, currently has three facilities: in Algoma, Luxemburg and Kiel. Each one is family-owned and operated. The development is designed to provide a comfortable, modern and supportive living environment, offering both assistance when needed and separate, independent living duplexes. Sycamore Lodge Senior Living facility will provide a home-like environment, accommodating in private rooms 20 residents who are of advanced age or require additional living assistance. Woodland Residences are zero-entry, single-level duplexes with open floor plans. Maintenance-free living includes landscaping, lawn maintenance and snow removal provided by Woodland Properties. Duplexes will be available to rent for seniors who are independent and do not require staff services.

Construction is expected to be completed in late fall. PortSide Builders is the general contractor.Sycamore Lodge Senior Living was started in 2021 by Eric and Megan Shevy.

Kiel awarded $60,000 for façade loan fund

The city of Kiel has been awarded $60,000 through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Small Business Development Grant program.

The city will use the grant with its façade revolving loan fund to help small businesses in the Riverwalk District grow by providing low-interest loans for building improvements and financial support. Awardees will also receive business counseling from the local economic development agency, Progress Lakeshore, to ensure they are utilizing and connected to all the available resources that can enhance their likelihood of success.

“Our small businesses are vital in our city to drive innovation, create jobs and foster economic growth,” said Dave Funkhouser, city administrator.

The SBDG Program provides grants to local communities and organizations to directly invest in small businesses and encourage new business creation. In total, 19 organizations across Wisconsin received nearly $3.2 million in grants. The funding supports initiatives such as strengthening Main Streets, youth entrepreneurship, infrastructure improvements, technical assistance and more. Grant awards range from $50,000 to $250,000, and 100% of the funds must be passed directly to small businesses.

• West Central

Green Lake, Marquette, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara Counties

Gold Cross foundation helps install AEDs in Waupaca County

Ten Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) have been installed across the Waupaca area through a collaborative effort between Gold Cross Ambulance’s HeartStart Foundation and the Rotary Club of Waupaca.

This initiative was further supported by UW Oshkosh student nurses, who helped identify where there are no publicly accessible AEDs in Northeast Wisconsin.

The 10 AEDs are now accessible at: Clearwater Harbor; Wheelhouse Restaurant; The Woods Restaurant; Rustic Woods Campground; H.H. Hinder Brewing Co.; city of Waupaca – City Hall; Empty Barrel Distillery; Simpson’s Restaurant; Schueller’s Great Exspechtations Restaurant; and Piggly Wiggly.

More than 300 AEDs have already been installed across the region through the HeartStart Foundation’s partnerships with local municipalities, businesses and other community groups.

In Gold Cross’s service area of Northeast Wisconsin, more than 62% of people will have an AED applied prior to EMS arrival.

Fab lab grants awarded to two schools

Two Northeast Wisconsin school districts are among 20 selected to receive grant funds for development of fabrication labs.

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation announced nearly $500,000 in grants to 20 Wisconsin school districts, including $20,000 for Weyauwega-Fremont School District and $25,000 for the Plainfield Tri-County Area School District.

A fabrication laboratory, or fab lab, is a high-technology workshop equipped with computer-controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control routers and plasma cutters. Through its fab lab grant program, WEDC is supporting the purchase of fab lab equipment for instructional and educational purposes for K-12 students across the state.

“WEDC has invested over $5.5 million over the past 10 years to provide 133 schools across the state with the equipment necessary to help students learn high-demand skills, including technology, manufacturing and engineering,” said WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes. Individual school districts were eligible for grants of up to $25,000, and consortiums of two or more districts were eligible for up to $50,000. The program requires matching funds from each district.

WEDC received 29 total applications for fab lab grants. The grants were awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, with applications evaluated based on readiness and long-range planning, curriculum, business and community partnerships, financial need and previous awards.

• The Northwoods

Florence, Marinette, Menominee, Oconto Counties

Vibrant Spaces Grants help Lena, Gillett, Clintonville and other communities

Twenty-seven Wisconsin communities will share in more than $1.1 million to help create attractive new public spaces through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s Vibrant Spaces Grants.

The Vibrant Spaces Grants allow communities to apply for up to $50,000 to assist with local placemaking efforts that will transform vacant or underused spaces.

Projects that received Vibrant Spaces grants in this round of funding include:

• The village of Ashwaubenon will build a permanent outdoor venue for music and outdoor events, including the Ashwaubenon Summer Concert Series at Klipstine Park with $50,000.
• Clintonville will enhance a vacant lot with $34,000 to entice future development and offer a public space to bring more activity into the heart of the community.
• The village of Coloma plans to develop a shared patio space behind adjacent downtown businesses to create a community gathering space and programming opportunity. It will receive $25,000.
• Gillett will receive $45,000 to develop the Zippel Park Trailhead into an inclusive, accessible park with an inclusive playground, ADA restrooms, ADA trails, improved sport courts and picnic and seating areas.
• Lena Railroad Pocket Park will receive $32,500 for a community square to host events and farmers markets.
• Manitowoc Maritime Museum will transform an asphalt parking lot adjacent to the Maritime Museum into a maritime-themed garden with native plantings and unique nautical artifacts. It will receive $40,000.
• Neenah’s downtown Alta Alley project will receive $33,000 to transform a vacant drive-thru in the heart of downtown into a public space through lighting, landscaping, seating and interactive features.
• The Pulaski Shippy Park project will provide increased seating, public art, enhanced electrical amperage and general landscaping. It will receive $50,000.
  

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• Interstate 41 Corridor

Brown, Calumet, Fond du Lac, Outagamie, Winnebago Counties

New fund supports business growth

The communities of Waupun, Ripon, North Fond du Lac and Campbellsport, in collaboration with Envision Greater Fond du Lac, launched the WRNC Business Opportunity Fund, a new initiative to fuel local business growth, encourage innovation and strengthen the economic vitality of the region.

Established through a $240,000 competitive grant by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the fund is designed to provide flexible, low-interest loans to support startups and expansions across the participating communities.

Waupun, Ripon, North Fond du Lac and Campbellsport are each contributing $15,000, bringing the WRNC Business Opportunity Fund to $300,000 at launch.

The initiative focuses on enhancing local economies through two targeted funding tracks: the WRNC Start-Up Fund and the WRNC Expansion Fund. According to the Envision website, the WRNC Start-Up Fund offers up to $10,000 to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into brick-and-mortar realities. The WRNC Expansion Fund, offering up to $25,000, supports growing businesses that are ready to expand their footprint, add jobs or invest in new equipment. Each award includes a forgivable loan component for businesses that meet specific milestones such as opening, job creation or revenue growth.

$400,000 matching grant announced for Thompson Center on Lourdes

Longtime community champion Mary Beth Nienhaus has announced a $400,000 matching gift challenge to help propel the Thompson Center on Lourdes — soon to be named the Mary Beth Nienhaus Activity Center — to the finish line of its $6.5 million capital campaign.

Every donation made now will be doubled, dollar-for-dollar, up to $400,000 in support of the new activity center for adults age 50 or older. To date, the Thompson Center on Lourdes has raised 75% of its goal.

The MBN Activity Center will be located at 3000 E. College Ave. in Appleton and will feature pickleball courts, wellness and fitness spaces, tech-equipped classrooms and flexible gathering areas. These amenities aim to provide older adults with opportunities to stay active, informed and connected. The center is scheduled to open its doors this month.

Since opening, the Thompson Center has welcomed nearly 7,000 registered patrons, offering programs and services to older adults.