Shawano, Waupaca embrace Main Streets, tourism
Summers in Shawano and Waupaca mean an influx of vacationers, and this year both communities are poised for boosts not only in boat and trail traffic, but Main Street business traffic, too.
“Probably the toughest piece of real estate to get in our county [right now] would be a place on Main Street,” says Peter Thillman, chief economic development officer for Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. “It’s become quite a destination — we’ve had a number of retailers move in from the Green Bay area and done quite well.”
Last year the City of Waupaca reconstructed its Main Street, replaced water and sewer lines and improved sidewalks. The project added lighting and sound systems, new art installations, and a wildly popular flower program with 12 sets of planters that is now garnering donations to sustain it. In addition, Waupaca recently offered grants for downtown businesses to not only improve their façades, but also make capital improvements to the aging structures.
“[The grant program] was the brainchild of the mayor [Brian Smith], and it was more successful than we could have predicted,” says Aaron Jenson, Waupaca city administrator, adding that the $900,000 program resulted in a total investment of $2.3 million after matching funds. “If there’s a vacant storefront right now, it’s only because it’s under construction through the grant program and there’s already somebody in line to get in there.”
In Shawano, Thillman says, specialty foods retailer The Stock Market, Stubborn Brothers Brewery and the recently completed open-air plaza known as The Naberhood are anchoring a thriving downtown district. And, he notes, the state’s Main Street Bounceback grants helped further fill out Shawano’s downtown by supporting the refurbishment of second-floor properties.
“The city’s been really focused on getting that second-floor residential back into play, so you’re seeing more of that,” Thillman says, adding that the county’s recent housing study identified a strong need, particularly for market rate and higher-end properties. The county’s housing situation, he says, has left some professionals with no choice but to commute into Shawano, which inevitably leads to long-term workforce retention problems.
“In almost every rural community you look at, they’re going to have a lack of market rate housing, but what that is really saying is you have people living in affordable housing that should be in market rate housing,” Thillman explains. “They need a place to move up.”
Waupaca is also facing a housing shortage after a “dry period” of about 10 years, says Community and Economic Development Director Jarod Rochu. The city is also eyeing second-floor renovations downtown and recently leveraged American Rescue Plan Act funds to provide home repair grants, which led to 37 approved projects at homes built in 1970 or earlier. And, Rochu says, the ongoing community improvements have attracted the development of new housing, including the downtown renovation of St. Mary’s Church into 30 market-rate apartments.
Waupaca’s biggest development, however, is River North — 80 repurposed acres of city-owned industrial land on the east side of town. Light commercial and retail businesses have already moved into the neighborhood, and now plans are coming together to add hundreds of homes — both single and multifamily. The project will be bolstered by a WHEDA tax credit announced last month.
“[From] our businesses, what we’re really hearing is that there’s not enough housing for workers,” Rochu says. “Their workers tell them, ‘if there was enough housing available we would just live here.’”
InDevelopment Conference 2023
Oshkosh Convention Center • Thursday, Sept. 7 • 2–7 p.m.
For event agenda and details on presenters, read the 2023 InDevelopment Report.
