“If we build a place people want to visit, we build a place people want to live and work.”
This was the guiding principle behind the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau (OCVB)’s recent rebrand, which debuted to the public in November, according to Executive Director Amy Albright.
“People are realizing we have to attract a workforce, and the same stuff that attracts people to visit [Oshkosh] is what attracts people to live here,” she says.
The new brand identity, “Discover Oshkosh,” was developed to expand the perception of Oshkosh from a major event destination to a year-round tourism attraction. The new brand targets a broader audience, including residents and neighboring communities, by capitalizing on the city’s expansive waterways, historic downtown and cultural offerings.
“From an economic impact standpoint, where we win is when we all start talking in that collective voice,” Albright says. “This new brand is positioning us to speak to our residents as ambassadors, which has a huge trickle effect. We are all trying to do the same thing, which is make Oshkosh a desirable place, whether for a resident or visitor.”
Kelly Nieforth, community development department director for the City of Oshkosh, says the city will be a partner in the OCVB’s efforts, as tourism is closely linked to quality of life and economic development.
“It all blends together with what we are trying to do as a community to attract more people, keep UW Oshkosh students here and hopefully, in turn, attract more businesses here,” she says. “We look at tourism as a very important piece of economic development in our community.”
Oshkosh Avenue advances
One of the city’s fastest-growing areas is the Oshkosh Avenue Corridor, located at the I-41/Hwy 21 interchange, which has seen dynamic growth over the last five years. It serves as one of the city’s most exciting success stories, says Rob Kleman, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce’s president and CEO as of Jan. 1. Kleman was previously the chamber’s senior vice president of economic development.
“We’ve seen a lot of continued development that’s really exploded along Oshkosh Avenue,” he says. “It’s very visible from a community and regional perspective. What was once an area with older, dilapidated housing has been revitalized with commercial development.”
Roughly $25 million of private investment has occurred along the Oshkosh Avenue Corridor since 2018, not including Oshkosh Corporation’s investment in its global headquarters on the Lakeshore Municipal Golf Course site, which has spurred much of the recent development.
As examples, Kleman points to the opening of the TownePlace Suites by Marriott hotel and the recently approved Tru by Hilton hotel, which will add 90 guest rooms. Along with lodging, restaurant development has also been strong, he says, with locally-owned eateries including Teriyaki Madness, The Taqueria and Parm Wi all opening in the district.
Nieforth says residential developments on the west side of I-41 in the neighboring communities of Algoma and Omro have contributed to the commercial growth of the Oshkosh Avenue Corridor.
Downtown development
The Oshkosh Avenue Corridor isn’t the only area experiencing high growth — Oshkosh’s downtown is undergoing significant redevelopment as well.
The City of Oshkosh is working on an update to its 2017 Imagine Oshkosh plan, Nieforth says, with special focus on the downtown’s north side. This comes on the heels of an announcement that ThedaCare and Froedtert Health will embark on a new joint venture creating a health campus on the Fox River in downtown Oshkosh. The new $76.3 million hospital will complement the area’s redevelopment plans, which include new condominiums and restaurants.
“We are really pleased that they chose a central location to serve the majority of our population that lives on the east side of I-41 and to redevelop a blighted industrial site,” Nieforth says. “I think it will be a catalyst project for that area on the south side of the Fox River.”
Nearly 72% of Oshkosh’s 85,000 residents live east of I-41 and generate 45% of emergency department visits, according to Claritas and the Wisconsin Hospital Association. Most health care services are currently located west of I-41, meaning east side residents are more than 15 minutes away from a hospital or emergency room.
The hospital, which is slated to begin construction this year, is expected to be approximately 58,000 square feet and offer emergency care, inpatient beds and 24/7 coverage with emergency physicians.
Tricia Rathermel, president and CEO of the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation, says part of what attracted the hospital to its future downtown location was all the nearby housing developments taking place.
For example, the Miles Kimball Lofts development currently underway on South Main Street will feature 28 market-rate apartments. Across the street, the mixed-use development Mill on Main will feature 291 residential units, 22,800 square feet of commercial and retail space, and additional green space adjacent to the recently completed public riverwalk.
“There’s been a lot of focus on housing and making sure we are developing additional housing inventory in our area,” Rathermel says. “We will see more of that progress either kick off or break ground in 2023.”
