Thrive grants awarded in Shawano and Oconto counties

Ten rural communities from around the state will get help meeting their biggest economic development needs and planning for their long-term goals.

Under the Thrive Rural Wisconsin program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, each participant will have access to up to $50,000 in grants, two years of technical assistance in planning and grant-writing, and other services typically employed by larger communities.

The 10 organizations and communities participating in the program include:

• Adams County Economic Development will work to advance an initiative to create capacity and better support the local workforce by developing a new childcare center in Friendship.
• Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. will work with the village of Wittenberg to create a strategy that promotes growth for the village by establishing a Redevelopment Authority and commissioning a village-wide redevelopment plan for the downtown area.
• Gilman Development Foundation and the village of Gilman will receive technical assistance and facilitate discussions to identify a housing plan for the community.
• Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will work on planning and feasibility for the next phase of its Commercial Zone Mater Plan, focusing on mixed-use Village Center development with retail, commercial, and business incubation space.
• Monroe County Economic Development and Tourism will work with the village of Norwalk to explore ways to develop it’s downtown to encourage Elroy-Sparta State Trail users to stop, shop, and dine in the village.
• Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau will work to establish a shared vision and clarity on how to move forward to address housing and economic development opportunities. A key challenge has been how to recruit staff due to a shortage of available housing.
• Artists and Friends, Inc. will undertake a comprehensive pre-design study for Arkadia/The Commons, an adaptive reuse project for the historic Congregational Church in downtown Viroqua.
• Vilas County Economic Development Corporation will undertake a planning process to determine how to redevelop the former Nagle Sawmill on a 160-acre site in the town of Land O’Lakes. 
• Tourism and Economic Development Corporation for the Oconto County Region (TEDCOR) will assist the city of Gillett with two interrelated challenges: a shortage of quality, attainable housing and the need for a revitalize and economically vibrant downtown by developing a vision for downtown revitalization that will expand housing options through strategic infill development. The team will also work to identify larger areas of land adjacent to the city to support future housing and economic growth.
• Neillsville Improvement Corporation will study the feasibility of connecting a network of recreational trails to outdoor assets to enhance the area’s draw as an outdoor recreation destination and spur economic development within its downtown business district.

This is the second round of organizations participating in Thrive Rural. Shawano County Economic Progress participated in the initial cohort by assisting village of Bonduel to attract more single-family and multi-family housing, revive its aging downtown, and consolidate municipal offices.