To know Marquette County is to love it, says Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator Keri Solis, who offers an unconventional piece of supporting evidence for her claim.
“The proof is in the obituaries,” she says without a hint of sarcasm. “When you look at the obituaries, either you are born and die in Marquette County, or you visited your whole life and then retired here.”
Solis interprets this to mean if she can just get people to experience Marquette County for themselves, its population will inevitably grow. In fact, it already has — largely as a result of pandemic-spurred remote work availability. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, between April 2020 and July 2022 Marquette County saw a net migration increase of 2.8% while many urban counties saw decreases.
But continuing to grow the county’s remote workforce hinges on high-speed internet. Based on a 2020 survey Solis conducted, 61% of seasonal residents said they would spend more time in the area if they had access to better internet.
“That to me said ‘opportunity,’” Solis says. “I’m hoping to use remote work and good internet as a way to bring some economic growth to the county.”
This is why Solis is on a mission to evangelize the county’s recent broadband expansions. Marquette County invested $1.7 million of its ARPA fund allocation into broadband expansion. Three Marquette County townships — Mecan, Packwaukee and Springfield — invested 100% of their ARPA dollars in broadband for an additional $290,000.
Solis says two key broadband projects are making headway in the county. Marquette-Adams Telephone Co-op in Oxford received an ARPA Broadband Access Grant that enabled the company to run fiber internet to an additional 1,100 homes. Work on the expansion is expected to finish this year. In addition, Charter Communications is slated to begin an expansion of high-speed internet services in Q3 of this year.
Between the two projects, Solis estimates that 90% of the county will be covered by high-speed internet within the next two years.
This is significant for a tourism-based economy, she says. A 2022 survey found that seasonal residents with access to high-speed internet are spending up to 60 extra days per year in Marquette County as a result of their ability to work remotely.
“The second biggest driver of our sales tax is online sales, like Amazon. If people are having their online shopping orders delivered to Marquette County, that’s going to benefit the county,” Solis says. “The number three thing that drives our sales tax is food and drink sales. If people are spending more time here, they are spending more time in restaurants, which we know is already a big driver of our sales tax.”
With more residents comes the need for more housing. Solis is hoping with improved internet, the county’s 27% seasonal housing stock will become full-time residences. Other housing opportunities — like 25 acres in the village of Westfield — are just waiting for the right developer.
Green Lake business developments
Chicago-area developer Matt Rogatz is on a mission to reawaken Green Lake as the bustling tourist destination it was in its heyday, but with one key difference: Activity will take place year-round rather than only during summer months.
Over the last two years, Rogatz has invested in a number of Green Lake businesses, including Green Lake Inn, Goose Blind Grill & Bar, Élan Brio Spa (formerly Evensong Spa), Manor on Green Lake (formerly Angel Inn) and, most recently, the former county safety building at Town Square Community Center.
“I feel compelled to do something special in this place,” says Rogatz, who owns about 1 million square feet of industrial space in the Chicago area. “Everyone I’ve talked to says we need things to do in the wintertime. I’m not trying to change the world, but I’m trying to make a difference in people’s lives.”
It started when Rogatz purchased Green Lake Inn in 2021. He rehabbed the 17-room inn, launched a shuttle service for guests, and from there his vision expanded.
He envisions Green Lake Inn and Manor on Green Lake providing lodging for retreats and wedding parties, which can receive spa services at Élan Brio and host receptions at the Goose Blind’s new second-floor event venue.
Scott Mundrow, chair of Green Lake County’s Economic Development Corporation, says Rogatz’s investments will have both tangible and intangible economic benefits.
“He’s breathed a lot of new life into quite a few businesses that were having a hard time coming out of the pandemic,” Mundrow says. “He created a great energy in and around the city of Green Lake, and that’s spread throughout the county.”
Rogatz, who serves on the Green Lake Economic Development Committee, will begin redeveloping the 39,000-square-foot safety building next. His plans include adding first-floor classrooms, a second-floor indoor market and hosting culinary classes with visiting chefs and mixologists out of the commercial kitchen.
“Mark my words: It’s going to be a game changer [for Green Lake],” Rogatz says. “And I’m just getting started.”
