Wisconsin Main Street: 27 Years of People, Places and Progress

I remember joining Wisconsin Main Street back in 2001 as a newcomer to a longstanding, successful organization. Little did I know that fourteen years later, I’d be the second longest tenured staff member in its history, and I’d have the opportunity to write about the past and present of this great program. While there have been over $1.2 billion in public and private investment in Wisconsin Main Street communities over the past 27 years, what really makes it special are the people and places that have been involved.

Since 1987, when the Wisconsin Main Street legislation was passed, there have been nearly 30 members of the state staff, each dedicated to our communities and the Main Street approach. The first Coordinator, Alicia Goehring, served from 1987 through 1998. When Alicia left, Jim Engle moved up from Assistant Coordinator, where he began in 1990, to Coordinator, a position he held until 2013, making him by far the longest tenured staff member in Wisconsin Main Street history.

Currently, Darrin Wasniewski manages the overall program, and assists communities with organization, promotion, marketing, accreditation and other important aspects of revitalization. Errin Welty provides assistance and resources as it relates to business recruitment, retention and succession, as well as real estate development, market data, financial incentives, training, and research. And I, Joe Lawniczak, provide hands-on design assistance as it relates to building renovations, preservation, signage, sustainability, guidelines, design review, and more.

(L) Local Wisconsin Main Street Directors from the early 1990s; (R) Main Street Directors from around Wisconsin, posing in front of the state Capitol.

It is a source of pride that we have developed positions of leadership from the grassroots level. We have former committee volunteers who moved up to become directors of their local programs. We’ve had former interns move up to become local director, then statewide community development professionals. We’ve had local directors advance to become community development directors in their own communities, and others who became state staff members, such as Kevin Pomeroy (Stoughton) and Jon Weiss (Mineral Point). We’re also proud that local directors from other states came to Wisconsin to join the state staff, such as Alicia Goehring (Burlington, IA), Jim Engle (Oskaloosa, IA), Catherine Dunlap (Bloomington, IL/Cape Girardeau, MO), and Darrin Wasniewski (Orrville, OH). We’ve also had local directors go on to become national leaders in Main Street and downtown development, such as Kathy LaPlante (Chippewa Falls), Matt Wagner (Sheboygan Falls), Todd Barman (Darlington), and Jay Schlinsog (Marshfield). We’re proud of them all.

There are also dozens of outstanding volunteers in our communities who have gone above and beyond for Main Street at the local and state level who have been inducted into the Wisconsin Main Street Hall of Fame. As everyone in Main Street knows, without the people, progress cannot be achieved.

Secondly, the places: Wisconsin Main Street has had the opportunity to work in over 65 communities in the past 27 years, and the quantity and quality of projects and events in those places is staggering. In 1988, we accepted our first five communities; Sheboygan Falls, Beloit, Ripon, Eau Claire, and River Falls. Of those first five, three are still active and doing as great of work as the year they began.

We are honored to have five Great American Main Street Award winners in our ranks as well; Sheboygan Falls (1995), Chippewa Falls (1996), La Crosse (2002), Green Bay (2009), and Beloit (2011), as well as Fond du Lac, who was named the 2015 “One to Watch”.

(L) The Broadway District in Green Bay after many successful years practicing the Main Street Approach; (R) Some of the dedicated volunteers of Tigerton Main Street, population 764.

Our communities range in size from Tigerton (pop. 764) to neighborhood districts in Green Bay and Milwaukee. They all vary in character, demographics, volunteer base, and organizational structure, but they have been able to utilize their strengths and resources to accomplish great things. Some of the standout efforts that come to mind are as follows…

The reigning champions of volunteer development efforts is our smallest community, Tigerton. Not willing to let their size be a factor, Tigerton Main Street has worked on countless volunteer projects over the years that make even large cities take notice. Highlights include restoring their former village hall, rebuilding the American Legion building, creating a veteran’s memorial, constructing a visitor kiosk, participating in annual clean-up days, as well as organizing numerous events and fund raising efforts throughout the year.

For historic building restorations, if sheer willpower, sweat equity, fundraising, and volunteer efforts are considered, then arguably the greatest effort has been the Temple Theater in Viroqua. A local group formed to save it from the wrecking ball in 1996, and then the real work began. Using volunteer help and receiving $1.6 million from a local fundraising campaign, restoration was completed in 2002 and has been a source of pride for the community ever since.

(L) The restored marquee of the Temple Theater in Viroqua. The theater restoration was one of the best in the history of Wisconsin Main Street; (R) The recruitment of Duluth Trading Company to downtown Port Washington has been a catalyst for further development.

One of the most impressive events in our communities is the Downtown Beloit Farmers Market, which started 50 years ago, but under Downtown Beloit Association’s guidance, has grown to be the second largest in a state known for its successful markets. This open-air Saturday market features 85 vendors each week in the heart of downtown. A new gantry serves as the hub for live music and entertainment during the event.

One of the most impactful business development successes is a fairly recent one…the recruitment of Duluth Trading Company to Port Washington. For over five years, the iconic Smith Bros. Fish Shanty building sat vacant. Port Washington Main Street and the City were doing great things downtown despite the recession, but no one seemed to notice. People dwelled on the fact that Smith Bros. was still vacant. Both entities worked with Wisconsin Main Street and recruited a flagship Duluth Trading Company retail outlet to the building, and it has been a major anchor ever since.

And finally, as a whole, the Broadway District revitalization in Green Bay has been nothing short of amazing. Prior to becoming a Main Street district in 1995, Broadway was an area of rough taverns, homelessness, crime and poverty. Crumbling curbs, gutters and sidewalks offered no confidence to the private sector for investing in the district, until, with the help of On Broadway, Inc. (OBI), the City undertook a complete streetscape improvement. At the same time, OBI worked with business and property owners, and one building at a time, the district began to change. Today it is the prime destination for retail, dining and entertainment in the city.

Downtown Beloit Farmers Market

In 2013, in an effort to reach more districts in the state, we created an additional program titled Connect Communities. These communities do not receive the hands-on assistance that Main Street programs do, but they get access to various training sessions and resources related to downtown development. Currently, there are 52 active Connect Communities, and it has proved to be a stepping stone to Main Street for both Menomonie and La Crosse, with more surely to follow in coming years.

With the two programs, we now are able to assist communities from the rolling hills to the cranberry marshes, from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan, from Door County to the Apostle Islands, from urban Milwaukee to rural Wisconsin, and everywhere in between.

Joe Lawniczak has been with Wisconsin Main Street since 2001. As the Downtown Design Specialist he works with Main Street communities throughout Wisconsin to provide schematic facade design assistance, advise building owners on proper restoration principles, provide preservation and design education, and help communities establish local preservation tools such as design guidelines, review, and ordinances.