WEDC Bulletin
An Economic Development Update from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
City of Prairie du Chien receives $250,000 state grant to support development of The Waterfront Hotel
WEDC awarded the City of Prairie du Chien a $250,000 state grant to fund the construction of a new downtown hotel—a $3.8 million project expected to be completed in August.
The Community Development Investment (CDI) Grant will support the development of the Waterfront Hotel, a three-story hotel which will have 57 rooms. The newly constructed hotel will sit on the riverfront of the Mississippi River, and will also be adjacent to the highway.
Sheckler Development LLC is undertaking the project and consists of husband-and-wife team Brian and Brittany Nichols, who were both born and raised in Prairie du Chien.
The 30,000-square-foot hotel is expected to create 12 new jobs and will serve to fill a gap in lodging in downtown Prairie du Chien. City officials believe this project will not only bring new jobs and enhance the tax base but will also encourage tourism and additional development.
Village of Cashton receives $112,500 state grant to support development of new day care facility
WEDC awarded the Village of Cashton a $112,500 state grant to redevelop a vacant office building into Cashton’s Cradles to Crayons, a new day care facility.
The Community Development Investment (CDI) Grant will support renovations of a 3,600-square-foot office building including updating plumbing, installing new flooring and equipping the kitchen for food preparation. The project will also include building a 2,000-square-foot addition featuring an open concept classroom.
The Cashton’s Cradles to Crayons day care facility will have capacity to care for 80 children, in age groups ranging from infants to 12-year-olds. The center will be licensed by the State of Wisconsin and will participate in the YoungStar Program, Wisconsin’s child care quality rating and improvement system administered by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
The new day care facility will serve to fill a child care gap in Monroe County. City officials stated that there are currently only five in-home child care centers in Cashton, of which only one is licensed.
Village of Mount Horeb receives a $250,000 state grant to support new dental complex
WEDC awarded the Village of Mount Horeb a $250,000 state grant to help finance the construction of a multi-specialty dental and health complex—a $2.6 million project located in downtown Mount Horeb.
The Community Development Investment (CDI) Grant will support the development of a 10,800-square-foot multi-tenant complex that will provide residents of Mount Horeb and surrounding communities with all their dental needs in one convenient location.
Owners of the multi-specialty complex believe the complex will provide a convenient location for residents of Mount Horeb and surrounding communities. With the new location being close to an interstate exit, they hope it will help attract patients from other communities to seek specialty appointments that otherwise would not be available to them, and in turn bring more business to the village.
Bernatello’s Pizza expands operations in Kaukauna
Bernatello’s Pizza, a frozen pizza manufacturer and distributor, is expanding its facility in Kaukauna—a $24 million project expected to create 48 jobs over the next three years.
Bernatello’s recently undertook a 30,000-square-foot expansion to the company’s Kaukauna facility, which includes a new high-speed double pizza topping line, to increase efficiency and strengthen the company’s market position.
WEDC is supporting the project by authorizing up to $350,000 in state income tax credits over the next three years. The actual amount of tax credits Bernatello’s will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period.
Conagra Brands expanding Birds Eye Foods operations in Beaver Dam
Conagra Brands, a leading branded food company in North America and owner of Birds Eye, a leading brand in frozen vegetables, is expanding operations at its Beaver Dam facility—a project expected to create about 140 full-time jobs over the next five years.
Conagra Brands plans to invest approximately $78 million to modernize and expand the current 350,000-square-foot cold storage and vegetable packaging facility on Green Valley Road, which supports the Birds Eye frozen vegetables operation. The Birds Eye operations are supported by almost 800 employees at both the Beaver Dam and Darien plants in Wisconsin.
WEDC is supporting the expansion by authorizing up to $750,000 in state income tax credits over the next five years. The actual amount of tax credits that Conagra Brands will receive is contingent upon the number of jobs created and the amount of capital investment during that period. Like all tax credit awards, the company must first create the jobs and make the capital investment before receiving the credits.
WEDC awards nine grants to support entrepreneurship programs throughout Wisconsin
WEDC announced today that nine organizations have been awarded a total of $500,000 in grants to help develop or expand innovative programs aimed at advancing the climate for entrepreneurship throughout the state.
The grants are being awarded as part of WEDC’s Entrepreneurship Support Program, which is now in its third year. The grants will help fund activities that promote entrepreneurship or deliver education, training and other resources to assist new and aspiring business owners. More than 400 entrepreneurs are expected to receive services through a wide variety of initiatives.
The grant recipients are:
- BrightStar Wisconsin Foundation of Milwaukee ($55,000) will organize and host three iterations of the successful HATCH entrepreneurial pitch program in three regions of Wisconsin, for a total of nine events.
- Oconto County Economic Development Corporation of Oconto ($40,000) will promote and assist in new business formation and accelerate business growth in Oconto County.
- Green County Development Corporation of Monroe ($80,000) will promote and assist in new business formation and accelerate business growth in Green and surrounding counties. The program is projected to engage more than 900 individuals and create 15 to 17 new businesses.
- Couleecap Inc. of Westby ($70,000) will support its multi-agency plan to provide and expand entrepreneurship services in the region creating up to 35 new businesses.
- Indianhead Community Action Agency Inc. of Ladysmith ($41,000) will provide technical assistance resources to entrepreneurs in 12 rural northwest Wisconsin counties.
- Concordia University of Mequon ($59,000) will provide an innovative cohort-based education program to low-wealth communities in Milwaukee with the partnership of BizStarts.
- Janesville Innovation Inc. of Janesville ($40,000) will build and expand the Rock County Entrepreneurial Business Development Program, which provides customized technical assistance to startups and scaling growth companies in Rock County.
- UW Health Innovation Hub of Madison ($75,000) will create a “hub” to gather innovative ideas and solutions directly related to patient and health system challenges, and to enable those ideas to advance by providing resources in product development, legal and accounting services.
- Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council Inc. of Eau Claire ($40,000) will provide business development services to underserved and disenfranchised populations in western Wisconsin.
