On Broadway: Green Bay to host Wisconsin Main Street Day Celebration on  July 24

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On Broadway, Inc. will take part in a statewide celebration of downtown business districts in the third annual Wisconsin Main Street Day event on Wednesday, July 24.

Green Bay is one of six communities selected to take part in local Main Street Day celebrations that will feature state and local officials, and community leaders. The day highlights the successes of downtowns and their importance in a community’s overall economy and celebrates the many successes of Wisconsin’s commercial business districts.

Green Bay’s celebration will begin at 1:00 p.m. on July 24 at the Shipyard development at 200 Arndt Street. Construction of a 40,000-square-foot headquarters (Breakthrough) will begin this fall, an $8 million catalyst project for the Shipyard District. Ground is also moving on the Shipyard site, an $11M investment by the City of Green Bay into an outdoor recreational space and container park. Once a center for rail and water transport of raw materials, the now vacant brownfield will be dramatically transformed into a destination of recreation and tourism.

Join Lt. Governor Barnes, City of Green Bay Director of Community and Economic Development Kevin Vonck, On Broadway board president Peter Nugent, Alderman Randy Scannell and WEDC officials and other distinguished guests for the release of new elements and updates for the development.

The public is invited to join the Wisconsin Main Street Day celebration.

Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Deputy Secretary and COO Tricia Braun and other officials will each visit the communities to celebrate the success of the Wisconsin Main Street and Connect Communities Programs, which provide technical support and training for organizations dedicated to downtown or commercial corridor revitalization. Many of the events also will include announcements about local business openings and other new initiatives by the downtown groups.

“WEDC leadership looks forward to visiting Green Bay on Wisconsin Main Street Day to celebrate all the great efforts here to enhance the downtown business district,” said WEDC deputy secretary and chief operating officer Tricia Braun. “We look forward to not only highlighting the recent successes, but also learning more about upcoming initiatives planned for downtown that help make Green Bay a great place to live, work and play.”

“As a designated Wisconsin Main Street Community, On Broadway has followed the main street 4-point approach to advance the Broadway District with impressive results. Occupancy rates are near capacity, nearly 400,000 people visit the district each year through On Broadway coordinated events and private investment continues to take root,” said Brian Johnson, executive director, On Broadway, Inc.

The Wisconsin Main Street Program, overseen by WEDC and launched in 1987, provides support and training for organizations dedicated to downtown revitalization efforts. Since the program’s creation, Wisconsin Main Street communities have created more than 2,700 net new businesses and more than 14,000 net new jobs. They also have spurred more than $1.9 billion in public and private investment in downtowns.

Created in 2013, the Wisconsin Connect Communities Program, also overseen by WEDC, is designed to provide training and networking for communities or organizations working on revitalization topics. Since the program’s beginnings, Wisconsin Connect Communities have created more than 300 net new businesses, almost 1,700 net new jobs, and have spurred more than $1.2 billion in public and private investment in downtowns.

On Broadway, Inc. is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to strengthening the Green Bay community through economic development, historic preservation and promotion of downtown Green Bay’s Broadway District and the overall downtown community.

Green Bay joined as a Wisconsin Main Street Community in 1995.