Efforts to get downtown building owners and businesses to collaborate on what the future of Bonduel’s business sector will be were met with mixed reactions.
Village officials, its redevelopment authority and some other interested parties believe that having a redevelopment plan will help restore the downtown corridor, which includes multiple empty buildings, and help revitalize Bonduel in the same way that Shawano has in recent years, several representatives said during a Sept. 8 informational meeting held at Gehm’s Club 117.
Some business owners had their doubts, however, claiming that their own efforts to develop businesses were blocked — in many cases by the state of Wisconsin, but a few saying the village itself impeded their progress.
Kristen Fish-Peterson, consultant with Redevelopment Resources, a firm based in Madison, said her company sees opportunities in downtowns like Bonduel’s, and that’s why she’s working with the village to create the redevelopment plan that will turn blighted facilities into businesses that will welcome visitors to stop and shop on state Highway 117 instead of passing through en route to northern vacation spots.
“This is our passion,” Fish-Peterson said. “We say we’re geeky passionate about what we do because we love it, and we get nerdy about it. We see opportunity in downtowns. I’m excited to be in Bonduel, because there’s a lot of opportunity here to revitalize the downtown and turn it into a really dynamic and vibrant community serving not just the residents but visitors that come through the community.”
The village has received a $100,000 Wisconsin Small Business Development Grant that can be used to give funding, up to $10,000 per business with one-on-one matching from the owner, to improve the facade outside the building, whether it’s new signage, fixing blighted doors and windows outside or more. Fish-Peterson noted that there’s more that needs to be done to get businesses into empty storefronts, which is estimated at 17 in Bonduel.
“The goal is to have all the properties become income-generating properties for people that are dynamic and vibrant,” Fish-Peterson said.
Fish-Peterson cited other places in Wisconsin and Iowa where her company has helped to restore areas, but one Bonduel resident pointed out that those places had colleges or other big industries to build from. Bonduel doesn’t have that.
Fish-Peterson noted many of the buildings have living facilities on the second floor, so bringing in businesses could also help to provide places to live for people.
“We know there’s a demand for housing in this county,” Fish-Peterson said. “We know the kind of rent you can generate from upstairs units. I get excited about that, because that will cash flow your property for you, basically, and then you can get a retail tenant on the main floor if you have that kind of space.”
Fish-Peterson noted that Redevelopment Resources worked with Pulaski from 2010-16 to help improve its downtown area. That prompted some Bonduel business owners to point out that Pulaski’s downtown area does not appear to be thriving and express concerns that Bonduel might not improve with the existing setup.
One business owner pointed out she wanted to put apartments on the second floor of her building and rent them out, but she’s unable to find an insurance company willing to work with her on that plan.
Another business owner claimed that the village board is anti-business, angering Russ Gehm, village board president, who told the business owner he could leave the meeting. The man remained at the meeting.
While many business owners expressed skepticism, NiCole Fischer, who helped restore the building where The Mill exists today with her husband, said she does not want to see 17 vacant business fronts and doesn’t believe anyone else is all right with that.
“There is so much potential with this town,” Fischer said. “As a business owner, I’m confused as to why everyone here is so upset. They’re trying to help improve our community.”
She added there wasn’t any kind of assistance program when The Mill was being constructed, so she wants to see that future businesses have it easier to make their start.
Jesse Rankin said he couldn’t understand why some business owners seemed hesitant to embrace assistance from the government to improve the downtown.
“So you’re happy with the opposite of economic advancement?” Rankin said. “You want to see the village die?”
James Cleaveland with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation said redeveloping areas is considered placemaking, which is defined as developing a community to make people want to live here. He noted that building homes is good for the village, but if there’s no reason for people to want to live in Bonduel, they’ll sit as empty as the storefronts.
“That’s why the downtown becomes such a critical piece,” Cleaveland said. “Because the next generation — millennials, Gen Z, whatever the next generation is — they’re looking for downtowns, and they’re looking for vibrant spaces downtown. Through this effort, the RDA sprung up, they applied for that $100,000 grant through our office and received that. It’s the lighter fluid to put on the fire to get it to go.”
The intersection of Highway 117 and Green Bay Street has one of the highest traffic counts in the county, save for state Highway 29, according to Peter Thillman, executive director for Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. With thousands of people traveling north for the weekend or for summer vacations and back again, that puts Bonduel in a position for incredible growth, he said.
“Look at that opportunity,” Thillman said. “It’s not only the traffic you have, but this community is going to grow more than you can probably imagine in the next 10 years with population.”
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
