Two Northern Wisconsin Communities Show How Vision and Collaboration Can Make Downtowns Thrive

By WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes

At the heart of every great community is a vibrant downtown.

It’s the place where people go to dine, shop, and socialize. And in some communities, it provides a strong tie to the community’s history.

I recently visited two communities in Northern Wisconsin that understand the value a downtown brings to a community and why it’s so critical to pay attention to these spaces.

Eagle River was just named the 2024 Wisconsin Main Street of the Year, and it’s easy to see why. City leaders worked with community organizations to create a new square where people can gather, expanded the farmers market to include local artists and an educational component, earned a National Historic Registry Listing designation, and created the Young Entrepreneurs Market to empower the next generation of business leaders.

While visiting their downtown, I noticed the number of people walking around—on an unseasonably warm Friday afternoon in March—and nearly every storefront had a tenant.

Karen Margelofsky, the executive director of the Eagle River Revitalization Program, told me she and other partners work as hard as they do to revive and improve the downtown not because they want to win awards, but because it’s what’s best for the community.

“Each piece strengthens both the downtown and the entire city, shaping Eagle River into a destination that inspires innovation, fosters deep community connections, and leaves a lasting impact on everyone who experiences it,” Margelofsky told me.

It definitely impressed me.

Community leaders in Ladysmith have the same mindset. They recently completed a three-pronged project that involved rebuilding Miner Avenue to future-proof its infrastructure, restored and brought business back to a long-vacant building, and created a pavilion and pedestrian-friendly space that now serves as a gateway to the downtown and a permanent home for the Rusk County Farmers Market.

So far, the project is having the desired effect. Nearly 2,000 people have visited Connections Thrift Store inside the restored building since it opened last fall, sales at the Rusk County Farmers Market are up 33 percent, and two new businesses are set to open on Miner Avenue.

It’s what leaders in Ladysmith envisioned when they decided to bundle the projects together.

Each would have had a positive effect, but by completing them at once, the results have been even greater.

“To have the opportunity to tackle all three as part of a larger project by leveraging funding through a variety of sources and the collaboration of a number of community partners was huge,” Ladysmith City Administrator Alan Christianson told me.

In both communities, collaboration was key. Eagle River and Ladysmith found partners who saw the vision community leaders had and believed in it enough to provide a piece of the funding.

I’m honored to say that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation was one of those partners, providing assistance from our Vibrant Spaces and Community Development Investment grant programs and technical assistance to help make these improvements a reality.

Eagle River and Ladysmith demonstrate the momentum that can build as communities begin working together to create places where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Leaders recognized a need and community groups came together to accomplish a goal. In both cases, the result was a downtown that attracts people—and businesses— and gives residents a sense of belonging and pride.

Over the next few months, I’ll be joining members of the WEDC team to learn how other communities across our state are working together to accomplish big goals – whether it’s in housing, child care, downtown development, workforce and business attraction, and so many other areas. Eagle River and Ladysmith are an inspiration for all of us – and I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Missy Hughes is Secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state’s lead economic development organization.