Filter: Downtown Development

Preserving that historic character requires ongoing advocacy, incentives, regulations, partnerships, diplomacy, and sometimes hard-fought battles.

Communities may experience many environmental, social and economic benefits from brownfield redevelopment by removing health hazards, removing blight through renovating abandoned buildings and removal of derelict structures, and preserving historical landmarks.

In this post, we highlight three property owners who have leveraged those tax credits by transferring (selling) them to other entities and one where the owners weighed the options of transferring them but decided not to.

The grant is returning in 2024, offering additional municipalities the opportunity to pursue improvements to vacant or underutilized spaces in the heart of their communities.

Parking is often the first experience a downtown visitor has, and whether this experience is positive or negative may color their overall perception of the district.

Whether you’re organizing a small community gathering or a major city festival, it’s essential to understand how to effectively evaluate the outcomes of an event.

Communities that make it easy for newcomers to experience and engage with town assets will come across as more welcoming and will offer a better experience.

This article offers five lessons from my year working as an intern with the Wisconsin Main Street Program, highlighting underappreciated tools and strategies communities can use to support strong downtowns.

Historic rehabilitation tax credits have contributed to the restoration, renovation, rehabilitation, and reuse of countless historic buildings across the country, including in Wisconsin—projects that would otherwise have been cost-prohibitive.