Helping rural communities build their futures

Thrive Rural program will provide 10 communities with planning assistance and access to grants

MADISON, WI. FEB. 24, 2026 – Ten rural communities from around the state will get help meeting their biggest economic development needs and planning for their long-term goals. Under the Thrive Rural Wisconsin program administered by the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), each participant will have access to up to $50,000 in grants, two years of technical assistance in planning and grant-writing, and other services typically employed by larger communities.

“Building an economy for all means investing in our entire state, especially our rural communities,” said John W. Miller, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s leading economic development organization. “Small communities often have big goals and big ideas, but they don’t always have the staff or the experience to make those plans a reality. The goal of the Thrive Rural program is to help them build their economic development muscles so their communities will thrive.”

WEDC’s Office of Rural Prosperity will partner with local economic development organizations to work with communities on projects related to housing, community development, small business development, regional collaboration, and leadership capacity building. The 10 organizations and communities participating in the program include:

1. Adams County Economic Development will work to advance an initiative to create capacity and better support the local workforce by developing a new childcare center in Friendship.
2. Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. will work with the Village of Wittenberg to create a strategy that promotes growth for the village by establishing a Redevelopment Authority and commissioning a village-wide redevelopment plan for the downtown area.
3. Gilman Development Foundation and the Village of Gilman will receive technical assistance and facilitate discussions to identify a housing plan for the community and define the thoughtful, strategic steps needed to move forward.
4. Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians will work on planning and feasibility for the next phase of its Commercial Zone Master Plan, focusing on mixed-use Village Center development with retail, commercial, and business incubation space.
5. Monroe County Economic Development and Tourism will work with the Village of Norwalk to explore ways to develop its downtown to encourage Elroy-Sparta State Trail users to stop, shop, and dine in the village.
6. Three Lakes Area Visitors Bureau will work to establish a shared vision and clarity on how to move forward to address housing and economic development opportunities. A key challenge has been how to recruit staff due to a shortage of available housing.
7. Artists and Friends, Inc. will undertake a comprehensive pre-design study for Arkadia/The Commons, an adaptive reuse project for the historic Congregational Church in downtown Viroqua. The study will assess building conditions, accessibility, and programming needs and help Artists and Friends prepare for future capital planning as they develop the building into a hub for civic and cultural activity in the region.
8. Vilas County Economic Development Corporation will undertake a planning process to determine how to redevelop the former Nagle Sawmill on a 160-acre site in the Town of Land O’Lakes. The vision is for the project to be a catalyst for economic innovation and sustainable regional prosperity that complements the environment and quality of life in the Northwoods town.
9. Tourism and Economic Development Corporation for the Oconto County Region (TEDCOR) will assist the city of Gillett with two interrelated challenges: a shortage of quality, attainable housing and the need for a revitalize and economically vibrant downtown by developing a vision for downtown revitalization that will expand housing options through strategic infill development. The team will also work to identify larger areas of land adjacent to the city to support future housing and economic growth.
10. Neillsville Improvement Corporation will study the feasibility of connecting a network of recreational trails to outdoor assets to enhance the area’s draw as an outdoor recreation destination and spur economic development within its downtown business district.

This is the second round of organizations participating in Thrive Rural. Shawano County Economic Progress participated in the initial cohort by assisting Village of Bonduel to attract more single-family and multi-family housing, revive its aging downtown, and consolidate municipal offices.

“We have seen the impact that Thrive Rural Wisconsin has had on other neighboring communities and how Thrive Rural Wisconsin resources and assistance have turbo-charged development there,” said Peter Thillman, chief economic development officer of Shawano County Economic Progress, Inc. “We are excited to get that boost in Wittenberg and look forward to accelerating community development efforts, especially in the core of the village.”