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What is your vision for downtown? Numerous suggestions given during City Hall meeting

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By Ted Pennekamp

 

“This is your downtown! What is your vision?” was the theme Thursday night at a meeting in the Prairie du Chien City Hall that drew 25 people to discuss ways to improve the downtown and the local economy.

Most of those in attendance were downtown business owners and many put forth ideas about how to improve the drawing power of the downtown area.

The meeting kicked off with a video about the Main Street Program and brief presentations by Mayor Dave Hemmer, Driftless Development Corporation Director Jim Bowman, 3M Plant Manager Steve Kliest and Prairie du Chien Main Street Program President Greg Cervin, one of the owners of the Local Oven.

“A healthy downtown makes for a healthy town,” said Kliest, who noted the downtown can make good use of some historic buildings. “Your downtown is your calling card.” 

Kliest said the community needs to figure out how to draw talent to work and live in Prairie du Chien and also to draw people to the downtown. “There are a lot of opportunities here for making history,” he said.

Bowman stressed business development and attraction, including big businesses, small businesses and start-ups. He also stressed community development, housing for potential employees and broadband Internet.

“Our downtown is the canary in the coal mine,” said Bowman, who noted that the Viroqua Main Street Program is working very well, and so can the Prairie du Chien Main Street Program.

Cervin said the Main Street Program has a small group of volunteers but needs more. “We need to talk to the building owners and help them out,” said Cervin. “Let’s communicate again. We’re ready to grow.”

When the floor was opened for attendee’s, Courier Press owner Gary Howe suggested there needs to be some really nice, big, hard-to-miss signs directing people to the downtown and letting them know that the downtown is open for business.

Ronna DuCharme, the owner of Check’s Antiques, agreed, saying that out-of-town people don’t know were Prairie’s downtown is, and often ask her while at her store.

When asked what the definition of downtown is, Cervin said it is normally considered two blocks on either side of Blackhawk Avenue, and it runs from Blackhawk Junction Mall to the river. Opportunity Center Director Pam Ritchie, who helped develop Cafe Hope, said, “We need to be more inclusive,” in noting that downtown can include businesses that are more than two blocks away from Blackhawk Avenue.

Mark Ihm of Platteville, who is the majority owner of the former Fort Crawford Hotel, said the city could focus more on the streetscape. Ihm said some trees on the sidewalk downtown were snapped off when someone ran them over with a vehicle a few years ago. Ihm suggested that new trees could be planted. Mayor Hemmer said the city has been looking into replacing the trees.

Gary Howe said the weeds coming up through the cracks should also be taken care of, as well as all of the cigarette butts on the sidewalks. Pam Ritchie said building or business owners are also responsible for the front of their businesses.

Doug Brown of the Wisconsin ATV-UTV Association suggested there could be ATV-UTV routes that connect to the downtown that would bring in more business. Brown also displayed an ATV-UTV patrol jacket that volunteers can wear while watching the routes just to show a presence and to help make sure ATV-UTV route users are being respectful. Brown got together with Mayor Hemmer following the meeting to discuss ATV-UTV routes further.

Blackhawk Junction Mall is under foreclosure proceedings and Bowman said the Main Street Program, along with Driftless Development, are looking into what Blackhawk Junction Mall might become. Crawford County will get ownership of Blackhawk Junction Mall when foreclosure is complete.

Ryan Fox, co-owner of The Tavern, said not having a marina has really hurt business downtown. Mayor Hemmer said Dillman Brothers, LLC has recently leased the marina for a year and is in the process of getting it ready to open, although it won’t have electricity at first. Hemmer said the city will be seeking a longer-term lease with Dillman Brothers for the marina.

“We live and die by the river,” said Gary Howe in reiterating the Mississippi’s importance to the downtown and to Prairie du Chien.

Fox said the only visually appealing entrance to the downtown is at the end near the river and the other entrances need to become better looking as well.

Bill Wessling, formerly of Edward Jones, said there needs to be a professional to manage the Main Street Program or other aspects of downtown economic development.

“How do we welcome people? What are people looking for?,” asked Gary Howe, who suggested there needs to be Wi-Fi access and other amenities downtown that millennials and others are looking for. Several attendees also suggested more outdoor seating areas downtown were people can enjoy a meal and a cool drink in a nice open atmosphere.

Wessling said a public restroom would be good downtown. He also said the pedestrian street crossings need to be enforced better. “They’re dangerous,” he said.

Ryan Fox said murals or paintings on the outside of some of the buildings would look nice and could help draw attention to the downtown.

Another suggestion was to have block parties or music festivals again such as the Colgate Country Showdown that occurred several years ago with a section of downtown blocked off.

Mark Tallman, the regional economic development coordinator for the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), said there needs to be more housing in or near downtown. “Residences downtown creates wealth downtown,” he said. “With a hotel, everyone wins. It was a huge jewel once and it could shine again.” Tallman said WEDC can help with grant dollars.

Gary Howe wondered if some building owners were charging too much rent so that potential entrepreneurs are being scared off. “A young person with a dream can’t afford the space,” he said. “We’re pricing ourselves out of a potential client.”

Jim Bowman said there are “Pop-up Programs” through which rent can be reduced for people starting up small downtown businesses. These Pop-up Programs, which are part of the Main Street Program, have a 70 percent success rate in Viroqua, said Bowman.

It was also suggested that Prairie du Chien could have an investment group of mostly business owners which would help get other businesses to come to the downtown.

Another suggestion was to have a type of university outreach in Prairie du Chien where the students could study wildlife along the river, archeological sites, geological sites and features and the history of the region. Those students could live near and shop downtown.

Mark Ihm said perhaps the city could embrace legal immigrants and the Latino culture as many municipalities in Iowa have. He said Iowa businesses have been very successful at filling jobs with Latinos, especially where there was a shortage of workers.

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