DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Tuesday was the first ever Main Street Day in Wisconsin.
To celebrate, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation highlighted 12 downtowns across the state, including De Pere’s.
For the first time in almost 25 years, downtown De Pere is opening the doors to a new major residential development.
Jason Tadych, the primary developer for The 102 on Broadway apartments, spoke to WLUK.
“We felt there was a niche in De Pere for some luxury residences.”
With five stories, The 102 on Broadway already has 20 of its 29 apartment units filled.
Rent ranges from $1,100 for a one-bedroom unit to $2,900 for three bedrooms with a terrace overlooking the river and downtown.
“We’ve had a lot of people come to us and say we’d really like to be downtown,” said Michael Walsh, De Pere’s mayor. “Not only older people, but millennials too.”
While The 102 on Broadway fills the desire for luxury living, down the street, New Leaf Market Cooperative is hoping to satisfy the appetite for an east De Pere grocery store.
Tracy Flucke is a New Leaf Market board member.
“We have about two thirds of our members right now that live probably within a two-mile radius of this site.”
New Leaf’s efforts to open a community-owned grocery store in the Green Bay area started in 2008.
Now nearing 1,000 members and 94 percent of its financing in place, New Leaf hopes to break ground this fall on an expansion and renovation at 320 N Wisconsin Street.
“We’ve really been pushing membership again recently because that’s our next big thing is to really get membership up,” said Flucke. “All of our other financing is pretty well set.”
“The more day-to-day amenities that we can bring to the downtown area, I think the more people are going to want to live in the downtown area,” said Tadych.
Board members estimate the amount of retail space for the grocery store will be similar to Austin’s Grocery Store in Allouez.
