Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) logo
(WTAQ-WLUK) — Three Northeast Wisconsin businesses are in the running to receive a makeover.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) annual Main Street Place-Makeover Contest named its three finalists to get design assistance and up to $5,000 in outdoor space enhancements.
The three finalists are:
- Coloma Creamery, Coloma
- Craft Creek Brewing Co., Manitowoc
- Victoria’s Pet Nutrition, Fond du Lac
The winner will be announced in mid-January. The winning businesses will spend several months working with WEDC Main Street staff and landscape design consultants from Ayres Associates on a renovation plan. The transformed space will be formally unveiled during a public celebration featuring state and local officials later this summer.
The Coloma Creamery opened three years ago and has become a popular destination for local families. However, the business currently lacks outdoor seating allowing patrons to stay. A large parking lot behind the business presents an opportunity to convert underused parking spaces into an attractive dining area. The space will also benefit the pub and coffee shop that are also tenants of the building.
Craft Creek Brewing Co. in Manitowoc is a three-year old microbrewery in the city’s North district of downtown. As business grew and visitors brought their furry friends with them, an adjacent asphalt driveway space was repurposed for outdoor dining with several picnic tables. However, the space is lacking in ambiance and could be more functional to better support the brewery’s event schedule including Bike n’ Brew, Dogs Day Out, and more.
Victoria’s Pet Nutrition is a long-time destination in downtown Fond du Lac for natural pet food and supplies. An adjacent pathway provides a connection to the rear parking lot and functions as a pet relief area for customers and guests of the historic and pet-friendly Hotel Retlaw across the street. However, the space is overgrown and lacks lighting, shade, seating, and other amenities that would make the space welcoming and functional for the various audiences that it serves.
Last year, the contest helped transform The Brew Station’s vacant rear lot into an attractive and functional beer garden in downtown Three Lakes while in 2022, it helped re-imagine an alleyway into the Legendary Lane pedestrian walkway in Lake Mills.
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