Fond du Lac, Wis.
In an effort to revitalize Downtown Fond du Lac, drive consumerism and tourism and economic health, more than 150 members of the public met at the Windhover Center for the Arts and the Ramada Plaza Hotel on February 15-18, 2010 for a community immersion workshop. Through one-on-one interviews, focus groups and community forums, participants shared ideas for a new downtown Fond du Lac cultural arts district.
A cultural arts district would leverage existing downtown facilities, as well as create new arts, education and entertainment facilities in a central downtown location. Essential access points to the proposed cultural district include the North gateway as the main entrance to downtown located along Main Street between Johnson Street and Merrill Avenue; and the river walk encompassing the area adjacent to the Fond du Lac River and Hamilton Park including a recreational trail.
The four-day immersion workshop was hosted by Kevin Miller, executive director of the Fond du Lac Arts Council and Amy Hansen, director of the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. Professional community development consultants have been engaged; team members include Schreiber Anderson Associates (SAA) of Madison, lead planning consultant; the North Group, Inc., a New York cultural arts firm; BEST Real Estate Group, Inc., Cottage Grove, Wis., a market analysis and real estate consultant; and Coalesce Inc., Appleton, a strategic marketing agency.
At the center of discussion was the redesigned Fond du Lac Downtown which will serve as the community “great room” as well as provide the city with business, job, and tourism growth.
Business owners, property owners, civic leaders, educators, members of local arts and culture groups, and citizens provided valuable input for the proposed districts. “Our goal is to leverage Fond du Lac’s existing assets and create new facilities for arts and entertainment to encourage and stimulate business development,” said Kevin Miller, arts council executive director. “This will help to drive tourism in the area.”
Proposed ideas included new, upscale restaurants, pubs, coffee houses, museums, gallery space, a venue for film festivals, an open-air amphitheater, specialty shops, better-marked parking and signage, university downtown classrooms, a community school for the arts and historically consistent facades and lighting for the district.
Results of the Community Immersion Workshop will be incorporated into a vision plan and shared with the public at a community vision forum scheduled for April 29, 2010 at Windhover Center for the Arts.
For More Information, Contact:
Kevin Miller – Arts Council Executive Director
kevin@windhovercenter.org
(920)-921-5410
