Do you want to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself and don’t know where to start? The City of Green Bay is sponsoring this one-day educational program on Wednesday, July 10, 2013, which will explain how franchising works give you information to decide if it is right for you.

This workshop will be held at the Hyatt on Main (333 Main Street, Green Bay).  The registration fee of $25 includes course materials, continental breakfast and lunch (program normally retails for $150). You must register in advance for the educational program by going online to: http://www.uwgb.edu/sbdc/home.html

The program is hosted by the International Franchise Association, the City of Green Bay, University of Wisconsin –Green Bay Small Business Development Center, SCORE, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College and the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.  Special guest speakers include Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt.  Registration and exhibitor showcase opens at 8 a.m.

Participants will hear from franchisors, franchisees, a franchise coach and a franchise attorney. You will also be introduced to financial and technically savvy individuals who can assist you along the journey to business ownership. Special incentives for minorities and women to become franchise owners will also be discussed.

Who should attend?  Individuals who: yearn to own their own business;  have a business and want to expand it; want to take control of their own destiny or have the desire to understand how a franchise works will profit from this workshop.

The course outline includes:
• Franchisor Participation
• Fundamentals of Franchising
• Experiences in Franchising
• Legal Aspects of Franchising
• Funding and Technical Assistance

Franchise systems or suppliers interested in participating should contact Miriam L. Brewer of the International Franchise Association at Mbrewer@franchise.org or 202-662-0784.

Workshop Flyer

84-unit luxury apartment complex slated for downtown riverfront property.

The City of Green Bay Redevelopment Authority (RDA) reached a development agreement with T. Wall Enterprises, a development company based out of Madison, WI.   The luxury apartment housing project is slated for the RDA-owned 100 Main Street in downtown Green Bay.  The cornerstone location has been vacant for several years as the City sought the right project for the riverfront property along CityDeck.

The RDA agreed to contribute the land and TIF Assistance to make the project economically viable.  It is projected to be a $10 million dollar development featuring ground floor retail, 101 indoor parking stalls and green space buffering CityDeck.  The target construction start time is this summer, with an ambitious goal of completion by December 2014.  “I think this is a great project and a great step for downtown,” said Mayor Jim Schmitt.

Local entreprenuer, Monty Jensen, is bringing his honed craft of bagel production and specialty brewed coffee to the downtown Broadway District.  “There has been a void downtown with a lack of a convenient bagel shop. Monty will fill this void offering breakfast and lunch to a bustling downtown.  With slight conversions to the space, the operator is targeting an opening sometime in May.

Property owners and operators Joe and Danica Kiedinger, who also operate Prophit Marketing in the building, are excited to gain such a dynamic, high-traffic business to their commercial building.

According to their press release, investing in the Broadway District and keeping their marketing business in Green Bay was important. Purchasing 154 N. Broadway in 2010, they love the energy of being downtown.

Three companies resided in their building: Prophit Companies, Salon Fifty Four and Monzu’s Custom Cakes. In January, Monzu’s downsized to a smaller space on Broadway, Joe and Danica were faced, for the first time, with open inventory.  They see Monty’s as a ideal fit to the recent vacancy.

Besides the exciting new addition to the building, the interior of 154 N. Broadway is being renovated.  Salon Fifty Four is growing and is expanding their footprint by over 400 Square Feet.

The City of Green Bay was awarded a $200,000 planning grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist the redevelopment planning process of the University Avenue Corridor. Green Bay was one of 20 cities selected out of the hundreds of applicants nationwide. According to the EPA, award winning communities will use the funds to develop area-wide plans and specific implementation strategies for integrating the cleanup and reuse of brownfield sites into neighborhood revitalization efforts.

Business Development Specialist and the grant’s author Jami D. Harrington notes that this grant also leads to opportunities for additional funding for the implementation projects. “It’s not only to write the revitalization plan, it’s also to implement the strategy,” she said. “This grant will help augment the effort. There’s a lot of opportunity to transform (University Avenue) to a nice gateway to downtown. We’d like to see more hotels and services for travelers coming to use the VA clinic, build up the neighborhoods to appeal to residents and more students at UWGB.”

The City recently launched a University Avenue Corridor Redevelopment Plan process by selecting a steering committee made up of local stakeholders and held their first public meeting in April. “Public and private development and redevelopment along University Avenue has already begun, and now we need to create a cohesive plan for how to leverage the impact of a key catalyst investment, the $60 million Veterans Administration Clinic, into a better future vision for the entire corridor,” explained Daniel Lindstrom of the City of Green Bay Planning Department.

The City of Green Bay and the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) are pleased to announce the acquisition of the Clarion Hotel to assure that the planned expansion of the KI Convention Center can begin construction by late this year. The sale was approved this morning by Brown County Judge William Atkinson after a hearing in which all parties agreed to the sale.

The City and RDA will purchase the Clarion for $2.85 million as part of the Receivership action initiated by the former owners of the Holiday Inn City Centre/Clarion Hotel. The purchase price will be included in the overall funding for the future convention center expansion which will utilize several different funding sources, but will not include residential property taxes.

“The Clarion is a vital piece of the convention center expansion development. The KI expansion has always anticipated a connection to the Clarion along with the acquisition of the Clarion’s “air rights” to make this project a reality. Due to the unexpected Receivership action, the availability and cost of the Clarion’s air rights were at great risk and put the expansion in jeopardy. As a result, the City and RDA acted to protect its interests for this critical downtown project. I applaud the continued support of the City Council and Redevelopment Authority of our vision regarding the expanded convention center,” said Mayor Jim Schmitt.

The City and RDA have a signed agreement with a management company to operate the Clarion while pursuing a developer. The City has been in active negotiations with possible developers to transfer the Clarion while conditioning the sale upon a significant investment into the property while reserving the City and RDA’s rights necessary for the convention center expansion.

Last summer the 146 room hotel was placed into court-ordered receivership. The City and RDA are intent on transferring this property to the right Developer by the end of 2013 and making sure that this property is a complementary fit to the expanded convention center.

At his State of the City address, Mayor James Schmitt announced the sale of the Northland Hotel to Frantz-Hobart LLC, an Iowa based company that specializes in restoring historical buildings. The firm has offered to pay $3.1 million for the building and invest an additional $20 million to bring back the downtown landmark to the luxury hotel it was previously.

Frantz-Hobart has an impressive track record of revitalizing historic buildings. The firm recently received a historic preservation award from the Governor of Iowa. They also received a Main Street award for the best total building rehabilitation in 2011. Frantz-Hobart was selected from a field of three very highly qualified developer candidates who bid on the project.

Franz-Hobart will now have 120 days to complete their due diligence to include a detailed structural/architectural analysis, a building program development, project financing and securing tax credits before closing on the property. Although the main use of the Northland will be a boutique hotel, the developers are considering a residential component as part of their estimated $20-25 million renovation.

Joined by Mayor Jim Schmitt and Representative Andre Jacque, Representative Chad Weininger announced legislation to expand the state’s Historic Tax Credits Program from the lobby of the former Hotel Northland today.

According to Representative Weininger’s press release, “the goal of the legislation is to increase the reinvestment and rehabilitation of historic buildings in Wisconsin’s aging Main Streets and Downtowns. Redeveloping historical buildings will help spark new life by attracting boutique firms, shops and entrepreneurs that have traditionally been the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy.”

The legislation will raise the state match of the supplemental state historic preservation credit from 5% to 20%, matching the Federal Historic Preservation credit of 20%.   These levels will be on par with neighboring states’ programs.  Additionally, the bill is designed to offer a 5% state match for those buildings built pre-1936, but do not qualify under the Federal Program.

The bill is currently being circulated for co-sponsors and will be sent to committee for a public hearing.

“We have been actively seeking development partners to restore Hotel Northland; to reestablish it as the premiere hotel north of Milwaukee once again,” stated Mayor Schmitt.   “Programs of this nature are vital to ensure that redevelopment of the Northland and other unique historical structures get the support necessary for first-class renovations.”  Mayor Schmitt added that he will address the status of Hotel Northland at the State of the City event this Wednesday.

Aimed at supporting an already active development climate, the City of Green Bay Economic Development Department initiated a Housing Survey project to gauge interest in current and future housing options, particularly downtown.  Additionally, the survey connects community housing interest with an assessment of downtown lifestyle amenities and needs.   The project was a joint effort by the Department and urban economic development agencies: On Broadway Inc., Downtown Green Bay Inc. and Olde Main Street Inc.

Survey respondents are overwhelmingly happy with event and entertainment options now available downtown, but stressed a lack of quality and variety of housing options available.  Of the nearly 1,900 respondents, 35% plan to leave behind the traditional single-family home lifestyle in the foreseeable future.  They named condominiums and townhouses as the future option of most interest.

This survey comes on the heels of a recent study of downtown housing demand contracted by the City of Green Bay as both developer and consumer interest has risen in recent months.  The study, conducted by Baker Tilly, showcased the multifamily vacancy rate at 2.3%.  With that, it was deemed the market can immediately support 284 additional market-rate units without the migration of new interest. Coincidently, it was conservatively estimated within the study that 25 – 30% of new downtown renters will originate from outside the area.

The survey was conducted in January of 2013 via the online platform Survey Monkey.  Many major downtown employers agreed to participate, including Wisconsin Public Service, Associated Bank, Schreiber Foods and the City of Green Bay among others.  It was also promoted heavily through the downtown e-newsletters, “What’s Up, Downtown” and the “Broadway Beat”.

Green Bay greeted its newest restaurant to the city with a “Bread Cutting” opening this week.  Mayor Jim Schmitt was on hand to welcome Auten’s Eatery to 1015 West Mason Street.  The comprehensive menu features Midwestern comfort foods delivered with a new spark of ingenuity.  This talented family has come together to create a hometown restaurant; while passionately investing in the ingredients, creative dishes and welcoming customer service.

Per the restaurant’s website, “Head Chef and Owner Jim Auten decided years ago that he would learn how to cook the food he loved to eat, but could not always afford. Before satellites and cable Jim tuned into PBS cooking shows and taught himself how to make inventive and unique dishes. Now you can enjoy his great recipes without busting your wallet either! The Auten’s love food and family and they desire to share that love with you. Auten’s Eatery is comfort food our way.”

A true family affair, Brendan and Tess Auten serve as resident pastry chefs; assuring all breads and pastries are made from scratch on site.  The Auten’s plan on keeping the menu fresh and experimenting with different combinations of Wisconsin classics; keeping the customer coming back for more.

Auten’s Eatery is open daily from 11 am – 9pm featuring Lunch and Dinner menus.  Closed Sundays.