Wis. Economic Development Corporation: Gov. Walker welcomes Omro as new Main Street Community

Contact: David Volz, 608-266-2125

MADISON – Governor Scott Walker announced today that the City of Omro has been named the newest community to join the Wisconsin Main Street Program. As a Main Street community, Omro will receive intensive technical services and training from Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) staff to revitalize their downtown area while preserving its historic character.

“Wisconsin’s Main Street Program is an award-winning effort that instills hometown pride and increases economic opportunities for over three dozen participating Wisconsin communities,” Governor Walker said. “I’m pleased to welcome Omro to the program, and look forward to a strong state and local partnership that will make this endeavor a great success.”

Omro (population 3,414) located in Winnebago County was built on the banks of the Fox River. The 12-block district is anchored by two quality city parks and features several service businesses, specialty shops and restaurants. The district is home to the Friday Night Farmers Market, a public-private collaboration. The Omro Main Street seeks to develop a stronger retail and service mix in the district and create a beautiful, cohesive downtown streetscape.

WEDC staff will be participating in a local celebration in Omro at 4:35 p.m. today (August 30) to present community leaders with their official “Wisconsin Main Street” signs, and to conduct training with local leaders.

The Wisconsin Main Street Program was established in 1987 to encourage and support the revitalization of downtowns in Wisconsin communities. Successful applicants are selected to join the program, receiving technical support and training needed to restore their Main Streets to centers of community activity and commerce. Services are mainly provided over a five-year period, with limited assistance available in subsequent years. Since the program’s inception, Main Street communities have generated over $1 billion in new investment in the state, and attracted over 4,100 new businesses creating over 18,000 jobs.

For more information about the Wisconsin Main Street Program, visit its website at http://commerce.wi.gov/cd/cd-bdd.html or call Wisconsin Main Street Coordinator Jim Engle at 608-267-0766.

The WEDC is Wisconsin’s lead economic development agency. Created in statute as a public authority, the WEDC is responsible for economic development activities previously administered by the Department of Commerce, a state agency eliminated on July 1, 2011.