PDC city government puts $20K toward Driftless Development efforts

By Correne Martin

The Prairie du Chien Common Council approved contributing $20,000 to Driftless Development Inc. toward its 2022 budget. 

The action was taken at the council’s Tuesday night meeting, following a presentation by DDI and its subsidiary Prairie du Chien Main Street. 

The funds mirrored the same amount given last year, showing municipal investment in the growth of the downtown as well as economic development ventures happening that benefit the entire community. 

“WEDC (Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation) is noticing. They are seeing things going on in Prairie du Chien and they want to come out and see,” reported DDI Director Carol Roth. 

She and PdC Main Street Manager Tammie Katzung shared plans for a countywide mural trail that is planned for Crawford County, including the first one to be painted, at a yet-undetermined site in Prairie du Chien, by an internationally renowned artist.

Furthermore, Katzung explained she is currently seeking 15-20 vendor applicants for a new Market on Blackhawk venue that will work together as a “pop-up shop” in November and December downtown. The program will allow vendors with artisan, food and gift items, etc., to sell their products and offer classes, tastings and experiences for that short two-month period. To participate, vendors are asked for $100 to cover rent, utilities, advertising, insurance, and other miscellaneous costs. For more information and to apply, visit Prairie du Chien Main Street on Facebook. 

“Then hopefully, something more permanent will come out of that,” Katzung stated.

Both Mayor Dave Hemmer and City Administrator Chad Abram were in support of providing financial assistance to these efforts, and the council unanimously agreed that it seemed like money well spent. 

“All I hear are positive things about the work these people are doing that others don’t see,” Abram said. 

Both DDI and Prairie du Chien Main Street have been involved with the Blackhawk Junction redevelopment project (which will be named Prairie Bluffs Court), in terms of working with developers and potential businesses that wish to locate on the site. 

Once the current demolition is done where the former True Value side of the strip mall once was, the site can be rebuilt. It will essentially consist of a northern half and a southern half of about four acres apiece.

“There will be 40,000 square feet of new building in the area and about two-thirds of that has already been committed,” City Planner Garth Frable noted. “There are three businesses that are very keen on breaking ground (there) in 2022. A third is still up in the air. We’d like it to be some kind of retail or restaurant.”

Frable received council approval Tuesday to move forward with a $1.5 million grant application to the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Neighborhood Project to assist with the Blackhawk Junction project. This money could help with parking lot, storm water and other commercial needs, as well as the cost to take down the western portion of buildings that currently house Mississippi Meats, Suppz and others.

“When it’s vacated (and those businesses relocate to the new area or elsewhere in town), that area will be available for redevelopment,” Frable said. 

Abram pointed out that if the city isn’t able to get this grant, funds from its TIFs would be used to pay for some of these intentions and therefore not be available to be used in other ways to generate revenue. 

New ward boundaries

City Clerk Tina Fuller informed the council that, since the 2020 Census showed Prairie du Chien’s population dropped to 5,506, the municipality has started redistricting in an effort to more evenly divide its wards. She said there were seven wards with six representatives. Now, there will be only six wards. 

“Each ward is changing, some not a lot. It’s still very close to what it was. But [citizens] may not be voting in the same ward, though it will be the same polling place,” she said. All city residents vote at Hoffman Hall currently. 

Fuller said constituents can go to myvote.wi.gov and type in their name and address to find out if their ward has changed.

Other business

•Fuller also filled in council members about where the city is with its 2022 budget. She said the city can only increase its expenditures this year by 3.5 percent, or $198,000.

•An Idle Sites grant award in the amount of $250,000 was achieved to be used toward demolition on the Blackhawk Junction site, according to Frable. 

•Police Chief Kyle Teynor shared that the police department is receiving a Department of Justice grant for $48,495 to be used toward drug enforcement efforts. 

“We’re seeing a large amount of trafficking, large quantities of meth, fentanyl and heroin here,” Teynor stated.

•The council approved potential spending of around $11,000 to partner with Prosperity Southwest on a housing extension grant application. Abram said he and Roth have already discussed about three or four projects that could benefit within the city if the funds are granted. If the grant is not awarded, the city will not have to make the expenditure.

Roth said other Crawford County communities like Soldiers Grove, Ferryville, Gays Mills and likely Wauzeka are already in on the partnership.