Whether you are just starting out, expanding your footprint or looking to relocate to Kaukauna – we are here to help your business succeed. We pride ourselves on offering competitive financial assistance, exceptional utility rates, and on offering a smooth customer service experience.
Revolving Loan Fund
The City of Kaukauna’s Revolving Loan Fund is administered by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Kaukauna (RACK). Businesses in Kaukauna may apply for low interest loans as a form of “gap financing”, to complement conventional financing. To learn more about the application process and the distribution of funds, review the Loan Program Handbook. For loans of $5,000 or more, please review the Revolving Loan Program information and apply. For loans less than $5,000, please review the Microloan Program information and apply.
Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
The Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program offers low interest loans to commercial property owners to help implement energy efficiency improvements, such as improving insulation materials or upgrading to high efficiency appliances. Learn more and apply.
Tax Increment Finance (TIF) Districts
Tax Increment Finance (TIF) districts have financially supported redevelopment of underutilized and/or blighted areas in Kaukauna. Tax Increment “gap” financing ensures that major area or neighborhood redevelopment projects in the city are on a level playing field with greenfield development. View our TIF districts here.
Renew Kaukauna
Kaukauna is lucky to have one of the most historic city cores in the state of Wisconsin. Sixty-four commercial buildings between uptown and downtown are over 100 years old, and another dozen buildings are over 70 years old. The historic charm of the city’s core is one of its greatest assets, but old buildings need a lot of work to remain usable and aesthetically pleasing.
But from facade degradation to interior neglect, many of Kaukauna’s downtown buildings are beginning to see their age. The cost to repair the exterior of a historic building or to renovate and bring up to code a 100+ year old building can be expensive, and it is very cost prohibitive to many businesses.
To revitalize and breathe into the uptown and downtown, the city is investing in programs that will fix aging buildings, reduce vacancies, provide code compliant units, and attract new foot traffic to the city’s core. Planning staff proposed a three-pronged approach to renew Kaukauna’s commercial core:
- Facade Improvement Program
- Interior Renovation Program
- Downtown Beautification
Budget
This initiative is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act allocation and Redevelopment Authority of the City of Kaukauna (RACK) funds. While the below budget shall serve as a guide, RACK reserves the right to alter allocations to each of the programs based on applicant need.
Total Budget: $300,000
Façade Improvement Program: $170,000
Interior Renovation Program: $100,000
Downtown Beautification: $30,000
Check out the Full Program Guide and complete the Beautification Program Application and/or the Renew Kaukauna Program Application.
Public Utilities
As one of the state’s largest publicly-owned utilities, Kaukauna Utilities provides business customers and residents in Kaukauna and the surrounding area with some of the lowest cost energy. Kaukauna Utilities is a leading producer of hydroelectric power in Wisconsin. Check out their Energy Efficiency Programs!
