Renew Kaukauna
Program Overview
The City of Kaukauna is known for its vibrant history and a community of firsts. Kaukauna is lucky to have one of the most historic city cores and some of the oldest buildings in the state of Wisconsin. Sixty-Four (64) 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 an old building needs a lot of work to remain usable and aesthetically pleasing.
Kaukauna has come to a crossroads where many of its downtown buildings are seeing their age. From façade degradation to interior neglect, the downtown is losing its vibrancy. The cost to repair an exterior historic building can often be 10’s of thousands of dollars. Similarly, the cost to renovate and bring units up to code, in a 100+ year old building, is very cost prohibitive to many businesses. Business owners and building owners who just saw one of the largest economic downturns in US history, are not flush with thousands of dollars to renovate their buildings.
To revitalize and breathe new life into our downtown, the city needs to get serious about programs that will fix our aging buildings, reduce vacancies, provide code compliant units, and attract new foot traffic to the city’s core.
The planning department took a walking tour and asked businesses about their perceptions of the downtown and if they believe investment in the buildings would help. The answer was a resounding “yes”. Business owners are by and large concerned about the city’s downtown health and a number of business owners stated they would use both façade improvement grants and interior renovation grants to improve their facility.
Planning staff proposes a three-pronged approach to “Renewing” Kaukauna’s Commercial Core.
- Façade Improvement Program (FIP)
- Interior Renovation Program (IRP)
- 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
More information:
Beautification Program Application
Renew Kaukauna Program Application
With questions, please contact the Associate Planner – [email protected] or 920.766.6315.