Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 9

84 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 MANI TOWOC , WI SCONS IN “Manitowoc is the quintessential Midwestern city,” boasts Mayor Justin Nickels. “We’re beautifully located with a small town feel and big town amenities. Our downtown is thriving with museums, art, and culture. We’re on Interstate 43, which connects us to the cities of Green Bay and Milwaukee, and even Chicago, Illinois. We also have rail service, the Manitowoc County Airport, and The Manitowoc Harbor – a federally authorized port.” Adam Tegen, Director of Community Development, is a relative newcomer who was enamoured by Manitowoc’s downtown. He shares, “For a town our size, it’s a bigger downtown. It was probably originally overbuilt, which is great because that leaves a large selection of historic buildings that are being reinvigorated. We also have the lake in our backyard. People who don’t live nearby don’t understand how impressive it is. We have a good selection of neighborhoods too; like the historic ones near downtown, which are wonderful if you’d like an old, Victorian-era home. But we have our newer subdivisions as well. It’s an affordable cost of living; million-dollar views for substantially less.” Repurposing many of Manitowoc’s stunning historic buildings has been a priority. Until a few years ago, many have either been vacant or underutilized but now are being transformed into mixed-use spaces. “The Historic Schuette Building was once The Schuette Brothers Department Store,” Tegen explains. “There are now multiple commercial spaces on the lower level with apartments on the upper levels.” Another developer has renovated a whole “conglomeration of older industrial buildings,” with commercial businesses downstairs and condos upstairs. Until recently, there weren’t any condos downtown, but that’s changing. “We just broke ground on our new 87-unit apartment complex, The River North Apartments,” Tegen Courtesy of MAVCB