Business View Civil Municipal - Sept 2023

96 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 9 influx of restaurant, service, and retail industries. 2021 brought an impressive $42.6 million in investment, as enterprises such as Morrie’s Automotive saw the opportunity to establish their presence, alongside development in the healthcare sector, to hospital and clinic facilities. 2022 saw continued growth, with major commercial players like Farm and Fleet, Camping World, and Walmart reinvesting in their facilities, contributing to the continuous enhancement of the Highway 16 retail corridor which is directly connected to Interstate 90. The trend continues into 2023, as the transformation of a vacant Shopko building will see an addition to the existing structure and bring five new tenants to the space. Along with prominent franchises like Chick Fil A, Scooters Coffee, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Noodles and Company, and Chipotle, which bring visitors into the city from the interstate, Onalaska is also home to a vibrant small business community. These enterprises contribute to the economy, as well as enrich the character of the city. Aspenson acknowledges, “Onalaska is known for our service industry and retail. Everyone is redeveloping their businesses in our community, it’s very seldom to see people that don’t reinvest. So, we make that process as easy as possible.”