Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stopped by Wizard Quest in downtown Wisconsin Dells and presented the developing Elm Street Plaza project with a massive boost.
Evers, after talking about the state’s Tourism Capital Investment Grant program, presented a maximum grant of $3.5 million to the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau for continued development and maintenance of the city’s upcoming attraction. The governor said the $21.9 million program is designed to help “shovel-ready” tourism projects with promotion, maintenance and bolstering the tourism industry in the state.
“This project will help bring folks together downtown, encourage them to stay a little longer, spend a few bucks extra, and that means more jobs and more economic vitality and activity for all the hard-working folks here downtown,” Evers said.
Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau President/CEO Romy Snyder expressed her gratitude for the grant before explaining the bureau’s role in the city beyond marketing. She said tourism consultant Roger Brooks was invited to the city in 2014 to create a master plan for the downtown area.
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“One of the key elements that he (Brooks) identified in that plan was a public plaza,” Snyder said.
Snyder then pointed out that in 2019, Wizard Quest owner Kevin Ricks requested funding for expansion of his attraction as well as construction of the developing plaza. After approving the request, Snyder said the bureau considered expanding the small plaza and transforming it into a “downtown anchor”.
“The development partnership between the city of Wisconsin Dells, the Wisconsin Dells Visitor and Convention Bureau, and the BID (Business Improvement District) committee of the city, was established and that is what has led us to today,” said Snyder.
Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Designee Kathy Blumenfeld explained how the program, launched in August 2021, is designed to boost the state’s attractions and set up future success in the tourism industry. Evers said tourism is a $17.3 billion industry in Wisconsin that supported 150,000 jobs in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He went on to explain how, as of September 2021, the state had a more successful tourism industry than Michigan, Minnesota and Illinois.
“This might be an opportunity for us to step back and think about, once we open, what else we could do on the plaza to make it appealing,” said Snyder.
Snyder said they are confident the current design of the plaza will be successful, but also will be watchful for additional opportunities once it opens.
“It gave us an opportunity as a state to invest in the downtown of Wisconsin Dells,” said Evers. “It’s a great concept with a lot of good people behind it that we felt is really going to make a huge impact in Wisconsin Dells. It was one of the best, if not the best, proposals out of all of them. It’s really extraordinary.”
