Hello and Happy Fall!
It’s been a busy year and thought it would be a great time to catch up on some of the SBID activities prior to the rush of the holiday season. Here’s a few recent happenings and some new things to come:
I attended the Wisconsin Economic Development Association’s fall Best Practices conference in Osh Kosh and have a few things I’ll be leaning into in the new few months. One of which is a book club. Don’t worry, there’s no homework or timeline. A few of the presentations referenced a book written in 2023 by Jeff Siegler entitled, “Your City is Sick.” This book challenges some of the mindsets about business growth, among other things. If you’re interested, Maria at Foxes and Fireflies can order it. The City of Superior may be hiring Siegle to consult, it is going to City Council this week. I’ll keep you posted and you can certainly call or email me if you want to chat.
Our next WIB meeting is October 14, with the presentation by Kathy Laakso on Time Arc Theatre.
Department of Transportation is hosting a public hearing at the Superior Public Library on October 20 at 5pm regarding the Blatnik Bridge project. Please attend and ask questions.
The SBID will be hosting a Blatnik Bootcamp, along with DOT on November 10 at noon in the 3rd floor Ballroom of the Old Post Office, 1401 Tower Ave. Lunch will be provided. This will be a toolkit session of what we’ve been learning and how to prepare your business for the closure. Invitation will be sent out soon.
The Development Association is conducting research on the Blatnik Bridge and are looking for input. Click here to take the survey!
Our next Board of Directors will be October 22 at 4pm in the 3rd floor conference room. All our meeting agendas and minutes are posted on our website.
Northwest Regional Planning Commission has drafted their 2025-2030 Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. It is open for public comment now until October 24, 2025. Comments can be submitted by email to Crystal Rohde at crohde@nwrpc.com. View the draft at https://nwrpc.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=277
Speaking of websites, Amy and I have been reviewing and working toward updating the SBID’s website, with a fresh new look and improved functionality.
The SBID is contracting with Creede McClellan on some projects for the SBID. Creede recently received her Master of Arts: Library and Information Science. One of the projects she’s working on is a new CRM system for greater efficiency. You may hear from her as she is verifying business information, including website and socials links.
Registration is open for our Fall and Winter Promotions including Trick or Treat in the District, Pink Friday, Shop Small Superior Week and Surprise Santa. Please register early so we have more time to promote participating businesses.
Thank you and please contact me if there are any questions or things you’d like to chat about!
Kelly Peterson