DFP Outlines Funding Needs For New Initiatives

The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership is asking the City of Fond du Lac to fund four additional initiatives in 2018. DFP Executive Director Amy Hansen reviewed those initiatives for the City Council this week. The requests include funding for additional staffing, a storefront beautification program, residential feasibility program, and a retail and restaurant expansion program. The total cost would come to $173,000. City Manager Joe Moore says he has included $125,000 in the City’s budget for next year for the building improvement grant program. He says he hasn’t included money in the budget for the four initiatives. Moore says they should take some time to see what Envision Greater Fond du Lac’s plans are for helping improve the downtown. He says the new agency is only about 40 days old. Moore says the downtown of Fond du Lac has been kind of a “donut hole” in the County’s economic development for quite some time. The DFP would also like to get funding for a Master Plan to start implementing suggestions made through their market analysis and by the Downtown Exploratory Committee.