FCEDC Revolving Loan Will Help Redevelopment Of Former Boca Grande Properties

Fond du Lac County supervisors Tuesday night unanimously approved transferring some of the County sales tax money to help fund a revitalization project in Downtown Ripon. The $175,000 going to the Revolving Loan Fund that the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation oversees would be part of $425,000 that the FCEDC will loan to developer Tom Rogers. Rogers plans to redevelop some of the former Boca Grande properties. FCEDC President Steve Jenkins says the properties are ripe for development. Rogers says restoring the properties to reflect the downtown’s original character won’t be hard, but attracting businesses for those properties is another story. He says he believes they can get that done also. Jenkins says the failed Boca Grande venture was a difficult lesson for Ripon to learn, but not one that can’t be overcome. Rogers says he already has three interested buyers lined up. Pictured left to right in the foreground, Tom Rogers and Steve Jenkins.