Wisconsin Builder | City Lights | From downtrodden to downtown

From downtrodden to downtown

By Candace Doyle
Editor

Urban renewal, downtown revitalization, Main Street programs, streetscapes, brownfields.

It's a lot of jargon, isn't it?

With City Lights, we replace those words with ones of our own to tell you about some of the downtowns in Wisconsin that have transformed themselves, becoming once again their cities' commercial and cultural hubs.

We also capture the brilliance of those downtowns with stunning photos and renderings that show just how bright city lights can shine.
One of the cities we zoom in on is Racine, which has since the 1980s invested more than $100 million in a virtual rebuilding of its downtown. Contractors who have had a hand in that metamorphosis point with pride to two shining examples of projects that helped bring Racine's downtown back to life: the Johnson International Office Building and the Racine Art Museum.

While Racine's rebirth has been a long time coming, this issue of Wisconsin Builders also features lesser- known transformations.

We searched each corner of the state to find rejuvenated downtowns that represent some of the finest construction work in Wisconsin.

Through words and pictures, we take you to Pewaukee, Kenosha, Minoqua, Madison, Oshkosh and Columbus, to name a few.

Perhaps you are well traveled and visited before. No matter. We promise this trip will take you to sites unseen.

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