Contacts:
Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Jessica Erickson, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2156
MILWAUKEE – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that seven
southeastern Wisconsin organizations will share grants totaling $300,100
from the Department of Commerce to promote community development efforts.
Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton presented the grants today at the
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation office in Milwaukee.
“The Governor’s Grow Wisconsin Initiative calls for
investing in our communities to promote entrepreneurship and business
development in areas most in need of new economic opportunity,” Lieutenant
Governor Lawton said. “Today’s awards will leverage $1,608,625 in
additional investment.”
The CBED Program is designed to promote local business
development in economically distressed areas. The program awards grants to
community-based organizations for development and business assistance
projects and to municipalities for economic development planning. The
program also helps community-based organizations plan, build, and create
business and technology-based incubators, and can also capitalize an
incubator tenant revolving-loan program.
The following summarizes the awards:
WISCONSIN WOMEN’S BUSINESS INITIATIVE CORPORATION (WWBIC),
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $102,000 Community-based Economic Development
Program (CBED) grant
WWBIC will use its grant to continue to provide statewide
business education and assistance; help small businesses win state and
federal contracts; coordinate regional small business partnerships,
including incubator efforts; partner with small business associations on
work and education issues; and provide loans to minority, women-owned, and
small businesses.
THE CENTER FOR TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP, Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County, $30,000 CBED grant
The Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship will use its grant
to help fund an entrepreneurship program begun in 1998 for young adults.
The program will train young adults with the goal of placing more young
people in their own businesses.
NORTH AVENUE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County, $52,500 CBED grant
The North Avenue Community Development Corporation will use
its grant to assist in the establishment of a food court on an abandoned lot
currently owned by the City of Milwaukee. This development will provide
space for six food establishments, bringing jobs and economic activity to
the area and helping to enhance the recently completed redevelopment of two
adjacent blocks.
WISCONSIN TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL, $62,000 CBED grant
The Wisconsin Technology Council will use its grant to hold
the second-annual Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference in Milwaukee in June
and to sponsor the 18th-annual Life Sciences Venture Fair to be held this
autumn in Madison.
BURLEIGH STREET COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION,
Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, $22,500 CBED grant.
The Burleigh Street Community Development Corporation will
use its grant to plan Phase II of a successful real estate venture on
Burleigh Street. The project has helped draw several new retailers to the
neighborhood and is increasing the economic activity in this once-vibrant
area.
URBAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (UEDA), Milwaukee,
Milwaukee County, $25,000 CBED grant
UEDA will use the grant to assist the City of Milwaukee in
promoting federal incentives for investment in the city’s distressed areas.
UEDA is under contract with the city as a lead training and information
agency for many of Milwaukee’s local development organizations.
CENTER FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION, Racine,
Racine County, $6,100 CBED grant
The Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation will use
its grant to explore the formation of a county-wide angel investment network
to help fund the commercialization of technology projects. The center has
acquired 25 patents through donations that it hopes to help commercialize.
For further information on the CBED Program, contact Jim
Frymark at the Department of Commerce at 608-266-2742.
