On Broadway, Inc. is a 2009 Winner of the

                             Great American Main Street Awards!

On Broadway, Inc. (OBI) is a Winner for the Great American Main Street Awards!  The Great American Main Street Awards--or GAMSA--recognizes the top five Main Street Programs in the country each year.  This top honor is a credit to any program--but since it can only be won once, it is especially honorable to a program as young as OBI!  A program is measured by its successes in economic revitalization and historic preservation. Ten finalists were selected, and five overall winners were chosen. Winners of the Great American Main Street Awards were announced in Chicago on March 2, 2009, at the National Main Street Conference.

 Broadway District 1996 (Before)Broadway District 2007 (After)

Join Us and Celebrate!

Quality Quotes

"Broadway has maintained a stable growth through the heartfelt efforts of its volunteers, staff and business owners. It will be this and continued support from the residents, visitors, community leaders and local government that will see this organizations continued growth, and leadership. As an organization, it has had a lasting impact on the individuals it has already touched, and should continue to do so generations to come." (Ian Griffiths R.I.B.A., LEED Accredited Professional, Associate Berners-Schober Assoc. Inc, for September/October 2005 Issue of Merge)

"I purchased property in the Broadway District and moved my business there in 1994; a year before On Broadway began operation. I've witnessed a transition of a rough area consisting of undesirable "establishments," to a vibrant, welcoming area for new business and families to utilize. This has come about due to the leadership of On Broadway, its staff and the volunteer members." (Blaise B. Krautkramer, President, N.E.W. Contracting Services, Inc., for September/October 2005 issue of Merge)

"Broadway is really becoming a place that we as a city can be proud of. It benefits the entire community to see that kind of growth because it encourages development throughout the downtown, which brings in jobs and capital. Much has been accomplished in the last ten years, but really is only a fraction of the full fotential the district and downtown area has. The momentum that has been build will keep Broadway growing. I am definitely excited to see what the next ten years will bring." (Jim Schmitt, Mayor City of Green Bay for September/October 2005 issue of Merge)

What is a Main Street Program?

In the 1970's, as populations were leaving small towns behind and migrating to bigger cities, a couple of employees at the National Trust for Historic Preservation had this question: How do you revitalize a community, and bring people back to Main Street?

The answer was the Main Street Approach, a an innovative methodology that combines historic preservation with economic development to restore prosperity and vitality to downtowns and neighborhood busines district. What they realized was that new businesses won't be successful if the area isn't attractive, an attractive area won't get attention if no one knows its there, and no one will visit an area if there aren't any businesses. It takes all of these aspects working together to make revitalization work, with the addition of a strong, community-based organization that can drive revitalization forward. You have to have Design, Economic Restructuring, Promotions, and Organization all working together. This is Main Street Four Point Approach (TM), and the basis of the more than 1,300 Main Street communities in 40 states accross the country.

As the Main Street Program was born out of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, historic preservation is another fundamental aspect of each Main Street community. It's the ultimate in recycling! Saving the buildings that make our communities special and saving the heritage that makes them unique.

What is On Broadway, Inc.?

On Broadway, Inc. is a non-profit, community-based organization dedicated to strengthening the Green Bay community through, economic devlopment, historic preservation and promotion of downtown Green Bay's Broadway District.  As a Main Street Program, through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, OBI follows a proven five-point approach to revitalization that includes Design, Economic Restructuring, Marketing, Organization and Promotional Events.  Each of these areas is overseen by a committee made up of volunteers from the community who meet once a month and work with staff, district businesses, and other volunters to accomplish projects.

What is the Great American Main Street Awards (GAMSA)?

GAMSA is a competition open to more than 1,600 accredited National Main Street Programs.  OBI was judged on their achievements of the commercial district and community as a whole.  Judging was based on the overall community support of the organization, the commitment to historic preservation, the economic impact of the revitalization program and successful small business development.  On Broadway, Inc., started in 1995 and has greatly impacted the community.  On Broadway is made up of 48 blocks, consisting of 33 retail shops, 12 restaurants, 28 services, 17 offices, and 13 buildings for arts and entertainment.  This improvement has created over 742 jobs, over 85 businesses and increased the tax base from $25 million to $70 Million.  On Broadway, Inc. received an enormous amount of letters of support which helped us become a Top 10 finalist.

How We Did It

History of the Revitalization Effort

The Broadway District in downtown Green Bay was historically a commercial district.  Reacing it's heyday in the 1930s, the length of the Broadway Street was lined with businesses from bankers to tailors serving the west side community.  As modern industries establised themselves in the area, the Broadway District began to see a decline.  To cater to the economically important industrial workers, there was an increase in bars and taverns--and a decline in day-to-day businesses (like grocery stores) that made the area livable and vible.

Furthermore, the city virtually ignored the Broadway District, focusing efforts instead on the east side.  By the 90s, nothing had been done in the Broadway District for more than 60 years.  This made  the physical environment as rough and uncouth as the social envionment--which by this time included bars, adult bookstores, and the highest crime rate in the city.

With the 90s came a strong core of neighborhood residents, business owners, and property owners who advocated for improvements on the west side.  They believed that customers should feelsafe visiting a business, sidewalks and streets should be passable, and the Broadway District should be economically viable part of downtosn.  While a number of group efforts were made, it wasn't until 1995 that the stars aligned.

First, a supportive mayor was elected into office.  With his and the city's support, the community group applied the Broadway District for a Main Street Program.  In October of 1995, On Broadway Inc. (OBI) was born.

Soem difficult challenges lay ahead.  More than two generations of the community had been warned to never tread near the Broadway District,and for good reason.  The district was populated with a number of problem businesses that were associated with vice or drugs, and a number of properties had fallen into disrepair because of absentee or negligent landlords.  Yet the potential was astounding.  For example, the city's earlier disinterest meant that most of the historic buildings in the Broadway District survived the "tear it down and build a mall" mentality of the 60s and 70s.  All in all, OBI proceeded with amny successful projects over the years, of which a few are highlighted in the following pages.

•  Larsen Green (In 2007, OBI purchased 22 acres of industrial property in the Broadway District.  The Master Plan for the cite calls for reinstating the street grid, saving historic buildings, parceling open space, and fostering a live-work environment.  The 120-year-old canning facility founded by William J. Larsen is also expected to be a LEED Certified Neighborhood Development.  Thus, OBI re-named the property Larsen Green.  This project will not only be amajor catalyst for development in the rest of the Broadway District (and downtown Green Bay), but will set the example for what a Main Street Program can achieve.)
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• Streetscape (Redoing the streetscape along Broadway was the catalyst to development in the Broadway District.  It was the stretscape that attracted developers--and OBI's reinvestment that statistics prove it, as the numbers were low before the project began.  Redesigning and repaving the roads helped reinvent the Broadway District.)
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• Marketing (when OBI started in 1995, the Broadway District had a bad reputation stemming from the high proportion of bars and seedy businesses.  The marketing campaigns that followed helped re-band the Broadway District and dissolved its negative perception.  The first campaign used billboards and gras-roots methods to let people know that the Broadway District was changing.  In more recent years, OBI graduated to TV and radio with the "Freen Bay's Mall-ternative" campaign, designed to highlight the unique stores and atmosphere of the Broadway District.  These campaigns have increased traffic and sales, and created a whole new attitude towards the Broadway District.)
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• Historic Preservation Efforts

Some of that potential has already been achieved, as seen by OBI's stats.  In 2006, a property reassessment established a $45 million tax base growth for the City of Green Bay.  This wasn't just a boon for the city, but for the property owners too.  Since OBI's inception, the district has gone from something to avoid to attracting more than 200,000people annually through special events alone.  OBI's more than 120 volunteers work so passionately that when the Wisconsin State Main Street recently created a volunteer Hall of Fame, an OBI volunteer was one of the first five inductees.  Finally, of the number of awards won over the years, perhaps nothing illustrates better how far we've come than the "[20 year] Overall Most Improved Business Climate" award; and we're only 13 years old.

• The Overall Most Improved Business Climate Award is given to an organization that has improved throughout the 20 years of the beginning of the award.  OBI won this award by improving the Broadway District significantly since our opening, 13 years ago. 

Why On Broadway

We are a community-based organization.  In accordance with the City of Green Bay, the Chamber of Commerce and many businesses, we proved how successful we can be working together.  We have confirmed, through the flourishing changes we have made and assigning more value to our community, that our approach and programs do work.

Winning the GAMSA

• Recipients will be honored during a ceremony at the 2009 National Main Street Conference in Chicago on March 2, 2009.
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• Winning communities' stories will be told in Main Street News and on the National Trust Main Street Center's website.
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• The National Trust for Historic Preservation will promote winners in its press plan.
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• Award winner goodies: a bronze plaque, two road signs to post in the commercial distric, lapel pins and a certificate!
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• Award winners can impress local officials and community stakeholders with GAMSA recognition and leverage the award for support and funding.

Thank You Sponsors

• Wisconsin Public Service (WPS)
• Wisconsin Main Street
• National Main Street
• Beerntsen's Candies
• Schmelzer Screenprinting
• Brown County Graphics