EAU CLAIRE, WISC. (excerpts from volumeone.com) The new year will bring new development to the Cannery District on the west side of the Chippewa River in downtown Eau Claire. In late December, the city’s Redevelopment Authority approved a new redevelopment plan for the neighborhood, which is composed primarily of former industrial properties between East Madison Street and the High Bridge.
The plan, which was created by Madison-based Vandewalle & Associates, includes detailed renderings of what the roughly 41-acre neighborhood could look like in the future, as well as a map identifying specific sites intended for residential, commercial, and mixed-use development or green space. Vandewalle will now work with the city to help market the neighborhood to developers who have expressed interest in building in Eau Claire, said Aaron White, the city’s economic development manager. While the city may issue formal requests for proposal for a few specific parcels in the Cannery District, White hopes that developers mostly come with their own ideas for the neighborhood.
The team envisioned the Cannery District as a “makers district.”
“I think it’s a real opportunity to play off the history of that area,” said Aaron White, City of Eau Claire economic development manager.
