Opportunity at the crossroads of the Driftless Region
Located in the state’s fastest-growing county and at the crossroads of Wisconsin’s Driftless region, the Village of Mazomanie wished to position itself for sustainable growth–drawing in new residents, job-seekers, families, visitors, and businesses
The community also understood that the area’s abundant natural resources are vital to the community’s future. In the fall of 2015 the Village of Mazomanie began working with Vandewalle & Associates and CCL Consulting, LLC on a framework for economic and community development. Vandewalle & Associates continues to work with the Village on implementation of a number of stratetgic projects.
Image: Bob Dodsworth
Assets and needs. The Village of Mazomanie was established in 1855 as a regional rail and economic center. Now devoid of rail activity, this small town is now better known for its beautiful setting in the driftless region. Mazomanie’s formerly bustling downtown retains its quaint appeal but today is physically and visually disconnected from the main highway. Many locally owned shops and restaurants struggled to remain open during the economic recession.
Economic Positioning Strategic Framework. Based on a number of inputs and focus group sessions, the team developed a five-year economic positioning strategic framework with recommendations that fall into four project/activity categories:
- Workforce and Family Attraction
- Downtown Revival
- Image and Community Building
- Driftless Region Building
Positioning Vision, Theme, and Marketing. The team developed a clear economic positioning vision to capture a unique personality for Mazomanie and to guide future economic development decision-making. The public face of this positioning includes a new logo and web site with a theme that invites visitors to “live outside” in Mazomanie—outside the big city, outside enjoying abundant recreational opportunities, in a slightly outside-the-box community that can make it easy for people to embark on a new business venture or work for themselves.
Projects Implementation. V&A continues to work with the Village on a number of implementation projects focused on the downtown, including wayfinding signage and redevelopment.
