Milwaukee County has made a concrete move in support of local entrepreneurship with the official approval of the "Building Bridges" small business development program. Envisioned as a connective fabric that will help to bind small businesses, entrepreneurial passions, municipalities, and support organizations, the Building Bridges initiative seeks to actively fill commercial corridor spaces and jump-start economic development throughout the region, according to Milwaukee County.
A ceremony at West Allis City Hall marked the occasion, where County Executive David Crowley, along with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes, and West Allis Mayor Dan Devine, formally endorsed the program. "Milwaukee County is taking a stronger approach to supporting small businesses, growing our economy, and creating job opportunities for workers," Crowley was quoted as stating in a Milwaukee County press release. The initiative's first palpable outcome is the creation of a new small business liaison position and the provision of $10,000 grants to qualified small businesses across the county.
According to Milwaukee County, Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson highlighted the program as a reflection of the county's values of equity, opportunity, and collaboration, noting that the Building Bridges program aims to connect business owners with the necessary resources to thrive. A recent $200,000 endowment from WEDC was earmarked for these grants, a measure that Hughes described as pivotal for small businesses, which lie at the heart of local communities and downtowns, promoting an environment where "everyone has the opportunity to thrive and our economy grows."
The inaugural recipient of the Building Bridges grant is All Goods, a specialized vintage clothing store. Its owner, Ali Acevedo, will be relocating and renovating a vacant laundromat in the City of West Allis, an effort supported by a low-interest loan from the city. Acevedo aims to actively transform and revitalize a blighted building into a vibrant retail space, a move applauded by Mayor Devine, who praised the program for its role in transforming community spaces and spurring local job creation.
With Celia Benton at the helm as Director of Milwaukee County Economic Development, the program will go on to further support the commercial corridors. Apart from administering grants and accepting further grant applications from small businesses, Benton's team will also work to hire a small business liaison, committed to fostering relationships and partnerships that can help buoy the business community within Milwaukee County.
