2,338 loans and investments totaling $73.9 million in the district in 2022
Stories from the District
A Piece of Love
West Allis,
Wisconsin
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation
In 2018, Ana Gonzalez decided to make her long-time hobby of cake-baking into a business venture. But Ana had dreams of opening a storefront for her business, and in 2020 she sought WWBIC’s assistance.
The 1st and Greenfield project consisted of the initial phase of the redevelopment of a vacant 7.2-acre Brownfield Site in Milwaukee, WI. The initial $28.4 million projects consisted of the environmental remediation of the site and construction of two buildings. The first building is an $11.2 million, 42,000 sq. ft., Cermak Fresh Market grocery store which includes fresh produce, local and international groceries, meats, dairy, and a bakery. The second building is a $16.2 million, 82.392 sq. ft. mixed-use building that consists of 16,500 sq. ft. of retail space and ninety-four residential units, of which at least 20 percent are designated as affordable housing. The grocery and first-floor retail space bring commercial goods to 187,368 residents within a three-mile radius of the site, of which 53.5 percent or 100,243 are low-income while also helping to mitigate the $111.3 million of annual retail leakage in this three-mile radius.
Artaynia Westfall, aka Chef Arty, started her culinary career as an ice carver with Joe Bartolotta. She continued on for 35 years in the food industry to become an executive chef, and her passon for food is equaled only by her passion for teaching children.
A love of coffee from his homeland of Mexico, 20 years of experience as a barista, and the generous gift of a grinder, espresso machine and coffee maker from the owners of the former Bella Cafe in Milwaukee’s Third Ward led to the opening of Ay! Chihuahua in 2018. Named after the Mexican phrase expressing surprise, “ay, chihuahua,” and for his love for chihuahuas, this unique Latin-Owned pop-up coffee bar “brings the coffee fiesta to you!” says founder and owner, Robert Sanchez Jr.
Bay View Community Center Celebrates Grand Reopening
Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
Forward Community Investments
Forward Community Investments (FCI) and Bay View Community Center (BVCC) share a common goal: to create more equitable and thriving communities in Wisconsin. BVCC, a nonprofit organization located at 1320 E. Oklahoma Ave in Milwaukee, has provided over four decades of community support in Milwaukee, creating opportunities that foster stronger connections and enhance the quality of life for all individuals. Their services and educational programs foster community engagement and aim to promote the personal growth of residents in Bay View and the surrounding area.
Blue Skies Landscaping is a social enterprise of longtime IFF client Walnut Way Conservation Corp that serves as an important source of revenue for the nonprofit.
