The Downtown Plaza “The Naberhood” Project in Shawano, Wisconsin, has been awarded an APWA National Public Works Project of the Year Award for Small Cities/Rural Communities. In 2017, the City of Shawano began discussing the creation of a plaza-type space in the downtown area. At the time, the City was redeveloping Franklin Park, one block west of Main Street, into an event space complete with a band shell, water feature, decorative lighting, pedestrian pathways, and enhanced landscaping. The plaza concept was proposed to connect Franklin Park and the Main Street commercial district and provide a programmable space on Main Street that would be a destination for the community, bringing vibrancy and activity to the downtown.

Between 2017 and 2020 the City began putting pieces in place to make this project a reality. The City prepared for the downtown plaza project by developing a Downtown Master Plan in 2017 and 2018, acquired parcels needed for the plaza from 2019 to 2021, and applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)-Public Facilities Grant in early 2020. The City was awarded a $1.0 million CDBG grant in August 2020. The City was also able to use $600,000 in CDBG-Close grant funds for the project. These funding sources provided the approximately $1.6 million base needed for the project to become a reality. In late 2020, the City issued a request for proposals for engineering services and selected the Strand Associates, Inc.® and Parkitecture + Planning team.

The plaza was constructed in two phases between 2021 and 2023. The first phase consisted of demolition of existing structures that occupied the land for the plaza. The second was construction of the plaza spaces beginning in spring 2022, with warranty items extending into early 2023. The City also added pergolas to the western space and a premanufactured restroom to the eastern space in late 2023. In 2023, the City hosted a naming contest for the new plaza space, arriving at “The Naberhood” referencing a historically prominent Shawano citizen, Franklin Naber, and the historic Naber building that had occupied the eastern plaza space since 1903, while also invoking the coming together of a community of neighbors in a social setting.

The scope of the Naberhood project included:

  • Acquisition of four different parcels in the 200 block of Main Street.
  • Demolition of three existing structures, including the “Naber” building at 216 Main Street.
  • Development of an approximately 1-acre pedestrian-oriented plaza composed of two distinct spaces located on both sides of Main Street.
  • Streetscaping on Main Street for pedestrian safety and to create a sense of special place on Main Street.

The Naberhood was open for public use in spring 2023, with the finishing touches of pergolas and a restroom structure added in late 2023. The final project cost totaled approximately $2.7 million. To meet the additional $1.1 million beyond the base cost, the City utilized several funding sources, including, ARPA, City TID 9, Forget Me Not Fund, a Private Donation from Charlie Harvey, the Menominee Tribe, and a State of Wisconsin Vibrant Spaces Grant. Through these combined sources, the City was able to fund the project without any general levy tax dollars.

The Naberhood project has led to substantial increases in business desires to locate to downtown Shawano and existing business owners consistently point to the Naberhood development and Franklin Park as a primary reason for increased business and increases in walking traffic downtown. The numerous events on a weekly basis and year-round in the Franklin Park and Naberhood spaces in downtown Shawano cultivate excitement; entertain family, friends, and visitors; unify local businesses; and promote cultural history in an eventful environment.

The project also won the APWA Wisconsin Public Works Project of the Year Award for Small Cities/Rural Communities.