Milwaukee County small business development program approved

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Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signs legislation approving the Building Bridges program

WEST ALLIS, Wis. - Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation on Wednesday, June 11 at West Allis City Hall approving the new Building Bridges small business development and commercial corridor activation program. 

Building Bridges program

What we know:

A news release from the county says the Building Bridges program will create a new small business liaison position to provide technical support and administer $10,000 grants to small businesses across Milwaukee County. 

The goal is to expand resources to establish or expand brick-and-mortar businesses in Milwaukee County while fueling commercial corridor revitalization.

New Small Business Development Program in Milwaukee County

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signs legislation approving the Building Bridges Small Business Development Program.

Milwaukee County Economic Development was recently awarded $200,000 from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) for this program, which will be used to provide $10,000 grants to qualifying small businesses.

What they're saying:

 "During my State of the County address, I called on my administration to build bridges between small businesses, entrepreneurs, small business support organizations, and municipalities seeking to fill commercial corridor spaces. Because through partnership, we know we can fuel local economic development," said County Executive Crowley. "Under my direction, Milwaukee County is taking a stronger approach to supporting small businesses, growing our economy, and creating job opportunities for workers. Thank you to WEDC and all of our partners for making this new effort a reality that will help build wealth, strengthen our neighborhoods, and uplift small businesses across Milwaukee County."

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"Small businesses are the heart of our communities and downtowns," said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. "The Building Bridges program is a great example of how partnerships between small businesses, communities, and other organizations can work together to create an environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and our economy grows."

Program recipient

Dig deeper:

During Wednesday’s legislation signing ceremony, Crowley announced the first grant recipient of the Building Bridges program. The grant recipient is All Goods, a vintage clothing store based in Milwaukee County, that specializes in curated vintage apparel. 

Ali Acevado, the owner of All Goods, purchased and is renovating an old, vacant laundromat on Greenfield Avenue in the City of West Allis, where he will move his business in the coming months. 

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The City of West Allis is supporting the project with a low-interest loan. The Building Bridges grant will be used for the building’s renovations, including structural and foundation work, electrical, plumbing, and more.

The Building Bridges program includes accepting grant applications from small businesses, administering grants following approval, and hiring a small business liaison to carry out this work.