Bob Endries: Let’s get going

April 13, 2017

By David Nordby The Brillion News

BRILLION – Bob Endries had a simple message at last week’s Redevelopment Authority Commission (RDA) meeting: let’s get going.

Endries, the leading force behind helping to bring private money to the city, revealed that he has had communication with around 15 potential investors from in and around Brillion.

“We have people that are willing to come in here,” Endries said. “We can go around and around but we have to get some kind of a commitment that the city is going to operate with us here, otherwise I think we’re wasting our time on meetings.”

There are currently more than 200 available jobs in Brillion, with around 140 coming just from Ariens Company.

“I’ve never seen Dan Ariens so interested in putting something back into Brillion,” Endries said.

In order to fill the jobs in the city though, Endries says the strategy has to be different than in the past to get people to come to Brillion. To accomplish this he’s pushing for both parking and a park, and most importantly, housing.

“I think housing is the answer,” Endries said. “Let’s develop one thing at a time.”

Endries says that the other current question the city has to answer is if they are willing to lease a city hall. It will also cost $600,000 to acquire the HUB building, another area of concern. City Hall and Dollar General are both blighted. Blighted areas can be used while applying for federal grants, which the RDA is still in the process of doing.

City Administrator Lori Gosz has plans to meet with the Brillion Fire and Police Departments to discuss their space. While private investors are interested in many potential projects in Brillion, putting a fire department downtown is not one of them, according to Endries.

The need for a new city hall has been an ongoing theme at the monthly RDA meetings due to its limiting space for city officials and the Brillion Police Department.

Please see the complete story in the April 13, 2017 edition of The Brillion News.