mAZo 2020 Economic Positioning project
The Village of Mazomanie, established in 1855 as a regional rail and economic center, remains an authentic small town framed within the beautiful natural landscape of Wisconsin’s Driftless region and the lower Wisconsin River valley. Located in the state’s fastest-growing county, 25 miles from downtown Madison and the State Capitol, the Village with its downtown district listed on the National Register of Historic Places is today ideally positioned to become a vibrant “gateway” community connecting Dane County’s expanding urban center with the rural lifestyle and abundant natural resources of the Driftless region of southwest Wisconsin. In 2015, a Village-appointed committee of local residents, school district and business leaders has teamed with Vandewalle & Associates and CCL Consulting on the "Mazo 2020" project to study current and future economic development opportunities. Think of it as a Village-led project to develop a "business plan" for the community.
The Village brings a wealth of assets—a genuine “open door” quality of life, top rated schools, a business friendly attitude—to the potential for future community growth and new economic opportunity. In recent years, there also has been a growing appreciation of the role of the outdoors to the community’s quality of life and the strategic importance of developing new outdoor recreation opportunities to retain residents, attract visitors, and bring new business downtown. In seeking a path for economic and community development, the project team consulted with major local institutions, and recognized the critical need of local employers to find ways to attract new workers and for the Wisconsin Heights School District to remain on the path of growth and sustainability.
The final strategy document, adopted by the Village in January 2016, identifies and prioritizes a focused list of catalytic projects that can serve as community and economic development milestones, as well as an implementation framework, organizational and administrative roles, and partnerships and funding opportunities.
The Village brings a wealth of assets—a genuine “open door” quality of life, top rated schools, a business friendly attitude—to the potential for future community growth and new economic opportunity. In recent years, there also has been a growing appreciation of the role of the outdoors to the community’s quality of life and the strategic importance of developing new outdoor recreation opportunities to retain residents, attract visitors, and bring new business downtown. In seeking a path for economic and community development, the project team consulted with major local institutions, and recognized the critical need of local employers to find ways to attract new workers and for the Wisconsin Heights School District to remain on the path of growth and sustainability.
The final strategy document, adopted by the Village in January 2016, identifies and prioritizes a focused list of catalytic projects that can serve as community and economic development milestones, as well as an implementation framework, organizational and administrative roles, and partnerships and funding opportunities.
| Mazo 2020 Economic Positioning Strategy (6 MB) |