Green Bay Reporter

Some Green Bay venues will receive part of a $27 million grant Gov. Tony Evers recently allocated to help venues and small businesses as a part of money received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich's Twitter post referred specifically to city venues Meyer Theatre and Gather on Broadway, which will receive $200,000 each, and Green Bay Community Theatre, which will receive $65,487.

Genrich's Dec. 21 Twitter post expressed his thanks to Evers and Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan "for your continued support" of our Wisconsin businesses. Genrich also thanked Main Street Alliance Action Fund, known on Twitter as "mainstreetweets," for their "persistent advocacy."

Genrich's Twitter post followed Evers' press release the same day announcing more than $27 million in ARPA-funded event venue and live event small business assistance grants across Wisconsin. The money will be spread out to 204 venues as part of Evers' $140 million program through the state's tourism and entertainment industries.

"These businesses play a critical role in building a strong economy as they bring people together from all over the state and country for weddings, family reunions, business conferences and so much more," Evers said in the press release. "From Belmont to Washington Island, these funds will help bolster more than 200 small businesses and event venues across our state, which are an essential part of our communities and our state's entertainment industries."

The ARPA funds are being administered by the Wisconsin Department of Administration.

The state's tourism industry is a major contributor to Wisconsin’s economy, generating more than $22 billion in pre-COVID 2019, according to a Milwaukee Business Journal story published in May of last year. BizTimes reported in June of 2019 that Wisconsin's "creative industries" contribute almost $10 billion to the state's economy each pre-COVID year.

The still ongoing pandemic has been very hard on Wisconsin, with the state losing an estimated $3.8 billion in tourism revenue in 2020, U.S. News reported this past June.

Other Brown County venues that will receive ARPA funds are: Daddy D Productions, $20,000; Birder Studio of Performing Arts, $80,993; Green Room Theatre, $81,075; Exhibit Resource, $200,000; Let Me Be Frank Productions, $200,000; Rock Garden, $200,000; Riverside Ballroom, $200,000; TI Enterprises of Howard, $200,000; The Traveling Chef, $200,000 and Brown County Fair Association, $82,086.

Venues that operate in multiple counties, including Brown County, that will receive ARPA funds are: Peter Jest, $200,000; A-Mazing Events, $200,000; Capitol Civic Centre, $200,000; Burmar Productions, $200,000; Four One Four Events, $197,371; Sepia Wedding Chapel, $164,901; Merlines Magic, $8,419; Night Lights Entertainment, $12,930 and Bomber Sound Productions, $20,800.