The Core Reinvestment District stretches across portions of Eau Claire’s central core and surrounding neighborhoods, creating a framework for reinvestment in areas where individual properties and sites face redevelopment challenges.
Unlike districts centered on a single corridor or neighborhood, the Core Reinvestment District takes a more targeted approach. Opportunities will be identified and advanced over time based on property conditions, community needs, market opportunities, and the potential for public and private investment to work together.
Across Eau Claire’s central core and surrounding neighborhoods, including the Shawtown area
In the early implementation phase, with incremental reinvestment expected across the district
Established neighborhoods and commercial corridors with targeted housing, infill, and reinvestment opportunities
The Core Reinvestment District includes a wide range of established residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, former industrial properties, and vacant or underused sites. Conditions vary considerably across the district, but some properties face physical, financial, or site-related barriers that make redevelopment more difficult without coordinated public and private action.
Several recurring conditions help shape redevelopment priorities throughout the district:
Portions of the district contain older residential, commercial, and former industrial buildings affected by deterioration, deferred maintenance, or functional obsolescence.
Scattered sites and buildings are no longer being used to their full potential, creating opportunities for rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, infill development, or redevelopment.
Small or irregular parcels, legal nonconformities, fragmented ownership, and other site conditions can make individual properties more difficult to redevelop through private investment alone.
Aging infrastructure, stormwater needs, floodplain conditions, and potential environmental issues on some former commercial or industrial properties can add complexity and cost to redevelopment.
While significant public and private investment has occurred in nearby areas, some properties and corridors within the district have experienced prolonged disinvestment or have not benefited from the same redevelopment momentum.
Redevelopment in the Core Reinvestment District is intended to strengthen the places already here while creating room for new housing, businesses, services, and development. Projects will be shaped by their surrounding context, with an emphasis on neighborhood stability, productive reuse of underutilized properties, and investment that creates lasting community benefit.
Strengthen Existing Neighborhoods
Improve housing quality, support rehabilitation and compatible infill development, and address unsafe or obsolete properties in ways that contribute to long-term neighborhood stability.
Bring Underused Properties Back to Life
Create new opportunities for vacant, obsolete, or constrained residential and commercial sites through rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, redevelopment, and strategic site preparation.
Support Local Business and Neighborhood Activity
Encourage reinvestment in commercial and mixed-use properties that can bring services, jobs, businesses, and other activity closer to the neighborhoods they serve.
Make Reinvestment Work for the Community
Engage residents and stakeholders early, protect vulnerable households from displacement, and pair new investment with improvements to infrastructure, connectivity, and neighborhood quality of life.
Redevelopment within the Core Reinvestment District will take different forms depending on the property, surrounding neighborhood, and market opportunity. The City welcomes conversations with developers, property owners, and investors interested in projects that strengthen existing areas while bringing underused properties back into productive use.
Potential opportunities may include:
Already have a property or project in mind?
Developers don’t need to wait for a City- or Redevelopment Authority-owned site to become available. The Economic Development Division can help discuss how a concept fits within the district, identify potential redevelopment considerations and tools, and connect a project with the appropriate City staff.
While redevelopment opportunities may emerge throughout the entire Core Reinvestment District, the redevelopment plan identifies three areas where commercial, mixed-use, and neighborhood reinvestment could have an especially strong impact. These focus areas will help guide the City and Redevelopment Authority as opportunities develop over time.
Neighborhood Reinvestment & Mixed-Use Opportunity
Properties south of Lake Street through the downtown YMCA location offer opportunities to reinvest in aging and underused sites while supporting nearby neighborhoods. Future redevelopment could include housing, neighborhood-serving businesses, employment uses, or mixed-use projects that fit the surrounding area.
Commercial Reinvestment & District Connectivity
The area west of the Cannery District toward 7th Street, including Madison Street and Bellinger Street, offers an opportunity to build on nearby redevelopment while addressing scattered underused and obsolete properties. Reinvestment could support commercial, mixed-use, or employment activity that strengthens connections between established neighborhoods and the Cannery District.
Corridor Growth & Complementary Development
Recent investment around The Sonnentag Complex creates opportunities for complementary development along Menomonie Street toward Clairemont Avenue. New commercial, mixed-use, or employment uses could build on that activity while adding services, destinations, and stronger connections along the corridor.
New Opportunities Ahead
The Core Reinvestment District is entering its implementation phase, with redevelopment opportunities expected to emerge over time as properties are identified, evaluated, acquired, and prepared for reinvestment. Check back as new sites and project opportunities become available throughout the district.
Status: Available
The Center is a desirable area for a small residential community thanks to its location directly across from an expansive park, recreational trails, and short distance from an elementary school.
This site is ideal for a mixed residential development with 40-50 units.
Status: Available
The Heights offers a unique setting along the Chippewa River, with rare views, direct access to the restored High Bridge, and connections to a nearby recreational trail and large neighborhood park.
This site is ideal for a riverfront residential community offering 150 units in 3 buildings, 6 stories, 2 levels of parking, and 220 parking spaces.
Status: Available
The Riverside site sits along the Chippewa River, next to a recreational trail and close to an established brewery, with new multi-family residential development and neighborhood park nearby.
This site is ideal for a mixed-use building with 28,000 sq. ft. of commercial space on the ground floor and at least 1 additional level of residential units.
Share your ideas for available sites with the City of Eau Claire Economic Development Division to explore how we can help bring your vision to life.