About 4 blocks of Fifth Avenue is blocked off to thru traffic for construction. The blocked section runs from Lincoln Street to Superior Street. A detour is running down Deleglise Street to Century Ave to Hwy. 45/64.
As reported in the Journal, this will be a quick project – hope that doesn’t mean that it will need to be redone in a few years.
The annual Market Street Fest is set for June 21st.
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If we have all this tax money to just throw blacktop on 5th ave every 2 years, why don’t we just invest in concrete and be done with it? Seriously. From what I’ve seen so far it looks nice, but a high traffic black top road wears fast. With Market Street fest on saturday, they’re rushing to make sure they’re done. It would’ve been a much better idea to wait until after the 4th and just throw down some concrete and get this over with.
The street is re-open now. I think this was simply a quick fix to make it look better. I think the longer term plans in the next couple of years are to tear up everything including sidewalks and rebuild. I keep seeing mentions of it here and there. I would really like to see them narrow it up to two lanes and add angled parking. I think this makes it more inviting to shoppers and will curb some of the speeding problems on this road.
That’s the plan from what I’ve heard, making a return to two lanes with a center boulevard and angle parking once the bypass is added northwest of town.
since they work so hard on making parts of the streets look good why not the street as a whole. fifth ave has flowers only in front of some stores about 2 blocks but what about the rest of 5th it looks like crap, this is part of downtown last i checked. and sixth ave is the same all nice and pretty by the bank but the rest looks like crap. y, dont they have enough money to fill a few more flower beds. im glad the road is done i really needed it now i hope they attend to a few other side streest that r in bad shape as well
The city doesn’t supply/maintain the planters on 5th Ave. Individual business owners do (or don’t). Even when an effort is made, there’s always someone willing to vandalize/stomp on/pull up the plants.
cityslicker-I agree with your 6th ave comment. I really think that was the dumbest street in town to do that too, since besides the bank, it’s run-down houses and empty businesses.
if they want the downtown area to thrive and invite people to come they that would be one area of improvement. some cant afford the building they r in. im not sure who would be responsible for this but is should be brought to their attention.
CoVantage has done a wonderful job maintaining their area of Sixth Avenue, too bad others don’t take a bit more pride but that’s the way it is. But Fifth Avenue really should have been prioritized before Sixth Avenue was, I agree.
CoVantage chipped in a fair amount of money to the 6th Ave project if I remember correctly, so the city went ahead and did a few blocks there. My opinion is if you want Sixth Ave to look pretty…get rid of the Antigo Hotel on the 6th Ave/Morse corner
we r also talking about our downtown what r we supposed to do tear down the whole area cause the city doesnt want to fix the buildings. i dont think do. i think the chamber should chip in and use the membership funds they raise from area stores. not just fifth ave but the whole city.
The old buildings are slowly coming down, we just need some patience for our hometown city to get to where we should be in the 21st century.
In response to city slicker’s comment “we r also talking about our downtown what r we supposed to do tear down the whole area cause the city doesnt want to fix the buildings”.
The CITY does not fix buildings. The CITY condemns them eventually when their owners let them fall into disrepair and they become safety issues. The OWNERS are responsible for fixing up the downtown and I don’t feel that they expense should be born by taxpayers which is what is happening now with city buying properties as they become available and selling them to developers or tearing them down. The CITY takes a big hit on here for taking their time knocking them down and for purchasing the available buildings….so it must be a no-win for them if I may draw the conclusion. My opinion stated is all…just getting tired of subsidizing the downtown with my taxes but I guess if there is not other way to do something, then so be it. I hope it is a wise investment in the long run.
well if they were to put in an outdoor mall or of something of the sort then what r they going to do only two blocks of the downtown area? downtown to me is from lakeside to keglers that is downtown to me and alot of it is in need of fixing up look at how long it has taken wausau to do theirs, years is antigo ready for that type of commitment
I must have missed something on this string. Outdoor mall? Only two blocks of the downtown? I think I missed the thought. The downtown to me is much larger than what you indicated. It stretches from Forrest Ave to Rusch Road going north and south and from Flight Road to Western going east and west in my thinking. If all the businesses in this area banded together to work together I think they would have a good thing going. I know the big corporate places would probably not participate but the hometown places sure could band together in an effort to present a united front in a bad economy.
Yes, a lot needs to be done to fix it up but my point was that I the taxpayer should not have to pay for these businesses to fix up their places. I feel the business places should be responsible for the upkeep of their business places just like I am responsible for the upkeep of my home. My opinion.
I agree, but we have too many business owners that have forsaken their buildings over time.
“It stretches from Forrest Ave to Rusch Road going north and south and from Flight Road to Western going east and west in my thinking.”
Wow. That’s almost the whole town.
Downtown to me, Boettcher’s bar to Keglers.
Yeah Fed Up, if that’s your idea of downtown, Antigo has no subdivisions or anything, and 95% of the town lives “downtown”. Downtown is what the signs say: Lakeside area to Kegler’s, and 1st Ave to 10th Ave.
DF2Y–Opinions vary. Here we go again with if I don’t share your opinion, I must be stupid posts again. My point is that there are many, many businesses throughout the city and if they banded together instead of cutting each others throats as they seem to do lately, maybe all could prosper. By the way, the number of home businesses in Antigo is phenomenal; I think they should be included in downtown affairs and not kept out because they are not located from Lakeside to Keglers, and 1st to 10th. Antigo has subdivisions? I must live on the wrong side of town because the only one I can think of is Suburban Acres and that is not in the city. Enlighten me as to what makes a subdivision in your thinking. Is it the sign at the entrance of the property put up by the developer?
there r a few subdivisions in this town i believe there r 2 off of freiburger ave and then out by first ave, not quite sure about the first ave but the others i am. and again downtown is Lakeside to Keglers and 1st to 10th. many will agree on that
AGAIN, read what is written. Oh forget it! Think downtown is where you want it to be although the definition is very antiquated in my opinion based on what I stated. And, what makes you think those are subdivisions? I asked the question very politely and yet I am told there are subdivisions and yet you don’t tell me why you think they are indeed subdivisions. I shall have to look it up. Okay, wikipedia definition–a term for an urban or sub-urban area, especially if recently parcelled up into smaller plots for new uses. The areas you are speaking of are areas where developers have purchased land and sold it off in city lots and put houses on. How are these different then a regular city street? I guess it is a moot question in the long run because it has no importance whatsoever other than to the developer making money selling the lots.
Thomas Street, Brandon Court, and Andrea Court off of first ave is a subdivision. Due south of it and next to Sunset Drive is Laurisa Lane, another subdivision. There’s the one or two off of Freiburger and I think Forest Ave, and Suburban Acres. Think of downtown however you want, but I think it would be weird coming into town on 64 and seeing “Welcome to Downtown Antigo” next to the city limits sign, with nothing but houses ahead and a church.
Nice one D2FY! Watch out! Its probably a trick to tax every citizen for their prime “downtown” real estate.
FED Up, if developers purchase a field and then parcel it off into city lots, isn’t that a subdivision by your own definition? It seems to me that changing a field into a residential lots is definatley a new use. I am sure that every person here with an 8th grade education could deduce that one.
I guess if you can’t stand being wrong it must be acceptable to bend your own definitions to say what you want them to.
Thanks for the slam Jameson. It was a question posed, a couple times looking for an answer, or opinion as the case may be. What is your problem? I asked if Antigo had subdivisions and where they were and what led each person to call them such. Then, because I have well above an 8th grade education (college degree if you must know) I also looked up the definition, posted it and asked how a regular section of city streets defers from what you want to call a subdivision. I already received my answer by digging further into records but thanks for slamming me to make yourself feel oh so powerful. Glad I could make your day.
DF2Y, yes the areas you point are indeed referred to as subdivisions and by doing alittle further research I did get my answer and it does indeed come down to a developer making parcelled lots for living units. I guess the one by the old Wayside on the south of town is also a subvision as well but I don’t hear it called it so much but I guess it does have a name and everything. As far as the downtown, coming into many, many cities you see a “Welcome to Podunkville” sign and you see homes and churches, schools whatever. I don’t see as many signs denoting a downtown area as they are getting less prevalent by you are right in that they are denoted in such a manner when done so. I guess my point that keeps getting lost is that there are many business along Hwy 45 as well which could be included in any downtown efforts but these businesses are not helped by the “Downtown Business Association” because they are not on the main drag of 5th Ave. I think many retail and restaurant businesses are in the same boat these days and by banding together as a cohesive group they could maybe do better. An example would be one business offering a coupon or gift card for another business and so forth. It is just my opinion and I was just sharing it. Sorry to all that this conversation got so blown up…not my intention.
On another topic, has anyone noticed the new waste receptacles in the downtown area you speak of? Flowers in the planters? Happy with the way it looks?
no i think they need to put flowers in all the planters not just in front of the stores between edison and superior, waste can r always good. but u were the one who was arguing about a subdivision and about where they r, no one else. they just pointed them out and proved u wrong. and no u can not put every business along 45 in downtown u r totally missing the point.
fed up if u go all the way down to the pics( which u might understand better) they r at the bottom of antigobuzz u will see a partial pic of the old downtown. that is just some of it, they r missing some of the east side by lakeside.
Your right. I miss the point. Segregation of an area is just not kosher with me. I will just disagree with all of you and keep it at that. Just because pictures show what used to be downtown doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. The north end USED to be a farm field and look at it now. Change happens whether we like it or not, but as I said previously, I won’t argue it, opinions vary.
Thanks for the input on the planters and maybe they will expand the areas covered in the future based on your input.
I asked if Antigo had subdivisions and asked why they are referred to as such. –Antigo has subdivisions? I must live on the wrong side of town because the only one I can think of is Suburban Acres and that is not in the city. Enlighten me as to what makes a subdivision in your thinking. Is it the sign at the entrance of the property put up by the developer?–
I copied and pasted the orginal post for you. I was asking the question because I never saw the areas that were pointed out as subdivisions, just realtors/developers/contractors selling parcels and building homes on them. As I stated later, I did more research…and now I have my answer. I guess I don’t appreciate the slams of being stupid just because I don’t understand or don’t agree. Have I called anyone stupid or referred to them as an 8th grade education? Nope! My mother taught me better than to segregate out those with opposing ideas or call them names.
FEDUP, Your sarcastic, dismissive tone(“AGAIN, read what is written. Oh forget it!”) was’t an attempt to dismiss others as ignorant? If not, your mother must have been a great teacher of one-sided morals. If responded to your curt attitude with more of the same, I appologize for stooping to your level.
No, it was not an attempt to dismiss anyone as ignorant or I would have said so. It was an attempt to have the person addressing my response to read the post again, as sometimes a reader can brush through a point and when re-reading it will see something that was unclear in the first reading. It was not sarcasm either, though you obviously are getting that out of it. Oh forget means it is not important to continue the argument, no more, no less. Again, what is your problem?
Morals, how did that come into play? My, my I really have upset you haven’t I? Me thinks thee does protest too much and that makes me wonder about your morals and what is provoking you to read into every post what you wish to read and then attacking others. Last time I looked this is Antigo Buzz, not Antigo Gripes.
By the way Jameson–”I am sure that every person here with an 8th grade education could deduce that one.
I guess if you can’t stand being wrong it must be acceptable to bend your own definitions to say what you want them to.” If this is not sarcasm and dismissiveness on your part, and it is just the example aimed at me, and no other ( but I am sure others have seen examples aimed at them as well in this blog) what do you call it? You can do what you please and everyone else has to bow down to your thinking? Sorry, I am a free thinker and all the name calling in the world by you is not going to change the fact that I ask questions to get answers, not to make others feel little. If you indeed feel dismissed then so be it though it was not intention. If you are feeling little, then I pity you if this is the only manner you can make yourself feel better.
You are free to think whatever you want. When you publicly post definitons of a contested word or topic and fail to read them first, you should expect other free thinkers to respond. I am a very crass person at times and do not mind letting my dark side out. You are free to do as you please. Just don’t waste my time by not reading the b.s. that you post first.
Jameson–Then the answer is stop reading my posts because you obviously are reading something into them that others are not and choose to respond in a rude fashion. DF2Y was the person answering my question and I beleive when he/she answered and I indicated they were indeed correct that those are subdivisions I was just not thinking of them that way. You butted in with your rants and raves about my being ignorant and therefore I posted a response to you. I won’t make the mistake again of responding to you; I would ask you to do the same.
Now I can’t read even read your posts! I thought your mother taught you not to segregate out those with opposing ideas… I am sorry to offend the dictator of the “free” thinkers. You posted a quote from wikipedia without taking the time to read it first. I am not “reading something into them”, scroll up, what I read is still there in back and white.
p.s.- your mother would be ashamed!
Ah, there is Jameson, hiding out in another blog picking another fight. Typical!
Thank you voice of reason. I guess you see the cyberbullying which is taking place here.
Voice, I was not picking fight, just voicing my opinion. There you go with your LIES again. Nobody wants to listen to your lies here either. But if anyone want to read Voice’s lies about Mr. Stimac stopping a Starbucks(WTF?) Franchise from coming to Antigo. Check out the link posted below. It is hilarious.
http://antigobuzz.com/blogs/2008/05/27/antigo-mayor-mike-matousek-quits/
Jameson-Cyberbullying is a no-no.
Cyberbullying???
Fed up, being two-faced in writing will always come back to haunt you. If you feel threatened, that is your own weakness shining through. You shouldn’t try to be a hard*ss one second and Mr. Morals the next. It doesn’t work well for you. I would also stop posting idle threats “I won’t make the mistake again of responding to you” and then breaking them the very next day. Once again, it doesn’t work very well you.
Still LMAO!!
Wow, Jameson, I’d love to be able to see things your way, but I’m not sure I can get my cranium into my rectum all that well.
Now THAT’s cyberbullying
I’m just teasing Jameson, you have every right to your opinion and I am not going to sit here and slam you for it. As the philosopher Voltaire is rumored to have said, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
One favor though… LET THE STARBUCKS THING GO!!!
And btw, I disagree with all of you as to what is technically downtown. To me, and this is just me, downtown goes from roughly 3rd Ave to 7th Ave north-south, and Lincoln St to Field Street west-east. I know as well as you do Fed Up that there are many home businesses and others outside of this ‘zone’ but I think the focus has to start somewhere and this would be the epicenter so to speak.
Plus, there’s plenty of storefront room available on 5th Ave for some of those home businesses LOL but that’s another story.
I agree wih Blood – but it is so much more than that. The downtown of any community is defined by what exists there, in and around the area that most people refer to as downtown. If I placed a little quaint shop on Clermont, one block off 5th ave, I hope people would see it as downtown.
But I think everyone is missing the point. The building owners do not all have money to put funds into their buildings, thats why there have been organizations such as ‘DownTown Antigo’ and the well gone ‘MainStreet’ organization. These were groups of business owners who got together to form a cooperative of businesses to help each other grow – regardless of if they invested in new awnings, flowers, downtown business identity, etc…even if they didn’t always succeed.
I think Antigo is heading in the right direction but things take time and nothing happens overnight. Fed Up – your right! Who cares where your business is located? Everyone needs to adopt the attitude of ‘We’. Antigo, simply stated lacks an identity. Go to any town that has an awesome downtown, bussling business district and a very tourist friendly main highway. What people will tell you is that they like their community. What they have didn’t form overnight – and nobody can expect results like that here either. Soon the Hwy 64 bypass will be in place, and within a few years 5th Ave to Superior will be back to angled parking and a nice boulevard. It doesn’t fix the entire problem but is is a step in the right direction. We need to be positive!
Kudos getoverit, I totally agree with you! If we don’t stay positive, we shouldn’t stay in Antigo.
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