Rice Lake Main Street Renovation

Challenge

Rice Lake’s downtown Main Street was showing its age. Cracked sidewalks, an outdated road design, and aging green ash trees created a space that felt tired and disconnected. The area lacked the pedestrian-friendly charm and functionality that is commonly seen in thriving downtowns. At the heart of the challenge was the need to breathe life back into downtown. Businesses struggled to attract visibility, visitors found little reason to visit. 

Solution

The Rice Lake Main Street revitalization was guided by a vision shaped directly by the community. The project team gathered insights from key stakeholders, including the Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Association, through three public informational meetings and detailed surveys. This collaborative process ensured the redesign truly reflected the community’s needs and aspirations. 

To maintain transparency and build trust, a robust project website provided regular updates, offering weekly progress reports, traffic study results, and design options. Engaging 3D renderings showcased how actual businesses would look within the revitalized space, sparking excitement and anticipation. Social media outreach further amplified public engagement, creating broad support for the project from the outset. 

With community feedback at its core, SEH led the transformation of Main Street into a vibrant, pedestrian-focused corridor. The redesign not only honors Rice Lake’s heritage but also looks boldly toward a sustainable and dynamic future. 

Key Design Features 
Building on ideas and insights gathered from the community, the redesign introduced a road diet, narrowing a key stretch from four lanes to two to enhance safety and strengthen community connections. Thoughtfully designed bump-outs provide safe refuge for pedestrians, widened sidewalks create space for outdoor dining, and decorative street lighting brightens the corridor, adding both charm and visibility. 

To enhance the visitor experience, the streetscape features wide, inviting walkways, parallel parking for convenient access to shops, and a central median. Underground soil cells ensure native Wisconsin trees can thrive for generations by providing space and support for roots to grow without damaging surrounding infrastructure like sidewalks and pavement. This innovative solution also allowed the City to avoid relocating a 6-inch steel gas main that ran along the street, balancing long-term sustainability with cost efficiency. Benches nestled beneath tree canopies offer shaded spaces to pause and relax. At the same time, custom catenary lighting, decorative paving, and perennial plantings add cohesion and beauty, creating a Main Street that is vibrant by day and enchanting at night. 

Design Inspired by Rice Lake’s Heritage 
Inspired by Rice Lake’s history, the redesign draws on the area’s natural beauty and the wild rice that once grew along its riverbanks. Subtle shades of blue-gray and green mirror the land and water, creating a seamless connection to the environment. These tones reflect the community's deep-rooted ties to its surroundings, further grounding the project in its unique regional identity. Every element pays homage to the lake's legacy, blending tradition with a fresh, modern perspective that honors both past and present. 

Funding and Execution 
The project’s success was bolstered by a $3.2 million award from the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Neighborhood Investment Fund. SEH successfully secured the funding by writing the application and coordinating with the DOA, turning Rice Lake’s vision into reality. 

Rice Lake’s Main Street reconstruction was over a decade in the making, beginning with extensive preplanning and culminating in a rapid execution once funding was secured. Completed in less than a year, construction took place in a single phase from April through December, delivering a transformed Main Street ready to welcome the community. 

Final Outcome 
The result is a vibrant, pedestrian- and business-friendly corridor where thoughtful design meets functionality. Wide walkways, shaded seating, and inviting streetscape details draw people in, while enhanced safety features ensure everyone feels at ease. Now complete, the revitalized Main Street reflects Rice Lake’s past, serves its present, and inspires its future. It is a model of community-centered design and sustainable placemaking, creating a welcoming space for gathering, socializing, and supporting local businesses. With its modern amenities and deep connection to history, the redesigned corridor breathes new life into the heart of the community, inviting all to gather, connect, and celebrate downtown Rice Lake.