The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has awarded a $250,000 community development investment grant to Appleton’s Long Cheng MarketPlace. The grant will support the market’s $1.4 million renovation project at its location at 1804 S. Lawe Street.
Renovation Plans
The renovation will include exterior and interior facility improvements designed to modernize the marketplace, improve functionality for vendors and customers, increase accessibility, enhance gathering spaces, and support future business growth. Planned improvements include parking lot upgrades, building exterior enhancements, banquet and event space renovations, commercial kitchen improvements, and infrastructure updates that will improve the overall visitor experience.
Long Cheng MarketPlace serves as a business hub of shops, restaurants, and outdoor markets, dedicated to supporting immigrant, refugee, and historically underserved entrepreneurs in Appleton. It leases affordable space to small businesses, artisans, and food vendors, which offer culturally specific cuisine, prepared foods, specialty groceries, and retail goods.
According to Maiyoua Thao, founder and CEO of Long Cheng MarketPlace, ‘Long Cheng MarketPlace was created to be more than a place to shop. It is a place where culture, entrepreneurship, and community come together.’ This investment allows them to create more opportunities for small business owners, many of whom are first-generation entrepreneurs, while preserving and celebrating the cultures that make their community unique.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
