ALTOONA — The long awaited Altoona Container Park, named The Yard, will be built in the later section of the summer according to Altoona Assistant City Administrator Roy Atkinson.
“We’re working really hard to hopefully achieve that goal,” Atkinson said.
To create the Yard, Altoona is working with Containers Up to build the shipping containers that will make up the park, said Atkinson.
According to its website, Containers Up is an organization that designs and creates “customized, upcycled shipping containers”.
They have currently manufactured around half of the containers, Atkinson said. Other projects the city is working on include rebuilding the corridor on Division Street in front of The Yard for pedestrians and setting up the infrastructure including electrical and plumbing the containers will have access to.
The city is also working with SCH Engineering, Inc. for the engineering side of the construction and the city’s building department to make sure things are up to code.
Atkinson said making sure they are following universal codes and developing it correctly has led to the project going later than originally planned.
The Yard was developed with three goals in mind, said Atkinson: to revitalize the downtown area provide a space for businesses to grow, and create a unique space for the public.
The Yard would allow businesses to be developed in the space so it could eventually move to a more permanent location, said Atkinson. No other place in Wisconsin combines a growing space for businesses with a container park.
The businesses that will be residing in The Yard were chosen through the Inside the Box Challenge, said Atkinson. Five businesses were chosen, including the Iron Horse Saloon, Beast & Bonito, Ne-Ne Tacos, EJ 2, and Coulee Boutique.
According to the city’s announcement of the winning businesses, the Iron Horse Saloon will be a taproom and Coulee Boutique will be a “unique women’s boutique.” The last three will be spaces to get food with Ne-Ne Tacos offering “authentic Mexican food”, Beast & Bonito offering “pan-Asian-inspired food”, and EJ 2 is a “seafood boil Asian-inspired restaurant” with “Asian-inspired sauces”.
“We think it’s going to provide another place for residents of Altoona and of the Chippewa Valley to come and recreate, enjoy great food, and have a good time,” said Atkinson. “We think it’s going to be a catalyst for development in our downtown.”
Atkinson said the downtown area already has established businesses, including Rump’s Butcher Shoppe, Golden Spike Bar & Grill, and The Nostalgic Bean.
“We have really good opportunities there for interaction with the businesses and more foot traffic,” said Atkinson.
The organizations in The Yard will have an opportunity to introduce their businesses and themselves to the community at an open house updating people on The Yard, said Atkinson. Some businesses will also have samples, food, or things to sell during the event.
The open house will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 18 at the River Prairie Center.
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