City Times Staff

MADISON — On Sept. 7, the Joint Finance Committee passed multiple items pertaining to central Wisconsin, one of which was the approval of a $4 million dollar upgrade to Alexander Field.

While additional grant funding was ultimately denied for the Incourage Building Project, according to a statement made by Scott Krug, this action is “not the end.”

Scott Krug. (Contributed Photo)

“In politics, timing and leverage are everything. Timing-wise, we did work in earnest for the last year with the leadership at Incourage, and other very interested parties in crafting an approach we felt would win approval. It has been amazing to see the community support from residents, businesses, and the non-profit sector.”

In the statement, Krug pointed out that other funding avenues are available for the Tribune building’s hopeful success.

“…this isn’t the end but just the beginning. Options do exist for funding outside of the state budget through agency funding requests, partnerships with city and county officials, and the next state budget offers another opportunity for success as well.”

Krug praised what was approved in the state budget, including inclusion of a hydrological analysis for high-capacity well concerns, funding for University of Wisconsin Stevens Point science programs, and the “impact” of the upgrade of Alexander Field for Rome’s Sand Valley Golf Resort.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. a meeting will be held inside the Centralia Centerto discuss the future of the project. For more information on Incourage CEO Kelly Ryan’s thoughts on the state budget, click here.