Phoenix Park (Eau Claire, Wisconsin)
Phoenix Park is a public space in downtown Eau Claire, Wisconsin, located on a former brownfield site at the confluence of the Chippewa River and the Eau Claire River. It covers approximately 9 acres with approximately 1/2 mile of riverbank frontage. The park serves as the trailhead for the Chippewa River State Trail. The park also offers a walking labyrinth, a natural amphitheater, and is home to Eau Claire's year-round farmer's market. These amenities make Phoenix Park a major gathering spot, especially during the summer months when the park plays hosts to concerts. The park is owned and operated by the City of Eau Claire. History Completed in 2005, the park is named for the former Phoenix Steel Company (previously Phoenix Manufacturing Company) that resided on a majority of the site (along the Chippewa River frontage) since 1875. Phoenix Steel vacated the site in 1971, and subsequently leased the building for warehousing and storage. In 1981 the city of Eau Claire took owner ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Eau Claire (; ) (French for "clear water") is a city mostly located in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat, and with a small portion in Chippewa County, Wisconsin. It had a population of 69,421 in 2020, making it the state's eighth-largest city. Eau Claire is the principal city of the Eau Claire, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, locally known as the Chippewa Valley, and is also part of the larger Eau Claire-Menomonie Combined Statistical Area. Eau Claire is at the confluence of the Eau Claire and Chippewa Rivers on traditional Ojibwe, Dakota, and Ho-Chunk land. The area's first permanent European American settlers arrived in 1845, and Eau Claire was incorporated as a city in 1872. The city's early growth came from its extensive logging and timber industries. After Eau Claire's lumber industry declined in the early 20th century, the city's economy diversified to encompass manufacturing and Eau Claire became an educational center with the opening o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. The bulk of Wisconsin's population live in areas situated along the shores of Lake Michigan. The largest city, Milwaukee, anchors its largest metropolitan area, followed by Green Bay and Kenosha, the third- and fourth-most-populated Wisconsin cities respectively. The state capital, Madison, is currently the second-most-populated and fastest-growing city in the state. Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties and as of the 2020 census had a population of nearly 5.9 million. Wisconsin's geography is diverse, having been greatly impacted by glaciers during the Ice Age with the exception of the Driftless Area. The Northern Highland and Western Upland along ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Brownfield Land
In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes with known or suspected pollution including soil contamination due to hazardous waste. Examples sites include abandoned factories, landfills, dry cleaning establishments and gas stations. Typical contaminants include hydrocarbon spillages, solvents and pesticides, as well as heavy metals like lead, tributyl tins and asbestos. Many contaminated brownfield sites sit unused for decades as involuntary parks because cleaning cost is more than land worth after redevelopment. Previously unknown underground wastes can increase the cost for study and clean-up. Acquisition, adaptive re-use, and disposal of a brownfield site requires advanced and specialized appraisal analysis techniques. Re ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chippewa River (Wisconsin)
The Chippewa River in Wisconsin flows approximately 183 miles (294 km) through west-central and northwestern Wisconsin. It was once navigable for approximately 50 miles (80 km) of its length, from the Mississippi River, by Durand, northeast to Eau Claire. Its catchment defines a portion of the northern boundary of the Driftless Area. The river is easily accessible for bikers and pleasure seekers via the Chippewa River State Trail, which follows the river from Eau Claire to Durand. Hydrography The river is formed by the confluence of the West Fork Chippewa River, which rises at Chippewa Lake in southeastern Bayfield County, and the East Fork Chippewa River, which rises in the swamps of the southern part of the Town of Knight in Iron County, Wisconsin. The rivers' confluence is at Lake Chippewa, a reservoir in central Sawyer County, which is the official "beginning" of the Chippewa River. The river flows from Sawyer County through Rusk, Chippewa, Eau Claire, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eau Claire River (Chippewa River)
The Eau Claire River is a tributary of the Chippewa River in west-central Wisconsin in the United States. It is one of three rivers by this name in Wisconsin. Via the Chippewa River, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed. Its name is the French translation from the Ojibwe ''Wayaa-gonaatigweyaa-ziibi'' (Clear potable-water River). Course The Eau Claire River rises as two streams, the North Fork Eau Claire River and the South Fork Eau Claire River, both of which rise in southwestern Taylor County and flow generally southwestwardly through northeastern Clark and northwestern Eau Claire Counties. The North Fork is about 25 mi (40 km) long and flows past the village of Lublin; it collects the Wolf River in Eau Claire County. The South Fork is about 35 mi (56 km) long. From the convergence of its headwaters' forks, the Eau Claire River flows generally westwardly through northern Eau Claire County for about 40 mi (64 km), past the city of Al ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Trailhead
A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for informational brochures about the trail and its features, and parking areas for vehicles and trailers. The United States Access Board states "A trailhead is defined as an outdoor space that is designated by an entity responsible for administering or maintaining a trail to serve as an access point to the trail." The intersection of two trails is a trail junction and does not constitute a trailhead. Historically, the cities located at the terminus of major pathways for foot traffic such as the Natchez Trace and the Chisholm Trail were also known as trailheads. For mountain climbing and hiking, the elevation of the trailhead above sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Ea ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chippewa River State Trail
Chippewa River State Trail is a 26-mile urban-rural rail trail in western Wisconsin that follows the path of the Chippewa River. The trails runs from the spot of the confluence of the Chippewa with the Eau Claire River, at Phoenix Park in downtown Eau Claire (), meeting up with the Red Cedar State Trail near Red Cedar (), to the town of Durand (). A former railroad corridor, the trail passes through a variety of habitat including wetlands, prairies and sandstone bluff. The Chippewa River State Trail will eventually be part of the greater Chippewa River Trail System which also includes the Red Cedar State Trail and the Old Abe State Trail. Once completed, the system will include almost of trail and connect the cities of Durand, Menomonie, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire and Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson Whit ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Phoenix Manufacturing Company (Eau Claire WI)
The Phoenix Manufacturing Company, later the Phoenix Steel Company, was one of Eau Claire, Wisconsin's oldest manufacturing firms. It manufactured equipment predominantly for the sawmill and logging equipment industries, which were vital to the establishment and growth of Eau Claire. History The company began in 1861 when Robert Tolles and his brother-in-law, Hiram P. Graham, formed a partnership for the manufacture of sashes, doors, blinds, and general wood work. At that time, the company was located on the north bank of the Eau Claire River, west of North Dewey Street. In 1865, more partners were added for capital, and merged into the firm of Graham, White & Co., with the addition of a machinery and foundry business specializing in building and repairing sawmill machinery. The Dewey Street location burned down in 1875, and in order to add further capital, the business was incorporated as the Phoenix Manufacturing Company (named so for its re-establishment following the fire). T ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wisconsin Department Of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set policy for the WDNR. The WDNR is led by the Secretary, who is appointed by the Governor of Wisconsin. The WDNR develops regulations and guidance in accordance with laws passed by the Wisconsin Legislature. It administers wildlife, fish, forests, endangered resources, air, water, waste, and other issues related to natural resources. The central office of the WDNR is located in downtown Madison, near the state capitol. Mission The mission of the WDNR is "To protect and enhance our natural resources: our air, land and water; our wildlife, fish and forests and the ecosystems that sustain all life. To provide a healthy, sustainable environment and a full range of outdoor opportunities. To ensure the right of all people to use and enjoy these resou ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Northern States Power
Northern States Power Company () was a publicly traded S&P 500 electric and natural gas utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that is now a subsidiary of Xcel Energy (). History The company's founder, Henry Marison Byllesby, had worked for two electric utility industry pioneers before getting into the business for himself. He was one of Thomas Edison's draftsmen when the Pearl Street Station was being built. He then worked for George Westinghouse, starting as a sales agent and working his way up to vice president of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co. Byllesby's next job was with the Thomson-Houston Co. (one of General Electric's two predecessors) before settling down in Chicago in 1902 and establishing the H. M. Byllesby Co., which provided engineering and management services to electric utilities. Byllesby acquired the Stillwater Gas & Electric Co. of Stillwater, MN in 1909, and reorganized it as the Washington County Light & Power Co. This was the first ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy Inc. is an American utility holding company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, serving more than 3.7 million electric customers and 2.1 million natural gas customers in Colorado, Texas, and New Mexico in 2019. It consists of four operating subsidiaries: Northern States Power-Minnesota, Northern States Power-Wisconsin, Public Service Company of Colorado, and Southwestern Public Service Co. In December 2018, Xcel Energy announced it would deliver 100 percent clean, carbon-free electricity by 2050, with an 80 percent carbon reduction by 2035 (from 2005 levels). This makes Xcel the first major US utility to set such a goal. History Xcel Energy was built on three companies: Minneapolis-based Northern States Power Company (NSP), Denver-based Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo), and Amarillo-based Southwestern Public Service (SPS). Southwestern Public Service Co. (SPS) dates its origins to 1904 and the Pecos Valley in New Mexico when Maynard Gunsell received an ele ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tax Increment Financing
Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects in many countries, including the United States. The original intent of a TIF program is to stimulate private investment in a blighted area that has been designated to be in need of economic revitalization. Similar or related value capture strategies are used around the world. Through the use of TIF, municipalities typically divert future property tax revenue increases from a defined area or district toward an economic development project or public improvement project in the community. TIF subsidies are not appropriated directly from a city's budget, but the city incurs loss through forgone tax revenue. The first TIF was used in California in 1952. By 2004, all U.S. states excepting Arizona had authorized the use of TIF. The first TIF in Canada was used in 2007. This model has been heavily criticized by Libertarian-Conservat ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |