Better City Superior hopes to bring cranes to downtown Superior. Informational luncheon October 5, 2016

Lunch & Learn with Better City Superior

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Group To Hold Meeting at Douglas County Historical Society

By Doug Dalager

I just learned today that the Better City Superior (BCS) group will sponsor a public lunch meeting at the Douglas County Historical Society (DCHS) on Wednesday, October 5th beginning at 11:45 a.m.

Bruce Thompson, leader of Better City Superior

Bruce Thompson

This BCS informational event will be held in the former Vasa Temple and current home of the DCHS at 1101 John Avenue in Superior. According to Bruce Thompson, president of the National Bank of Commerce and BCS leader, their plan is to explain to the public the why, the how, and the when of this initiative. When asked what we can expect from his presentation, Thompson responded:

“Your eyes can only see what your mind can comprehend. It is our job to provide education, transparency and inclusion in the ideas and decisions that will move our community into the future as we design it together”

While the BCS website shares many facts, and Explore Superior has attempted to better inform the public, there is still disinformation floating about the web. The folks from BCS plan to thoroughly explain the proposed development, and the manner in which it would be funded.

For those of you who don’t know what BCS is, in summary it is a proposal to build a $100-120M development in downtown Superior that would include a 150 room hotel, convention center, indoor water park, and indoor soccer and lacrosse fields. Please see the links at the bottom of this article for previous pieces by ES about BCS that address these plans in detail.

Anthony Rocco Sclavi, owner of Sclavi's

Anthony Rocco Sclavi, owner of Sclavi’s

Thanks to donations from several downtown businesses, those attending this meeting will be treated to a free meal! Erberts & Gerberts will provide sub sandwiches. Vintage Italian Pizza a delicious salad, and Sclavi’s will provide iced tea and coffee.

The owners of these downtown eating establishments are very much in favor of the BCS initiative. Anthony “Rocco” Sclavi see lots of national traffic channeled through town on their way to Duluth, and hopes that the BCS initiative would give tourists reason to spend more time in Superior. He believes should this plan become a reality that…

“Superior would have more work, pride and money” and that Superior is a “beautiful untapped resource.”

To add a local musical flavor to the event, Dr. Greg Kehl Moore, Professor and Jazz Program Director at UW-Superior, will bring a student orchestra to the DCHS stage prior to the BCS presentation. Reportedly this student big band is of a very high caliber and will overflow onto risers in front of the stage.

The doors of the DCHS will open to the public for this event at 11:30 a.m., and the luncheon will be served at 11:45 a.m. Be advised that seating is limited to 80; there may be some standing room available. Dr. Moore and his orchestra will swing into action at 12:15 p.m. for a brief set prior to Thompson’s presentation.

The BCS presentation is expected to outline the proposed development, its location, cost and amenities, along with the process that the BCS group is going through to obtain public and government support. The voters will have an opportunity to support the initiative in an advisory referendum on the November 8th ballot.

A question and answer session about the BCS initiative will be held at the conclusion of Thompson’s presentation. If you are interested in BCS and would like to learn more, this is your opportunity to obtain firsthand knowledge of the plans and hopes of those behind this proposed development.

For more information about BCS, please follow the links below to read previous articles on ES about this initiative:

Better City Survey Results (September 13, 2016)
Origin of Better City (September 9, 2016)
Better City Vision Shared  (August 31, 2016)
Better City Receives Council Support (August 18, 2016)
Better City Wants Your Opinion  (December 16, 2015)
Better City Initiative  (November 5, 2015)

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