BOCA GRANDE LAUNCHES WEBSITE

Boca Grande LLC has launched a website for their project in downtown Ripon:

http://www.bocagrandecapital.com/

There is not much there yet, but here are some of the highlights:

OVERVIEW
Wisconsin-based Boca Grande Capital, LLC is dedicated to the goal of reinvigorating downtown Ripon, Wisconsin through a series of developments and redevelopments that will restore the buildings of downtown Ripon, while simultaneously bringing a new energy and vitality to the downtown area. Ripon is the only remaining Wisconsin community with its original historic downtown still nearly intact, and the new development and redevelopment that will take place will be designed in a way to fully restore the original beauty and luster of these historic buildings. Over the next 36-months, Boca Grande Capital plans to invest an estimated $30 million dollars on projects that range from new restaurants and retail spaces to the luxurious Ripon Inn & Spa and a National Republican President's Museum.

ABOUT US
Jim Connelly - Mr. Connelly is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of, as well as the principal investor in Boca Grande Capital, and it is his vision that has lead to the development of these plans. Introduced to Ripon as a teenager, Mr. Connelly developed a soft spot for the City that never faded. He was asked to join the Ripon College Board in 2001, and quickly fostered moves that restored the college to its place among the most prestigious private, liberal arts and sciences colleges in this country. An attorney based in Milwaukee, Mr. Connelly has lead many successful real estate development projects, and considers the renewal of downtown Ripon a legacy commitment.

Frank Cumberbatch - The former Senior Advisor for Economic Development under the Mayor of Milwaukee, Mr. Cumberbatch is now the President and Chief Operating Officer of Boca Grande Capital. He and his wife and two children live in Ripon.

Andy Landgraf - Serving as the Vice-President of Operations, Andy manages the Boca Grande Capital properties and coordinates new business development efforts.

PROJECTS
Ripon Inn & Spa - The centerpiece of the new development will be the luxurious Ripon Inn & Spa. The Spa will be built at the intersection of of Watson and Blossom Streets, where the original Mapes House hotel and the American House now stand. The $15 million dollar facility will serve as a major draw and anchor for the entire downtown district.

National Republican President's Museum - Plans also call for a high-tech National Republican President's Museum immediately adjacent to the Little White School House (the founding location of the Republican Party) on Blackburn Street. Ripon, Wisconsin is the birthplace of the Republican Party, and a museum dedicated to the lives of the twenty-three GOP presidents in American history is a fitting tribute to the unique place Ripon holds. A conference center will also be part of the plans, to be built and operated in conjunction with the Ripon Inn & Spa.

Restaurants & Retail - Numerous other projects are also planned, including adding several new restaurants, rehabbing several storefronts for new retail operations, and offering more than twenty fully renovated, affordable apartments.

They also have a website for their properties: http://www.riponapartments.com/Home_Page.html

They have also put up some of their properties on YouTube: