Forward Janesville - TheReport - First Quarter 2020

10 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT BECOMES A PRIORITY After years of talk and speculation, the plans put on paper are finally coming to life in downtown Janesville! Over the last five years, partner groups such as the City of Janesville, Forward Janesville, Downtown Janesville Inc and the Performing Arts Center have come together with vested interest in creating an iconic, multi-faceted downtown revival that begins at the core of the community. A host of public improvements and redevelopment plans are drawing new residents, businesses and also quickening the pulse in the heart of our community, Janesville’s downtown! UNEMPLOYMENT HITS STRIKING LOWS The unemployment rate is a useful barometer of the availability of jobs and the workforce pool. Area unemployment rates have been bouncing between 3.2% and 4.1% since April 2017. Last July, the labor force in Rock County was larger than ever before at 87,716. If you do the math, that means the pool of unemployed people in Rock County is about 3,000 as we start 2020. By contrast, in July 2007, before the great recession, there were 5,578 unemployed people in Rock County. ROCK COUNTY ECONOMIC GROWTH EXCEEDS ITS GM HEYDAYS The resurgence of the area economy is about more than unemployment rates, which are at historic lows. We have gained back all of the ground lost during the recession regarding average wages. The total number of employed people in Rock County is higher than ever before. Sales tax revenues are a good measure of peoples’ confidence and, of course, disposable income. We have set new records for sales tax collections— and thus, retail sales—for 12 consecutive quarters. BELOVED JANESVILLE DOG MAKES APPEARANCE (TWICE) IN PEOPLE MAGAZINE Who knew that a rescue dog that calls Janesville home could make it to the big time! Rex, a handicapped dog rescued, from a high-kill shelter in Texas, stole the hearts of millions by gaining the support of thousands of followers! He was named Runner-Up out of over 10,000 submissions in the 2018 Cutest Rescue Dog Contest hosted by People Magazine and G ood Morning America . Known as “Rex is Amazing” by his social media platforms, he was found on every news station, billboard and social media site around! He even made it on the worldwide Snapchat scene! Today he is living the good life in his fur-ever home! 20-20 Vision What predictions for our fair city have already come true? What does the year 2020 hold for Janesville? We’re gazing into our crystal ball as we enter a bright and shiny new year… PRESCIENT PREDICTIONS REPORT THROWBACK When we first began brainstorming this issue, we thought perhaps we could come up with 20 zany predictions we made that didn’t come true (flying cars and the like). Turns out, FJI members were pretty smart with their predictions even in the Report’s early days. Check out this May 2000 “E-Commerce” issue that seems especially prescient. (Thanks to Lindsay Cole for helping us sift through our back issues!)