News Releases

Revitalized Riverwalk Becoming Reality

BRADENTON, FL (Sept 23, 2012) –When the private and public sector work together, great things can happen, and when the local business community supports key local initiatives, great strides can take place. It's this inspirational vision that drives Realize Bradenton, Inc. and why BMO Harris Bank is supporting them.

Realize Bradenton, Inc. is a non-profit organization created in November 2009 with a mission to develop and promote downtown Bradenton by making it a unique and preferred cultural destination for residents and visitors. The six key plan elements that Realize Bradenton, Inc. is in the process of executing in conjunction with the Bradenton Downtown Development Authority and other partners are: downtown cultural vitality; support for individual artists and the Village of the Arts; marketing, access and collaboration; public art; arts education and youth; and organizational support and capacity building.

"As a bank, we have a special responsibility to help businesses and communities grow," said Dave Maraman, Florida President, BMO Harris Bank. "Assisting Realize Bradenton in the redevelopment of the Riverfront business area provides us an opportunity to help support a strong downtown community. That turns into a win-win for everyone."

As part of BMO Harris Bank's commitment to downtown economic and cultural development, BMO Harris Bank Florida President Dave Maraman recently presented Realize Bradenton Inc. Executive Director Johnette Isham with a check for $15,000. The contribution will help cover the cost of producing the Bradenton Blues Festival scheduled for December 1, 2012, which will be held on the Riverwalk.

"BMO Harris Bank is the inaugural presenting sponsor of the Blues Festival. They have been a great partner and having them on board has provided a leadership role that helped us attract a diverse group of business partners for the grand finale of the Riverwalk opening this fall," commented Isham.

About BMO Harris Bank
Based in Chicago, BMO Harris Bank N.A. provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through over 650 branches and approximately 1,350 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida. BMO Harris Bank's commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S. Deposit and loan products and servic es provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank^SM and M&I^® are trade names used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with 1,600 branches, and a retail deposit base of approximately $180 billion.