Three proposals came forward to the Shawano Redevelopment Authority on Oct. 14 regarding the long-vacant building at 205 N. Main St., but a final decision is still in the works.
City Administrator Eddie Sheppard said following a closed session lasting almost an hour that there were a few questions needing to be answered about the building before the authority made its selection.
Kasey Hohn, who owns and operates DotCom Branding adjacent to the building, proposed tearing the building down except for the front face of the building. Hohn said that the entrance would lead visitors to an open patio with overlooks and coverings that would allow some of the food trucks to set up shop.
Hohn’s proposal would provide a 1,500-square-foot area specifically for the food trucks. He also plans to have a similarly sized space behind his garage that could be rented out for special events, noting that he’d look at enclosing it in the future so it could be used year-round.
Hohn expects his costs would be around $78,000 and asked that the city only foot the bill for demolishing the building, noting the city took a chance on him when he moved his business to its current site at 201 N. Main St.
“I have personally funded my entire place and held up to every single agreement we have made,” Hohn wrote in an email to Sheppard. “You all took a huge leap of faith, and I thank you for that. I have been 100% cash funded. I have personally to date to put over $400,000 into my building alone. Yet I believe it is a huge part of the Shawano community now and really is something for us all to be proud of.”
Karen Benishek, who operates Benishek Properties, is proposing the building be renovated as an antique store with booths set up where vendors, for a monthly fee, can display and sell their items. Benishek estimated that up to 13 vendors could fit into the building.
Benishek also recommended the outdoor space behind the building be utilized for food trucks but also explore using the area for craft fairs, vintage markets and nonprofit fundraisers.
As far as improving the building, Benishek would plan remove the current roof and shore up any substandard rafters, and then install a new steel roof on the building, as well as installing gutters and downspouts to keep water from the foundation. The north side of the building would see the brick removed, windows installed and new vinyl siding. The plan includes a lot of renovation to the front, back and inside of the building.
“Our finances are very secure. We have cash on hand for this proposal, and we are completely debt free, so this project will not be a hardship, and lack of funds will not slow the progress,” Benishek wrote in her own memo to Sheppard. “If there are grants available through the RDA to reimburse for some of the repairs, we will apply.”
David and Heather Pahl, who own Martin’s Jewellers in the downtown area, are also offering to renovate the existing building, but they have not made a final determination as to how the building could be utilized. David Pahl noted a business in Sturgeon Bay called the Gnoshery, where part of the facility offers food, but there are also board games that people could purchase and/or play while visiting. Heather Pahl suggested one option could be a community kitchen similar to what recently opened in Keshena.
The Pahls’ proposal also looks at putting the building on the Register of Historical Places while restoring the oldest vacant retail space in the city to a viable business, which has the endorsement of the Shawano County Historical Society. It also proposes returning the lot space between 207 and 215 N. Main St. to the city to develop into a plaza area similar to what was done with the Naberhood.
The estimated cost for the Pahls is around $225,000, and they’re asking the authority for a low-interest loan of $50,000 to make the proposal a reality. It’s estimated under the Pahls’ proposal that the building could be finished by the end of 2026 with a potential opening in January 2027.
The Shawano Redevelopment Authority is expected to meet next in November, but it’s not clear if the Main Street building will be on the agenda.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com
