Newcap interested in purchasing Lakeland Center

Arrangements are being made for the community action agency Newcap to potentially purchase the old Lakeland Center in Shawano from Shawano County as there are indications that the local economy is improving.

Peter Thillman, chief economic development officer for Shawano County Economic Progress Inc., announced to the Shawano County Board of Supervisors that Newcap plans to purchase the facility for $200,000 during his annual report on July 28. The estimated cost for the remodel is expected to be around $550,000, he said.

“We’ll work our way through that one,” Thillman said.

Thillman said that Newcap is proposing a health clinic, housing services and prefab housing development in the building. The housing development would create an apprenticeship program for carpentry, he said.

“They would also like to put something in called My Garage, which is a partnership with NWTC (Northeast Wisconsin Technical College) where they train mechanics to work on cars for low-income people,” Thillman said.

SCEPI is also working to get someone to purchase the old Reinhart’s facility on Richmond Street since the food processing company moved to a new facility on County Road B. There are plans to work with the Shawano City-County Airport on business development surrounding the area.

Thillman also noted the area’s progress is returning to normal after more than a year of uncertainty and everything being turned on its head.

“Our labor force grew for the first time in a long time,” Thillman said as he noted that Shawano County had 600 more people working now than before the coronavirus pandemic hit in March 2020. “Our unemployment rate went up, but we have more people employed than we did in February 2020.”

Housing is also doing well in the county, according to Thillman. He noted that the median home price in Shawano County was $142,000 in 2020. Currently, that price has jumped to $160,000.

“Housing sales continue to surge,” Thillman said. “Last year, we had a record number of sales. Right now, inventory is very low, so housing is a critical need that we’re facing.”

lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com