The City of Rhinelander would like to see the Oneida County shop building on Kemp Street developed into something else.
According to Mayor Kris Hanus, who is also a county supervisor, the county has been discussing what to do with the building.
He told city council the county has been going back and forth on whether to spend millions to improve the facility or relocate.
“For me, this has kind of been a pet project, because, one, it's an ugly facility to look at when you drive into Rhinelander. I'm going to be blunt,” said Hanus. “That is the gateway from our airport. That is the gateway into our city. It is one of the major highways that show Rhinelander. And I don't want to look at a pile of sand or a decrepit building from the 40s.”
That section of Kemp Street has multiple hotels, restaurants, and gas stations.
Hanus says multiple groups have shown interest in the property. He believes redeveloping it could bring needed economic development to the city.
It would also put the property back on the tax roll.
Hanus presented a non-binding resolution to city council to express the city’s support in redeveloping the property.
“It's just saying we want to work with you [the county]. We want to see this move forward. We'll let the county know that the city wants to be a partner, and they want to see from a job point of view, from an economic development point of view, from a blight point of view, from a hazmat cleanup point of view, that the city wants to see this better,” said Hanus.
The resolution passed unanimously.
