Artist and Fare is a Former Shopko?

Shopko’s bankruptcy has been problematic for a number of small towns throughout the Midwest. Not only were towns reeling from the loss of sales tax base and retail options for their residents, the bankruptcy left a large, vacant structure that was hard to fill. However, local developers in Plover looked at the problem as an opportunity to make something new through the adaptive reuse of the building into a mixed-use facility for arts and commerce.

About Plover

Sitting an hour and a half west of Green Bay is the Village of Plover, Wisconsin. This village of 13,519 persons is positioned near the center of the Badger State. Laying next to Interstate 39, Plover sits on an essential transportation spine down the center of Wisconsin. It is also near a crossroads of highways that connect eastward toward Appleton and Green Bay.

Plover also sells itself as a recreational destination. The Come Over To Plover website provides a wide array of activities sure to entice any nature enthusiast.

Shopko Shock throughout the Midwest

A few years ago Rural Resurrection discussed the plight that rural communities were in due to the demise of Shopko. The retail company closed many of its stores in an effort to right the ship as they waded through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But reality hit and in March the rest of the stores closed. Within three months 363 Shopko stores were working through to process of closing and liquidation.

Small towns throughout the Midwest were immediately faced with sizeable gaps in their retail market. Residents were suddenly forced to drive to larger communities to purchase retail goods. This of course fueled the rise of the dollar stores as they fed on these small towns craving nearby retail. But it didn’t replace the full scale of offerings that Shopko stores provided. Plus, the towns were saddled with large, vacant, former Shopko buildings that often drew little interest for infill commercial development.

The Plover Shopko

Thankfully, there have been some Shopko Reuse Examples that can provide inspiration for the reuse of these buildings in other communities throughout the Midwest. However, there is one former Shopko that really stands out to me. It is an excellent example of what can be done with these vacant buildings.

The Shopko building in Plover was not spared in the onslaught of closing that took place throughout the country as the store chain went belly up. The doors closed and the town’s leaders were worried about filling the space. No other mid-sized box chain was regularly snatching up the vacant buildings.

A Unique Idea

Thankfully for Plover, a local development group had a unique idea. It involved splitting up the building into smaller bays for various local businesses. “Artist and Fare”, as it would come to be called, would have a central internal atrium with bays facing into the atrium. This creates a common area that hosts a number of events like an Arts Walk, the Makers Market, and the Steven’s Point Festival of Arts.

The renovations also included an exterior face-lift. This was not just a coat of paint, the changes to the facade were radical enough to make you forget it was once a standard Shopko store.

Check out this leasing video to see more on Artist and Fare:

Growing Interest

The redevelopment of the building drew immediate interest from local businesses. O’so Brewing Company was lured in by this new concept. They moved from across the street to settle within the renovated facility. Mission Coffee House has opened its doors within the renovated building as well. Also to open their doors in the facility are Avant Salon and Section 715 Throwing Co., an axe-throwing business.

A Win for Plover

Not only are the local businesses excited about this new opportunity, but so is the Village of Plover.

“By embracing sustainability and creative community development, Artist and Fare fosters a marketplace environment where businesses and local vendors can showcase and sell their products, including art, crafts, specialty foods/drinks, and other unique goods,” states Adam DeKlyen, the Community Development Manager for the Village of Plover. “The building’s transformation is part of a larger initiative in Plover to rejuvenate underutilized commercial spaces while supporting entrepreneurship and business growth.”

Through the effective use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF), as well as exercising flexibility in the uses allowed and applicable codes, Plover was able to assist in the conversion of a vacant eyesore into a vibrant, flexible commercial node.

The success of Artist and Fare has prompted the developer to take on another adaptive reuse project. A former Younkers store, less than a block away, has been transformed to house mid-size retailers and other commercial uses. Overall, Artist and Fare’s success is not only good for the Village of Plover and its residents, it provides hope to other communities struggling with these same vacant buildings.

You may know of an interesting adaptive reuse project. One that may be a helpful example to other communities, don’t keep it to yourself! Let us know through our contact form.