The former Door County Cooperative grain elevator on Sturgeon Bay’s west side waterfront is basically a sound structure, but some money needs to be invested in a number of measures to stabilize it for the future. A consultant’s report on the imposing structure was recently received by the city. As part of a concept floated by Vandewalle & Associates, the grain elevator could be an important element in the effort to redevelop the former co-op property, now owned by the city. However, it was noted that it could cost about $87,000 to stabilize the structure. Marty Olejniczak, Sturgeon Bay’s Community Development Director, says, unless the building is an integral part of a developer’s plan, there’s no way that kind of investment would be made to stabilize the structure…[audio:http://wdor.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/N1452.mp3|titles=Marty Olejniczak]
Should the city decide that the grain elevator does not fit in with development plans that include such elements as a brew pub & restaurant, a four seasons market & waterfront public areas, the estimated cost to take it down is around $30,000.
