Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Contributed Photo In an aerial image submitted to Shawano County, the Nueske family shows its heavily wooded 40-acre site marked in blue on the left, with the Ho-Chunk Casino property on the right.
The family behind Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats is working to clear the way for a large commercial development near the Ho-Chunk Casino in western Shawano County.
Although representatives of the Nueske family have not outlined specific plans, local officials speculate that the 40-acre site could accommodate a hotel, shopping center or other business appealing to casino patrons.
Located just west of the Ho-Chunk Casino along U.S. Highway 45 near Wittenberg, the site includes a former Nueske family home surrounded by woods and wetlands.
Nueske representatives have asked the Shawano County Board to rezone the property for commercial development that they say would include input from casino officials.
Terry Hilgenberg, a real estate broker working with the Nueske family, said he could not forecast what sort of businesses would end up there or when development might take place.
“We’ll see what the future has to hold,” Hilgenberg said.
Referring to the Ho-Chunk Casino operators, he said, “We would certainly have a discussion with them.”
The Shawano County Board is scheduled to consider the rezoning request Wednesday.
Wittenberg town leaders already have endorsed the zoning change and are recommending that county officials do the same.
Town Chairman Richard Beversdorf said the 40-acre site is situated in an area where the town has long contemplated more commercial growth.
“That fits right in,” he said of the Nueske proposal.
Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats, renowned for its assortment of Old World-style sausages and other food products, operates production facilities and draws crowds to a retail store, both in the Wittenberg area. The family-owned business has been part of western Shawano County since the 1930s.
The house next to Ho-Chunk Casino was a home for Nueske family members before later serving as a rental property.
Company President Bob Nueske was working on commercial development possibilities for the property before he died unexpectedly in January at age 67, Hilgenberg said.
The Ho-Chunk Nation tribe opened its casino nearby in 2008, offering more than 11,000 square feet of slot machines and other attractions for gamblers. The tribe has discussed the possibility of adding a hotel to accommodate casino guests.
Casino executive general manager Casey Fitzpatrick said he would welcome development of the Nueske property, which he said would create jobs and benefit the Wittenberg area.
“It’s just more for the community,” Fitzpatrick said.
The site is not without its challenges.
With most of the 40 acres classified as wetlands, development could face government environmental-protection hurdles that are sometimes difficult, but not impossible, to overcome.
Hilgenberg is vice chairman of the state’s Natural Resources Board, which is part of the state agency that handles wetlands regulatory reviews.
Hilgenberg, who said about 8 to 10 acres is buildable without involving wetlands, said the Nueske family cannot conduct a development study until the zoning is resolved with the county. Given the proximity to the casino, he agreed that a strip-style shopping mall would make sense, with stores or businesses that complement the Ho-Chunk complex.
“It’s a commercial area — no doubt about it,” he said. “We want to make sure we’re going to do something that’s going to work well with the community.”
Beversdorf said a hotel was a good guess, too, although he said Nueske representatives were not offering any speculation when they presented the rezoning request to the town. He said the Nueskes might also intend to sell the property to another developer — a possibility that he said was not relevant to the zoning request.
“They didn’t have to commit,” the town chairman said. “And they chose not to commit.”