Scott Williams, swilliams@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Scott Williams Overlooking the Wolf River channel, crews work on excavating the site for a new home to be built on Hotz Court for Michael and Sylvia Oberle, who hope to move in this summer.
A homecoming for Michael Oberle is groundbreaking for the city of Shawano.
Returning to his roots after living elsewhere for 40 years, Oberle is doing something that nobody has done in Shawano for a full year: building a new house.
City officials say it had been that long since anyone took out a new-home construction permit, before Oberle stepped forward with plans for his new place on Hotz Court overlooking the Wolf River channel.
The building permit was issued March 3, and crews have started excavating the site for a three-bedroom home that will be more than 5,0000 square feet in size and will cost an estimated $362,000.
City building inspector Brian Bunke called it an encouraging sign of economic recovery in Shawano that the new-home construction drought is over.
“It’s a feel-good story for the community,” Bunke said.
Oberle, who hopes to move into his new home this summer, said he was unaware that his construction was ending a period of dormancy for the local economy. The thought that Shawano went an entire year without any new homes going up, he said, “kind of blows your mind.”
“I’m happy to contribute to the community,” he said.
The vacant lot on Hotz Court, surrounded by established homes, had stood undeveloped for decades on the south shore of the channel. Although new owners at various times made plans to build there, nothing ever happened.
Now that construction finally is underway, nearby residents are ready to extend a welcoming hand to their new neighbors.
“It’s always nice to have nice neighbors,” said Don Frisque, who lives next door.
Another neighbor, Roger Schultz, said he was surprised to see construction crews arrive and start excavating the site.
“It’s going to be quite a difference,” Schultz said. “You can’t beat progress.”
The construction is being overseen by Kwaterski Construction Inc. of Green Bay.
Oberle, who grew up in Shawano, has not called the city home since graduating from Shawano Community High School and heading off to college in 1974. Now an engineer working in the health care industry, he lives near Madison with his wife, Sylvia.
When the couple started talking about relocating to the Shawano area, they were delighted to find the quiet waterfront lot available on Hotz Court.
“We were just lucky,” Oberle said. “This may sound funny, but we’re pretty jazzed about moving to Shawano.”