NEENAH, WI — There are now two parties bidding for the Shattuck Middle School property in Neenah. Lakeside Development Companies of Mequon joins Northpointe Development of Oshkosh, which made an offer for the site in December. Northpointe’s proposal calls for converting the school building into an 89-unit apartment building along with single-family homes and townhomes. Lakeside President Tom Zabjek envisions housing that’s consistent with the surrounding neighborhood.
“It’s primarily houses. Single-family houses,” Zabjek said. “We have a total of 118 residents. And in talking with people in the neighborhood, I get the feeling that they really wanted to see this as all single-family residential.”
Zabjek believes his company’s proposal is a far better and profitable use for the site.
“We’re really adding a lot to the tax base, for example,” Zabjek said. “Let’s say we end up with 125 single-family homes at $400,000 to $500,000 a piece. That really is great for the city. And you’re not going to get that type of revenue with an apartment building.
Unlike Northpointe’s proposal, however, Lakeside has no plans to redevelop the Shattuck School building. Zabjek says that decision was based on the company’s experience when it acquired the M & I Bank building in Thiensville.
“We did retain, quite bit of the building was brick,” Zabjek said. “We ground all of that up and repurposed that for roads and so forth. But I don’t really see retaining the structures that are there.”
Northpointe is bidding $500,000 for the Shattuck property. Zabjek says Lakeside’s bid is above that, though he didn’t get into specifics. The Shattuck School is being closed at the end of the school year.
