What’s going into the Old Kmart building?
I have heard some rumors lately that there is a new business going into the old Kmart building north of town. First, I heard it was going to be Shopko, and then Goodwill?
Anyone know for sure what the deal is?
I, for one, sure hope it’s Shopko! I think Walmart needs the competition.
Do you know yet what is going in the old Copps & K-Mart buildings. They said on the radio that it was going to be announced Jan.08. I also heard it was going to be a Goodwill.
Yes it is a good will going into the old Copps building
Goodwill is going in the old Copps building. I heard the whole complex should be filled by the end of summer 08 but haven’t heard what else is going in there.
I hope Shopko or Target come in and give Walmart some competition…but then they might hire some of the “geniuses” that Walmart employs. Hopefully Walmart will keep all those.
Walmart guarantees no check out lines over 25.
I don’t really understand the comment above about Walmart guarantees no check out lines over 25. Was that suppose to be sarcastic? I like Walmart but they have all those check out lanes and no cashiers in them. Other than Christmas time, there are no more than 4 or 5 lanes open at once (if you’re lucky), even during busy shopping hours. When they drew up the floor plans they could have left out 15 lanes if they weren’t going to use them, and made their aisles wider. Also, Walmart looks nice since they’ve begun remodeling but has anyone else noticed that we’re paying for that? Their prices are rising fast since that all started. As if raising their prices to pay for their new flooring wasn’t enough, they took away lay-a-away in a community with low paying jobs. Thanks a lot. I used to work at Walmart. The long videos during orientation about how “Sam” was so set on family values and low price were very inspiring. Perhaps the Walmart family needs to journey back to orientation and view those movies again.
BBgirl, I think you need to take a long look at inflation and the value of the US dollar. The dollar is worth much less than it was two years ago, and this is what makes everything seem more expensive. Just wait for your tax rebate check using money borrowed from China. How great it is to borrow from the Chinese so we can go and buy Chinese products. Our money is practically worthless. The worst part is that our congress(an fellow Americans) won’t listen to reason. Google “Ron Paul” and help be part of the solution!!!
Yes, Van Gogh, I do understand the U.S. dollar isn’t worth much anymore. I live here too. But does Walmart “REALLY” need to do all this remodeling. We have one of the nicest Walmarts I’ve seen. Of course, Walmart, like any other place is effected by inflation. But I am sure that money could be used in other ways to keep prices down during these times.
I read an article about a man trying to buy “only” US products and he could hardly live. All of our businesses are going to China and Mexico. I think this is sad and I don’t know the “absolute” reason or “answer” for that. I think it’s really hurting us as a country. I take your advice and check out “Ron Paul”, maybe there’s something “each” person could do to help even just a little.
Anyone hear anything new on the old Kmart Building? A girl I know that works at the Weston Target said she’d heard they were putting a Target in Antigo and she was waiting to apply there. She assumed it would be in this building, but I don’t see how that would work. I guess it’s been confirmed that GoodWill will take over the old Copps … what about the old Walgreens? There are so many empties in that old mall and even surrounding it!
A reliable source says there will be a restaurant being built in the parking lot of Fashion Bug/ $ Tree/ Cost Cutters by August 2008.
Cool! Anyone know which one? I wish it would be something better than fast food, like an Applebees or something. Probably a Wendy’s. Oh well!
I would love to see a Fazoli’s!
Yeah, another fast food joint to employ people at minimum wage!
The city probably could use a restaraunt that tourists could identify with, such as an Applebee’s or TGI Fridays. People like to know what they are getting before they stop.
If it were to be an Applebee’s, Fazoli’s, or something else along that line, it wouldn’t be minimum wage. Fazoli’s I’m sure pays minimum wage for minors, but from what I’ve heard adults make at least .50-1.00 more than minimum wage. Either way, a job is a job, and we need whatever we can get.
Try supporting a family on .50 to 1.00 over minimum wage. We need quality jobs, double minimum wage kind of jobs.
Ignorant people suck, we wouldnt’ be getting an applebee’s or a TGI Fridays, those francises require a minimum population which we wouldn’t even come close too.
Kim, I understand what you are talking about as my family looked into a franchise in a different town and they were told it was too small. Howevery, Rice Lake is about the same size as Antigo and they have an Applebees so there must be some way to get around it. They must be able to show a certain amount of tourist traffic or something along that order to surpass the population requirement.
I do agree that we need more double minimum wage jobs. I just think a low paying job is better than no job at all. I think Applebee’s could be a possibility, but I don’t see TGI Friday’s or anything like that coming anytime soon.
In order to get double the minimum wage jobs in this town, the town needs to develop a stronger gene pool.
Antigo, for over a generation now, has let the best and the brightest move away from this town.
Most of the town goes out and gets “hammered” and then goes to work in a job that doesn’t require much thought or skill.
I have never seen a town like this where I would guarantee that if they did a comprehensive study, most would be found to be clinically depressed.
I wonder why?
I know I over generalized, but I am trying to make a point. We can’t sit and b*tch about this town unless people are actually ready to step up to the plate.
I would also suggest starting a “shadow”, Chamber of Commerce since the one currently in play isn’t open enough to do anyone any good and is only a “Chamber” in name and membership only.
I am game to start a citizens group that does put this town and it’s people first by lobbying the city council and the Mayor. Put a stop to the “old boys club” that runs this town.
I very much believe that this town needs to invest in the cosmetics of this town by such simple things as “flower beds” being planted along Superior and perhaps the town should buy up all the empty stores up town and re-rent them and sane prices for office space and new businesses.
From what I see alot with the “small town” politics is this…..Most of the people that are buisness owners here do not want to see a company with good paying jobs simply because then they cannot compete. Whatever happened with catarpillar???? Good example there. Just simply put….the members of the city council , and other “people of power” in Antigo will always think, what will happen to us if a big buisness were to come here and we have to compete against it? We won’t be able to keep the “good help” because us folks that are scratching to keep their families above water will go to the better job.
Lobbying may help, but will it be well what do “we” get out of it? It would be great to get some company interested in this place thats lets say in the UNITED AUTO WORKERS field. I know from experience from where I grew up they put a BMW plant up there, and the whole area benefitted from it.
Buisness owners have to think this way more money made in Antio, the more money spent in Antigo…….
Just a thought
The city does enough studies, I can only imagine how much the engineering firm is paid per year. I think sometimes they pay more money to have a study done than the projects actually are. We don’t need a study on city-wide depression, it is obvious. The city needs to tear down the houses and businesses that are in disrepair. Flower beds and such look nice, but they don’t do much good when the building next to it is in shambles. Even down our signature street (5th Avenue east from Superior), you can’t go 5 houses with out seeing a junk house.
The smartest and most talented do move away from this town. Why work here when you can make twice as much in Appleton doing the same job? Why do you think most of the doctors here suck? If you were the top of your class, would you come to Antigo for 60,000 a year or go to Madison for 300,000 a year?
Bingo!
Economics 101. More money spent in a community is more money to be made by local business owners.
Get the companies in here. I don’t care if they have a 100 year agreement on tax deferrments. The town is not generating any money by the lots or buildings setting empty that is for sure.
I was always taught that more than zero was a good thing.
The jobs in and of themselves will pump more money into this community, make it more attractive and draw people back to Antigo instead of driving them out of here.
It amazes me how our leaders in this community do not understand that. Puzzles me.
Can someone please tell me who the heck keeps this stupid idea going that the government, the city government, has any control of wages in this city? It was J. I Case that came to see if they would like to relocate here over 20 years ago and the story gets better and better everytime it is told. The truth is, we have no train line to move their product and without a way to get thier rather large products out, we were not even in the running. Alot of time businesses come and look at us with the idea of using that as leverage for what they really want, or where they really want to be. It is just a fact of life. There must not be any business owners commenting in here because I can tell you honestly, if some city official tried to tell me what I could or could not pay my employees I would tell them to put it where the sun don’t shine and stay out of my business. Think about that for just a moment or two. You are looking local when you should be looking higher, state and federally. Hell, I am not sure anyone in Madison even knows we exist other than to pop their heads in at election time. Once again, if you don’t like the way things are going, get involved, get informed and work to change it. Complaining only serves the master who wants a soapbox.
Gee, Fed Up…your comment about Case is kinda interesting, since we DID have a train line here over 20 years ago. So that’s not the whole “truth” of the story..is it?
And there are many business owners here, just like there are many levels of employees. Point is..it realy doesn’t matter who or what we are just what we think, feel and believe in.
And no one “controls” the wages in the city. What happened previously was that many small business owners and farmers protested the idea of big business because they would lose their minimum wage workers to the better wages of bigger companies and they could not afford to compete for employees.
I can see where they were coming from but the fact is, in the example of Case, no one was going to lose all their minimum wage employees. A factory of that size is going to have to hire skilled and semi-skilled workers and a small amount of non-skilled. They were not going to hire an entire company of unskilled minimum wage earning people.
Plus, in the circle of economics, when members of the community make more money, they tend to spend more money. Spending more money allows smaller business to make a bigger profit, therefore allowing better wages amd more employment offers for the unskilled, minimum wage work force.
Sounds like a no-brainer.
Back to some of the original posts….
the new restaurant being built is our new Subway.
Oh great so we will have a new building built for an existing resturaunt and then an empty existing building. Wonderful.
And why do we need two subways on that side of town?
I figured the whole restaurant talk was too good to be true. Just another let down in the great City of Antigo.
are you sure? they must be taking the one out of Walmart then? They just remodeled the one on Superior St last year (or two years ago), I can’t imagine they would shut that one down. Really stupid if it is a third one.
I wouldn’t mind at all if the Subway was taken out of Walmart. They’re extremely slow for one thing. During the summer my family and I went in there and had flies all over our subs while the ONE person working tried to get our orders finished so she could help the 15 people behind us. The next (and last) time I went in was a few months ago, and all I had to do was take one look and walk out. There was a few pieces of hair, crumbs, and all different types of other stuff people get on their sub in the container with the cheese.
The Big City Of Antigo does suck!! People are depressed. There are no good jobs. Can’t live on minimum wage. Really, how many more gas stations and fast food restaurants do we need? What we really need is more places to shop other than Wal-Mart. The clothes at Wal-Mart suck for the most part. If those people going into orientation for Wal-Mart really knew what Wal-Mart was all about, they wouldn’t want to work there. Wal-Mart will screw you anyway they can. And they do. So we are left with Fashion Bug and Fleet Farm, in which for our family is too expensive. An Aldiz would great with the way prices of groceries are going up. As for restaurants, we need a restaurant that really knows what a salad bar is all about. Does any place in Antigo really know how to build a good salad bar for the people who are trying to get healthy and stay healthy? This town also needs something for the young people.. Really, what is there to do in this stickin town? Bars, Movie theater, bowling. Two out of the 3 places, kids and teens can’t go. Kids can go bowling, but there is also alcohol there. You would think that they would get something in this town for the kids.. maybe there wouldn’t be so many drugs, thefts and all this other crap going on? On another subject.. what is up with all the crappy entertainers at the fair? Other fair’s have decent entertainment. Is the city really that cheap? If Antigo would get some better entertainment, and lose some of the beer tents, they might just bring some more money into the town. Look how small Crandon is and look at all the things that go on there. Isn’t this supposed to be a youth fair also? I go there with my kids and I mostly see beer stands. Is that for our youth?? I think not. Fudd Fest may be fun for some of you.. in my eyes, it’s just another big drunk for all the drunks in Antigo. On another note, why do we have to go outside of Antigo to smaller towns that have better parades and fireworks going on? Who is behind all these crappy things?
bggr- Apparently you haven’t read the topic about the rollerskating rink we’re getting, and Mojo’s is putting indoor mini-golf in their building (which looks really good, by the way). Is there a ton to do here? No. But it isn’t as bad as you make it seem.
As for all the complaints about beer, this is Wisconsin. #1 in the nation for drunk driving and we consume more beer than any other state. Yes, we have beer at a “youth fair”. But we also have wine tasting as a fundraiser for the Boy’s and Girl’s Club, an organization that tries to steer kids away from alcohol.
And as far as the entertainment at the fair goes, if you were in a band thats played in stadiums, arenas, etc, would you come to a town of less than 9,000 people? Wausau has a population of over 40,000, and their fair always has good entertainment, and it’s only a 40 minute drive.
DF2Y…FYI I did read about the roller skating rink. Yes, that will be great.. IF they actually do it. For the alcohol thing.. Can’t adults do ANYTHING without drinking? Especially at things associated with a group to STEER KIDS AWAY FROM DRINKING? Too many drunks in this town, now wonder why it’s so messed up. I am not only talking about Wausau… Shawano isn’t much bigger than Antigo, look how their town is building. New stuff going on all the time. Better fair and entertainment. Who cares about the drive.. why should we all have to go outside of Antigo to do better things, better things to do, better shopping, better restaurants… everything is better than this town. You are probably one of the drunks that drinks at things for kids…
Actually bggr, you couldn’t be more wrong about me. I’m still in high school, and I don’t drink.
Why should we have to go to other cities for shopping, etc? Because this is a small town. As much as I would like to see a mall, other chain stores besides Walmart, etc, we just don’t have the numbers to keep the places in business. With the way the economy is right now, any person planning on opening a mall in a city would put it in a town with enough people to make a profit out of it. If you want entertainment, you can still go to Fuddfest and see some big time musicians. Nobody said just because you go means you have to drink.
bggr: You want better shopping? You just said you can’t afford Fleet Farm or Fashion Bug? How can you afford anything better than that?
I guess one thing that people don’t realize is yes, Shawano, Merrill, Rhinelander are all about the same size as Antigo, the difference. MAJOR HIGHWAYS! Hwy 29, Hwy 51. Think about it, those highways bring travelers, which in turn brings more business.
Yes, people at FuddFest drink, but do you know how much revenue it brings this city? People from all around come here for FuddFest, if they didn’t we wouldn’t be getting the singers/bands that come to perform. If you don’t like the drinking, or seeing people drunk, don’t go. Simple as that.
If you have any idea’s for kids/teens here. I would love to hear them. As for the wine tasting even for the Boy’s and Girls Club, I have been to the event more than once. I was not there to get drunk, I was there to help the club. If you don’t like that idea donate money directly to the club.
Good point Kim. Another thing people do not realize is that Shawano, Merrill and Rhinelander all have industry. They have more jobs at better pay scales, therefore allowing the community to have more money to spend. More money=more places/ways to spend it.
As far as drinking goes…do you have any idea what the mark-up is on beer and liquor??? (It’s sometimes over 100%.) The reason they are there is because they make money.
We have TWO beer stands at the county fair. How is that all anyone sees?? Did you miss the scuzzy carnival workers and the crappy looking, ill-maintained rides? (The county fair has issues…the least of them being two beer tents). On the up side, they have local entertainment, a stage for our yourth to showcase their projects(including everything from farm animals to a fashion show) games and raffles.
And I am not sure how what we have is any different from anywhere else, just on a smaller scale. (Shawano and Wausau fairs have beer tents/gardens).
And how is Hodag or any other outdoor concert venue(CountryJam/ Rockfest) different than Fudd Fest in regards to the number of people drinking?? Maybe bggr can name a place (anywhere) that does not have exposure to alcohol? (Hell, even Sea World is connected to a beer company!)
Alcohol is a fact of life. Exposure to it does not make you an “drunk”.
Also, bggr, maybe you can tell us the size of the town you grew up in and exactly what activities were available to you. Were you exposed to alcohol growing up? Did it make you a “drunk”?
Yes, we have a movie theather, bowling, Cons, and hopefully a roller rink. We also have numerous after school activities, a Boys & Girls Club, church groups, many parks, a swimming pool, a hockey rink, several ice skating rinks, a sledding hill, a skate park and a lake to fish…all in the city limits. How many communities have all that within walking distance and without a crime rate?
How much more do you want???
bggr,
since you are so disgusted with our parades and fireworks, etc why don’t you volunteer to help with these things. I’m sure a donation of your time and money would go a long way.
so much negativity bggr, that kind of attitude for a town that you live in is shameful. I lead my life by this theory “Life is what you make it so Quit Whinning and do something about it. The only person that can change your happiness is you. Why are counting on other people for happiness. I have moved to this small town a year ago by choice. I come from Tucson Az. Do you think the drinking isnt bad there, crime, theft. The cost of living, yeah try renting a 2 bedroom house for less than 700 a month, plus add 300 electric bill every month for 12months and only making $8.50 a hr. Try living on that, oh and let’s not forget you have to eat and put gas in your car. So living in a small town with the cost of living is less for me is a ideal town. No town is perfect, the grass is not always greener on the otherside. Moving here my family realized that there isnt much in the form of family entertainment. That is why we are trying so hard to build this family entertainment center, no we dont have loads of money, but we are determined to change things, if you want change you have to work at it, we have been working at this thing for 6months, yes we have been laughed at by the naysayers but if you have faith in what you believe in and never give up on that dream one day it will happen. my whole family works at Walmart, if it wasn’t for them i wouldnt have a job, i have a college educatin, applied at dozens of jobs and Walmart is the only one that ever called me back. Maybe it isn’t my ideal job but it’s a dang job that brings in money for my family. you doubt us about building this entertainment center? Well obviously you haven’t met these to very determined women. We will never take no for answer and we wont give up.
YAY ANGIE!!! With that attitude you are sure to be a huge success! YOU ROCK!
I have lived in Antigo all my life. It is what you make of it. Get involved, you will find there are alot of things to do. Talk to people who live in a big city and they will tell you how lucky we are. If you think this is such a bad place, why do you stay??? As far as jobs, there are jobs in Wausau (only 40 minutes away) go to a big city and you will drive twice that far. Antigo is a great place to raise a family. Yes, we have problems, but so do other towns and cities. I suggest that you take a long look at why you are here. If you don’t like it move, or work to change it.
All this talk of jobs. Does it matter to anyone that the education level in this city is far below average? I hear everyone saying that we need higher paying jobs, but really, most of the whining comes from unskilled, uneducated people. I see ads for machinists all the time in the paper. We have a tech college. There is opportunity there. I have hear that Amron wants to hire people but most that apply can’t pass a drug test. The days of working at a factory your whole life and being able to support a family are over (ask Vulcan employees). We have a very low population of people with a bachelors degree and extremely low of those who have a masters. If high school is the highest education you have, the prospects aren’t great. I understand that jobs are tough to find, but if we can educate our population and have skilled and educated workers, it would encourage more businesses to come.
VOR~
Next time you go to the store, gas station, or fast food joint, please thank the uneducated, unskilled people that work there for making sure you get the services they provide. If it wasn’t for them our world wouldn’t function.
unEdukatead, unskild peeple? thank goodnes they’re nun of dem on dis fouruhm. i dont no why peeple think that aboot hour cumuneity. we Are all reely smart! i think hour skulz are grate and i love gong their. i dont no why i kant get a job as a doctur, i think it is becuz the mayer spendz two much monee on making hour city prettie and a place wear peeple want to come over by and their are no stop lites on Elm strEet buy turd avanu. i think i will go by some cigs and beer and pick up my welfare check becuz i kant afford to feed my ate children with nine differrent Dads.
Ignorant, that made me smile on an otherwise rotten day! Thanks for your sarcasm, I love it. As for Kim, I am very thankful for the unskilled laborer. I was one for a long time. The point that I am trying to make is that most of the b*tching and moaning about lack of jobs comes from unskilled, uneducated people. Then, there is the long standing rumor that Caterpillar was chased away because they wanted to pay the people too much and that the local businesses are purposely keeping wages low. What a bunch of BS. If I were to start a business, I would think twice about Antigo because a lot of the workforce is unskilled and uneducated. There will always be jobs in fast food, gas stations, etc. And, that is completely respectable work, most by honest, hardworking people. However, for all of the moaning I hear about incomes being too low to support a family, what can you expect if you haven’t positioned yourself to be qualified for a higher paying job?
A family member of mine is good friends with the manager of the original Subway on Superior Street and told him that they’re closing the Subway on Superior and are in fact building the new one in the Kmart parking lot. This is the dumbest thing they could do. Now both subways will be 1000 feet apart and both on one end of town.
I heard that they will be taking out the one in Walmart also.
both of the subways will be closing and a new one will be built next to quik mart and that sears will be an anchor store and that the dollar tree will be going into the old walgreens if the meetings went good. hope that will spruce up the area and get it fixed up
Tinker-
By sears as an anchor store, do you mean like the department store version, or is our mini-sears just moving?
I HEARD THAT SEARS WILL BE 3 TIMES THE SIZE OF THE EXISTING SEARS STORE OF ANTIGO . AND THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WILL BE THE SAME, BUT ALOT MORE TO CHOSE FROM. I ALSO SEE IN THE WINDOW THERE IS A HELP WANTED AND I WAS TOLD THEY ARE GOING TO HIRE 3 MORE PEOPLE. COOOL!!!!!!!