Stevens Point development projects to watch in 2024: Hobby Lobby, former Shopko property, Home2 Suites and more

STEVENS POINT – Last year brought a few exciting developments to the Stevens Point area, like Five Below, Ross Dress for Less and Big Lots opening near Dunham's Sports, the new Food + Farm Exploration Center and Wendy's returning to central Wisconsin.

And there are more projects in the works for the city in 2024. We reconnected with developers, companies and organizations to get the latest on these developments and when you can expect to see them complete.

Top business stories of 2023 in Point: Stevens Point's top business stories of 2023: Hobby Lobby, Wendy's, Dunham's Sports development and more

Hobby Lobby is still on track to open this year

Hobby Lobby is still working on redeveloping the former Copps grocery store property in Stevens Point. A spokesperson for the company said they still plan to open the store early this year, although Hobby Lobby did not have an opening date to announce.

The plans at 5657 U.S. 10 E. call for a 50,000-square-foot store, offering a variety of craft and home decor items.

Hobby Lobby first opened in Oklahoma City in 1970 and has since grown to operate in 48 states, including 24 stores in Wisconsin. Another central Wisconsin Hobby Lobby store is expected to open in mid-February in the redeveloped Marshfield Mall, and the business has operated since October 2012 at 226727 Rib Mountain Drive in Rib Mountain.

Collaborative hub at former convent nears completion

A collaborative community hub will soon be finished at the center of Berkshire at the Grove, a redevelopment project at the former Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis Convent Complex on Maria Drive.

The development turned the majority of the space into apartment units designed to be affordable for families and seniors. The hub – a joint effort between CREATE Portage County and Central Rivers Farmshed – will fill the 26,000-square-foot space where the former chapel once stood. When it opens, that hub will highlight arts, culture, entrepreneurship and progressive food systems. The project aims to honor the history and legacy of the Sisters who worked to support the community and who also grew produce on a farm on the complex.

Construction on that space is expected to be finished this spring, and a timeline for opening will be defined in the next few weeks.

Home2 Suites by Hilton eyes August opening

Home2 Suites by Hilton, the new hotel in the Portage County Business Park, is getting closer to opening.

Michael Hunt, regional vice president of Ledgestone Hospitality, the hotel management company connected with Hilton, said the group is tentatively aiming to open the Home2 Suites by Hilton Aug. 1, although the date is subject to change based on construction timelines. The website will be live soon, and in the next few weeks, people will be able to start booking their stays for later in the summer, Hunt said.

The community celebrated the project with a groundbreaking ceremony in August at the site that stands near First State Bank and across from The Store on Brilowski Road and Portage County R. The project has been in the works for a couple of years. City leaders started working with Growth Hotels LLC in 2022 on approvals and incentives, and the city approved the 91-unit extended-stay hotel's agreement and more than $1.3 million in incentives.

The hotel itself will feature a pool for guests, free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour business center, a fitness center, hot and healthy breakfasts and more. According to its website, Home2 Suites by Hilton is a mid-tier, all-suite, extended-stay hotel that offers stylish accommodations with flexible configurations for guests and their pets.

Plans are developing at the former downtown Shopko property

Plans are developing at the former Shopko building in downtown Stevens Point, including a new transit center and several new buildings that would offer residential, retail and mixed-use spaces.

In January, city staff presented an initial site concept during a joint meeting including the city's Redevelopment Authority and the Plan, Transit and Park commissions.

According to city documents, two three- to four-story residential buildings would be built along Centerpoint Drive, where the Shopko building currently stands. One three-story building would offer 20-30 residential units with the first floor available for potential flexible or commercial space. These sites would have underground parking available. A second building would stand three or four stories tall and would offer 50-75 residential units. The first floor could house potential flexible or commercial space and underground parking.

A third building on the corner of Church and Main streets would be a three-story mixed-use building. A portion along Church Street would offer 20-40 residential units, and the portion along Main Street would stand as a 10,000-square-foot retail space, also with underground parking. Another building along Main Street would be a two-story mixed-use building, offering 15-20 residential units and a 11,500-square-foot retail space on the ground floor.

The final part of the complex plan includes a new transit center with residential space. The first floor would house the transit center with capacity to hold six to eight busses, restrooms and a shelter. Two or three residential floors above the transit center would offer 20-30 units. This space would also include underground parking.

The Opera House continues renovations

The redevelopment project at the Opera House continues in downtown Stevens Point.

Part of the project, called The Annex, opened last spring and has hosted events where Book World once stood. That space will be connected to the Opera House by interior passageways on the first and second floors with elevator access.

Renovations are ongoing and an opening date for the venue has not been set yet. Those renovations include preserving some of the history of the building with some of the original opera house features like a balcony, stage and seating areas. A large raised deck will extend off the back of the existing structure where the original balcony seating was, overlooking an outdoor stage where the original stage stood.

Behind the theater, the Opera House will feature a fenced-in patio and green space named Andrae's Biergarten, after G.F. Andrae, the man who owned the property and commissioned the design of the original opera house in 1893. When it opens, guests will be able to gather to enjoy drinks, food and live entertainment like games or music.

Meijer still owns Stevens Point property

One of the development projects readers ask the most about is Meijer.

As of the end of January, Meijer still owns property near Lands' End at 5640 Carrie Frost Drive, according to property records. While Meijer has not responded to dozens of messages from a Stevens Point Journal reporter over the last few years, Frank Guglielmi, the company's senior director of corporate communications, told the Stevens Point Journal in 2020 the company doesn't usually purchase land unless it plans to eventually build a store.

"Our build schedule can be fluid," he said a the time.

Meijer purchased 28 acres of land in 2017 on the northeast corner of Portage County R and HH, near the shopping plaza that is home to Walmart Supercenter, Kohl's and Lowe's Home Improvement. According to city documents filed in 2019, the company was in its planning stages and started applying for sign permits.

More business news in Stevens Point: Stevens Point Streetwise: Updates on Division Street Subway, KFC and The Big Garlic

Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Stevens Point developments in 2024: Hobby Lobby, Shopko, Home2 Suites