Oconomowoc’s expansive lineup of nationally recognized businesses may be increasing- again.
The site of the former Olympia Resort has been undergoing several changes. The 29 acre plot of land sits right beside Highway 67 and Interstate 94 at Royale Mile Road.
This past August, a new Panera Bread location opened on the site, a move that signaled that a new wave of redevelopment could be expected. Upon its opening, it was the first Panera location in Oconomowoc.
Now, developers hope to bring another favorite chain to the area: Caribou Coffee.
The proposal for a new Caribou Coffee location is slated to be discussed at the upcoming Architectural Commission meeting on Wednesday, October 8th.
The new building would be about 1,800 square feet, including both. a drive thru lane as well as an outdoor patio seating area.
This would be the first Caribou Coffee location in Oconomowoc, as it hopes to reside at 1445 Olympia Fields Drive.
The Architectural Commission meeting will also discuss plans for the building of a new Shortest Realtors office on Robruck Drive that would be just under 8,000 square feet.
Caribou Coffee is a coffeehouse chain that first opened in Minnesota in 1991. Since its founding, it has expanded to over 800 locations worldwide.
There are currently 52 Caribou Coffee locations in Wisconsin, making it the second most franchise populated state, right after Minnesota.
The property being used for the proposed new location, Olympia Fields, used to house the 135,000 square foot Olympia Hotel and Resort.
The Resort first opened in 1974, expanding out over the following years as the property grew. Unfortunately, in January 2018 it was announced that the Hotel would close.
In November 2018, the CEO of Wangard purchased the property for $3.4 million. Initially, they hoped to transform the building into an apartment complex, but as plans changed, so did their decision on how to utilize the resort’s old spaces.
Instead, they opted to focus on new builds that would include retail spaces, office buildings, and multi family housing units.
The property was in desperate need of rehabilitation and utility updates, which led to a public and private partnership between the City of Oconomowoc and Wangard.
As development continues, there is hope for many new businesses and buildings to rise up. Hopefully, coffee lovers may see a Caribou there soon.
