Sturgeon spearing and Valentine’s Day weren’t the only things happening in Fond du Lac in February. Here are the top business stories.
FOND DU LAC – On top of sturgeon spearing and Valentine’s Day, February held a lot more for Fond du Lac.
The top stories in Fond du Lac in February included sturgeon spearing news and weather updates, but business news as 2025 gets going has included housing, redevelopments, best spots for bar pizza and the impending closure of the local Joann Fabrics and Craft store.
Here are the top six Fond du Lac Streetwise stories from February.
Readers weigh in on the top 7 places for bar pizza
We asked readers to share their recommendations on Fond du Lac-area bars for pizza, and the top three places among responses include Joe’s Fox Hut, Bob’s Pizza and 11:11 Burgers & Beignets.
Seven total businesses garnered the most reader attention, whether for their quality crust, selection of toppings, or pairing opportunities with beer or wine.
Joann fabrics is set to close in Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac’s Joann fabrics and crafts location, 806 W. Johnson St., has started going-out-of-business sales after a mid-February announcement of the company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
The company filed a motion in court Feb. 12 seeking approval to close more than 500 stores and sell off assets to Gordon Brothers, which served as the “stalking horse bidder” that sets the floor for the auction process.
However, as of Feb. 23, the winning bidder was GA Group together with the Prepetition Term Loan Agent, who intend to “wind down” company operations and close all the store locations, according to the Joann restructuring website.
Fond du Lac’s position in Wisconsin has unique impact on its housing shortage
With the city of Fond du Lac’s final report for the Housing Study & Action Plan, local leaders and residents now have a better idea of the city’s housing shortage and what’s needed to improve the situation.
One takeaway unique to Fond du Lac is its close location among several Wisconsin cities and employment centers, including Oshkosh, Appleton, Sheboygan, Milwaukee and Madison. This draws in commuters who work in those cities, but emphasizes the “missing middle” — workforce housing that is affordable to middle-class earners — as many employees have to find housing outside of Fond du Lac.
Saputo factory site one step closer to redevelopment
Among housing solutions the city has been working on, redevelopment of the former Saputo factory site on the northeast corner of Main and Scott streets has been high on the list of possibilities.
As of Feb. 12, the Fond du Lac City Council approved residential and mixed-use development on the property, opening opportunities for the site and supporting a possible public-private partnership to finance and facilitate revitalization.
This is part of the North Main Street Corridor Plan guiding improvements to the stretch of Main Street between Lakeside Park and where the downtown sector starts south of Johnson Street to connect the two spaces and create a “sense of place” in the heart of the city.
Here’s what happened to the building Sam Meyer moved to Main Street
Fond du Lac State Farm agent and local historic building buff Sam Meyer recently completed his fifth renovation project in Fond du Lac. One of the first steps was physically moving the building from South Marr Street to North Main Street.
The building was built in the 1860s as a doctor’s office, and now, after extensive restoration back to what it most likely would have looked like, it serves as Meyer’s new office.
Fond du Lac County Board launches discussion for new jail
After several months with the topic in the hands of the Fond du Lac County Jail Ad Hoc Committee, considerations for a new county jail have started discussions in county board.
The committee was tasked with determining if a new jail was needed and what a new jail might entail, including how much it would cost. The findings for the current jail included safety, security and overcrowding concerns, which would make either extensive renovations or a brand-new building necessary.
To give the county board and taxpayers an idea of what to expect, Kurt Berner of Wisconsin construction company Samuels Group presented a current cost range from about $267 million for a housing addition and renovation downtown to about $393 million for moving the entire justice center to Scott Road.
Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com.