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Stores, homes still planned for former greyhound racetrack

DELAVAN — Developers say they don’t expect new tenants anytime soon for the former Geneva Lakes Kennel Club.

“That’s easily a year away,” said manager Andy Teegan of NRB Land.

The McHenry, Ill., development company purchased the 130-acre racetrack property for $7.95 million in April 2006 and an adjoining 70-acre property for $6.5 million in June 2006.

Former track owner Robert Glick said at the time he was sure the land at Interstate 43 and Highway 50 wouldn’t sit idle for long.

“No one lays out that type of money as an investment just to keep the land (vacant),” he said.

Teegan disagrees.

“We knew it was going to be a long-term hold,” he said.

Teegen said coming up with a plan and lining up tenants takes time.

NRB Land is marketing the property to commercial, retail and residential developers but hasn’t yet determined the right mix.

“We don’t want to do it piecemeal,” Teegen said. “We’ve had a lot of interest in different pieces of the puzzle, but we’re not interested in developing … in a hodge-podge way. We’re concerned that might taint the rest of the project.”

NRB Land is what Teegan describes as a “development facilitator” that acquires land, rezones it and prepares it for development. Tenants would either lease or purchase parcels, he said.

The company is focusing its marketing efforts toward commercial and retail development on the northern half of the property because of its location along major roadways and its proximity to other similar development.

Popular spot

The property is part of a booming commercial area.

Across Highway 50 is Delavan Crossings, which includes Wal-Mart Supercenter, Kohl’s and Lowe’s, several restaurants and stores.

Across North Shore Drive is Lake Lawn Resort, which last year began a $390 million renovation and expansion including lakefront condominiums, a hotel and waterpark.

“They’re running out of space there,” Teegen said of the area.

That makes the property the next logical place for development and attractive to potential tenants, he said.

NRB Land has talked with dozens of national retailers, both big-box and mid-box stores, but Teegen wouldn’t name them. He said the retailers have shown varying levels of interest, from “wait and see” to “ready to break ground.”

The company is marketing the southern half of the property, which has a view of Delavan Lake, for mixed-use and residential development, including condominiums, townhouses and duplexes. Office space also could be a part of that mix.

Retrofit

The 110,000-square-foot pink clubhouse and grandstand building has been a Walworth County landmark for almost 20 years. When NRB Land purchased the property, Teegen said the company wouldn’t tear down the building without first seeing if potential tenants are interested in retrofitting it for another use.

The company is spending $15,000 to $25,000 per month to maintain the facility, and two employees work at the site to keep the building in working condition.

“We’re still mowing grass, we’re still plowing snow,” Teegen said.

NRB Land hasn’t determined what dollar amount will “trigger” the company’s decision to demolish the building.

“If we don’t have a legitimate end use, it will be more cost-effective to tear it down,” Teegen said.

Prospective options for the unique building include a theater, hotel, convention center or sports entertainment complex. He said there have been some “serious discussions” about uses for the unique building, but none have panned out because they aren’t compatible with potential uses for the surrounding land.

“It’s not just one commercial marketing effort … It’s different teams of people trying to collectively work together so one use doesn’t dominate.”

Of course, he said, with residential real estate sales at a slow grind, the commercial and retail portions of the development will “drive” the property to become another destination for people in the area.

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Developers still have plans for properties

The former Geneva Lakes Kennel Club at Interstate 43 and Highway 50 in Delavan isn’t the only chunk of land in Walworth County that’s gone undeveloped since it was purchased a few years ago.

The 2,000 acres of land in Delavan Township owned by Sho-Deen Inc. remains vacant, and the 225-acre Hillmoor Golf Course in Lake Geneva owned by Wight Realty Group still hasn’t opened for the season.

Both developers presented plans for the properties, but the plans were either withdrawn or changed.

Sho-Deen stalled

Sho-Deen Inc. of Geneva, Ill., in August 2005 proposed its Jackson Creek development of 4,770 multiple- and single-family homes on 2,000 acres around the Delavan Lake inlet. The plan also included parks, schools and a commercial plaza.

The development was strongly opposed by many people in the township, including the town board, and went through several revisions that in the end reduced the original number of homes from 6,000 and eliminated a hotel and golf course.

Sho-Deen withdrew its plans in April 2007.

“The original Jackson Creek project … is dead,” the company said in a news release at the time.

Sho-Deen said it would introduce another proposal at an undetermined date.

Company President David Patzelt could not be reached for comment.

Hillmoor on hiatus

Wight Realty Group of Schaumburg, Ill., in May 2005 proposed its Wight Canyon development of 275 multiple- and single-family homes on 226 acres, including Hillmoor Golf Course. The plan included redesigning the golf course from a 72-par professional course to a smaller 64-par course, a new clubhouse, a banquet hall and a 100-room hotel with a retail center.

The development was approved by the city council in February 2006, and not long after signs went up touting the proposed golf community. But those signs came down.

The sign at the entrance to Hillmoor today reads: “Opening soon.”

George Wight, president of Wight Realty Group and owner of the golf course, said the recent rainy weather and an overflowing White River have wreaked havoc on the greens.

“In effort to preserve the course for the long term, we’ve been overly cautious (in opening for the season),” he said. “I’d like to open the course sometime this summer.”

Wight said the company still plans to move ahead with the golf community.

“We fully intend to develop the property within the limitations of the current agreement (with the city),” he said.

When the city approved the proposal, it did so on the condition that no development be allowed on areas designated as open space. Many people were upset that the proposal included shrinking the golf course, eliminating some of the scenery along Highway 50.

Wight said the company intends to meet again with the city before the summer is out to discuss an updated proposal, which includes retaining much of the existing golf course.

“We’ve had to be exceptionally patient, and we hope the city and the people can be patient as well,” he said.

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Dog track history

- The Geneva Lake Kennel Club opened May 26, 1990. It was considered the state’s premier greyhound racetrack—one of five that began operating in the early 1990s. First-day attendance was more than 6,000, and a few weeks later a record 7,064 people came to watch the greyhounds chase after “Bucky,” the mechanical bone.

- A decade of declining attendance and revenue in the face of competition from casinos spelled failure for three greyhound racetracks: Fox Valley Greyhound Park in Kaukauna closed in 1993, Wisconsin Dells Greyhound Park in Lake Delton closed in 1996 and St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Racing Park in Hudson closed in 2001.

- The Geneva Lake Kennel Club held on longer than most predicted but eventually succumbed to financial trouble, leaving 200 employees without work. The track closed Nov. 6, 2005, but simulcast, off-track betting continued through April 1, 2006.

- Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha is the state’s only remaining track.