Tribal Properties Community Feedback

Chi-Miigwech to all community members who provided feedback on the future of several Tribal properties. Your input is valued greatly and will help determine the priorities, needs, and uses for the following sites. Please note: no final decisions have been made on these sites. This information is only the result of community feedback. Please contact the Planning Department with any questions at 715-779-3700.

Survey Results
Published online from March 30 - May 1, 2023

1. Merchant Property (not the house). ~20 acres


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Affordable Housing
+ Leave it as is - community garden, tap trees, pick medicine, camp, conservation, bike & walking loop, camps, sugar bus, youth nature center
Other responses
+ Cabin rental, hotel, bison farm, bowling alley
+ Healing, praying, birth lodge, long house
+ Mental health facility - generate income
+ Language immersion school
+ CBRF for elders
+ Use for Tribal Historic Preservation
+ Homeless shelter, tiny houses
+ Event gathering area
+ Market housing
+ Sell to Tribal member

2. Merchant House site
~3 acres of lakefront property at 88925 Merchant Rd.


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Bed & Breakfast, vacation rental, boat launch, fishing pier, park, retreat center, hotel, lodging
+ Events Area
Other Responses
+ Language Immersion Institute
+ Move administration / meeting space
+ Grant property to Apostle Islands Rustic Makwa Den
+ Rent to own
+ Sell to Tribal member
+ Nursing home
+ Housing for mental health facility staff
+ Big Drum doings
+ Tribal BRB
+ Homeless shelter
+ Domestic violence shelter
+ Wake home
+ Sell to local business

3. Former Jim Pete House on Hwy 13 North


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Rent, rent to own for RC Members, rent to staff
+ Sell it
Other Responses
+ Build a general store, coffee shop, daycare, crafts, meeting space, bakery
+ Homeless / transitional housing
+ Air BnB
+ Immersion / Language
+ Women's Halfway House
+ Make Tribal offices
+ Youth apprenticeship work
+ Rotating space to sell items

4. Former cheers bar site on county rd k.
~15 acres with one pole bar, a building in need of repairs or demolition, old airplane hanger. Outside of tribal boundaries.


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Beef/buffalo/chicken farmstead/produce farm-generate income for farm
+ Sell it
+ Venue space / outdoor waterpark, minigolf, gocarting, arcade
+ Homeless Shelter
+ Tribal Campground
+ Rent it
Other Responses
+ Immersion school with buses
+ Treatment Center
+ Roads Department
+ Manufacturing / assembly work / business
+ Build on property
+ Condos
+ Food sovereignty
+ Foster / group home for youth

5. Duplex on hwy 13 next to red cliff storage


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Rent it
Other Responses
+ Homeless shelter
+ RCCHA takes control
+ Lease space
+ Youth group / foster home
+ Women's Treatment / recovery
+ Temporary Tribal employee living
+ Office space
+ Language

6. House on Nuzzo Rd. Located next to Red Cliff Storage


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Rent it
Other Responses
+ Homeless shelter
+ Program office space
+ Sell it / Rent to own
+ Temporary Tribal employee rental
+ Lease space
+ Language

7. Buffalo Bay Store (current site).
The Tribal Council has approved the relocation of Buffalo Bay Store to the former Isle Vista Casino site.


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Lease or build business / chamber of commerce / ice cream / bait shop / laundry / coffee shop / deli / CBD shop / free store / bowling alley / gift shop / auto repair / go carts / crafts / info
Other Responses
+ Lease to LCO / Education
+ Tribal office - maintenance dept / police station
+ Keep as gas station with upgrades
+ Language immersion school
+ Build apartment building there
+ Historical building

8. 88260 Hwy 13 (Former Living Adventure's Kayak business site)
~2.5 acres


Suggested uses include:
Majority Response
+ Park / beach / boat launch
+ Kayak business / rustic camp sites / guided tours
Other Responses
+ Air BnB / Cabin rentals
+ Tribal business lease space
+ LCO Outreach for kayak / tourism
+ Ojibwe Immersion School
+ Homeless Shelter / tiny houses
+ Conduct a feasibility study

9. One of the ideas for 88260 Hwy 13


Feedback on this idea:
Majority Response
+ No
+ Make community space
Other Response
+ Concerns of habitat

10. One of the ideas for 88260 Hwy 13


Feedback on this idea:
Majority Response
+ Yes
Other Responses
+ Concerns of habitat
+ Concern for handicap access
+ Use building for space