DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — After sitting empty for years, a longtime retail space in downtown Sturgeon Bay is finally getting a new purpose.
The Younkers Home Store building in downtown Sturgeon Bay was once a busy retail space offering home goods, electronics, and more.
Watch below to learn more about what's next for the property:
In 2018, the store went bankrupt, and the following year, the county purchased the property.
County Administrator Ken Pabich says the building on Fourth Avenue in downtown Sturgeon Bay was acquired for $500,000.
"The main importance for buying this is that it's next door to our museum," Ken Pabich said.
Pabich says the building remained vacant for years because previous plans either didn’t meet the county’s needs or exceeded budget limits.
"There's a lot of interest in the community in making this space active again," Pabich said.
In 2025, the county approved a plan to divide the building into two separate spaces, with estimated project costs of $1.7 million for the back and about $800,000 for the front.
The back portion will house the museum and archives, while the front will be leased to a long-term tenant.
Joe Taylor, the manager of the Door County Museum and Archives, says the new space is providing room for new exhibits.
"Having the space next door isn’t only about storage, and it’s not only about workspace for the staff, but we think it could also help us really engage the community," Joe Taylor said.
Taylor says the additional space will create more opportunities to connect the community with the museum’s projects.
The county says the next step is finalizing the building’s design and ensuring the project stays within budget before moving forward.
