FDL City Manager on What’s Next for Shopko Location

The demise of Shopko has been a topic of discussion
around the state, with the company filing for bankruptcy earlier this year, and
more recently announcing the closure of all of its remaining stores by this summer.
That list of closures includes the Fond du Lac store on West Johnson Street. While
the store is still operating for the next few months, both the city and the
retailer are looking ahead for what’s next for the building. City Manager Joe
Moore says Shopko wants to find the right fit before moving forward. “Their intention is to be aggressive in trying to find an
occupant for that building. It is way too early, though, to know who that might
be,” he said. “They’re still dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. It’s a big
deal, so that’s why time is passing but they, I think, want to feel really
comfortable before they sign anything that commits each other.” Gordon Brothers,
a bankruptcy consultant, is overseeing the liquidation process. Final store
closures are expected to happen by June 16^th.

Earlier this week, Shopko announced it had
entered into an agreement to sell its optical business to a company called
Shoptikal, LLC. The deal was reportedly for $8.5 million in cash, plus
assumption of certain liabilities. The deal could save up to 700 jobs at the
former Shopko locations. It’s unclear how that deal would impact any locations
in our local area.