A new public park in the Town of Baileys Harbor for you to enjoy is on the horizon, but it meant tearing down a local institution on Monday.

Crews began tearing down the former Nelson Shopping Center nearly seven years after it welcomed its last customers. Regulations forced owner Gary Nelson’s hand in 2016, closing the storefront and consolidating his operations to his Fish Creek location.

Voters in Baileys Harbor voted in favor of purchasing the property by a resounding 89 percent to 11 percent margin in 2021. Last July, the Baileys Harbor Town Board voted to turn the property, which sits next to the Town Marina, into a public park. The final step before the buildings’ demolition was done late last year when a mural from the side of the building was removed for safekeeping until further notice.

Edgewater Resources has been tapped to handle the public park project, which is slated to include beach access, an event stage, a splash pad, and other features by the time it is completed.