Hope Village Aims For Summer Opening Of Former Indianhead Motel
local landmark will reopen this year as construction efforts lead to its next form: a 27-unit affordable housing complex
Yes, Chippewa Falls nonprofit Hope Village continues to receive offers for the iconic neon signage perched upon the former Indianhead Motel, and no, the organization has not yet sold it. While no longer a motel, the building will once again operate as lodging – this time as affordable housing apartment units.
Since the tail-end of 2024, Hope Village has made strides in its effort to revitalize the 501 Summit Ave. site in Chippewa Falls, a continuation of its vision to end homelessness in the Chippewa Valley. The org has steadily checked off the necessary (and required) boxes toward opening what will be a 27-unit residential complex.
Through significant support from Chippewa County – including financially; the county board approved nearly $2.7 million in total grant funds toward the project – alongside community members and partners, construction will ramp up beginning the first week of February.
As emphasized throughout the project, the forthcoming residential complex is not part of Hope Village's homeless shelter program "but rather a long-term housing solution for our community."
As shared in Hope Village’s January newsletter, 28 subcontractors will work on the project through mid-June. If all goes to plan, the organization hopes to begin leasing units as early as July 1. “That date has been circled on our calendar for a long time,” the newsletter states.
Each unit will receive a new kitchenette, lighting, wall coverings and flooring, with every room being fitted with a sprinkler system. Work throughout the rest of the building includes installation of new windows and doors, new heating and air-conditioning units, and new siding on portions of the exterior.
The proverbial cherry on top will be a new metal roof for the nearly 70-year-old building.
Notably, per grant requirements, the project required every grant-funded component to have been built in and bought in America. That detail took time to fulfill, the nonprofit shared, and organizers are excited to near the final stretch.
As emphasized throughout the project, the forthcoming residential complex is not part of Hope Village’s homeless shelter program, “but rather a long-term housing solution for our community.”
The units are intended to be single occupancy studio-style spaces, open to those who qualify for income-based housing as well as those simply seeking more affordable options.
“This project has been a unique journey, especially as we worked with the previous owners, Jason and Chewy Geissler, who hadn’t originally planned to sell the 27-unit Indianhead Motel,” the recent newsletter reads. “They were wonderful to work with, and it’s clear how much care they put into the property.”
Hope Village continues to highlight pieces of the local landmark’s history throughout the project’s completion. Its origin hearkens back to the post-Great Depression era when Ernest “Ernie” Cote was helping shape parts of Lafayette Township and Chippewa Falls.
“The motel’s defining feature arrived in 1958 with the installation of its neon Indianhead sign,” the organization shared. “Brightly illuminated and visible to motorists from both directions, it quickly became a beacon for weary travelers and a proud symbol for locals.
“For Cote, whose mother was of Ojibwa heritage, the sign carried an even deeper meaning: a tribute to ancestry, identity, and the history of the land itself.”
Today, nods and tributes to the original sign – fabricated by Ladysmith’s Harry Anderson Signs – can be found across the country, including in Colorado and Oregon.
If construction runs relatively smoothly, the former motel will continue its legacy as a place of rest and comfort just outside of downtown Chippewa Falls this summer.
For those who may be interested in applying for one of the units, fill out the contact form on Hope Village's website. Keep up with Hope Village on social media and through its newsletters.
