Look back at 2021: Supply chain issues; mall renovations; new Dungeons and Dragons museum and parking issues all a part of year | Local News

However there also were some new developments with the Fancy Fair Mall obtaining a new owner and exterior renovation work being completed to the building and the mall receiving new tenants and a name change.

Lake Geneva’s connection to the popular role-playing Dungeons & Dragons was highlighted with the opening of a museum and hobby shop, loan of a stain-glassed window for a future exhibit and the announcement of a planned Dungeons & Dragons-themed restaurant.

Sadly, 2021 saw the passing of well-known business owner and philanthropist Richard Driehaus.

Driehaus’ lakefront estate, Glanworth Gardens, was listed for sale at the end of the year for $39.25 million with an accepted offer. 

Here’s a look back at some of the issues that affected the Lake Geneva area and Walworth County in 2021:

Supply chain issues and staffing challenges

The past year was a difficult one for businesses throughout the country as far as finding staff and obtaining products and merchandise because of supply chain issues.

The situation was no different in Walworth County, as several area businesses reported having difficulty receiving shipments of products.

Several business owners reported receiving products later than usual. Melissa Reuss, owner of Geneva Gifts in Lake Geneva, said, in November, that companies that usually take between eight or 10 days to deliver their products have taken about eight or nine weeks.

Bruce Bennett, co-owner of Cornerstone Shop and Gallery in Lake Geneva, said he started to run low on some products in the fall and encouraged people to do their holiday shopping earlier than usual.

Bennett said he mostly was having difficulty obtaining products that were manufactured overseas.

Businesses also were hit with staffing shortages and many had to close down certain days during the week because of a lack of staff.

Downtown Lake Geneva mall sold, renovated and renamed

Kirk Booher purchased what was then known as the Fancy Fair Mall in November 2020 from previous owners Robert and Sandra Skibitzki for about $1.8 million. He made many changes to the mall in 2021.

Renovations including repainting the exterior facade, completing tuckpointing and masonry work, removing and replacing exterior awnings and installing new lighting fixtures were completed to the mall building in the fall.

The mall even received a new name — The Market of Lake Geneva. 

The mall also received several new tenants including Parlay’s Cigars, Artful RetiQues and Thrift-In. 

Noure’s Oriental Rug Gallery was moved to a new location in the mall, a storefront space previously occupied by Galerie Matisse, and renamed Gallery LG. 

A semi-permanent cosmetic business was also approved for the upper level of the mall in November.

Dungeons & Dragons heritage honored in the City of Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva is often referred to as the birthplace of Dungeons & Dragons, as co-founder Gary Gygax developed the idea for the popular role-playing game at his former Lake Geneva home, 330 Center St., in 1974.

The legacy of Dungeons & Dragons and its connection to the City of Lake Geneva was highlighted in 2021 with the opening of a museum, items being loaned and donated for a future exhibit, the announcement of a Dungeons & Dragons-themed restaurant and a play based on the role-playing game.

The Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum, 723 Williams St. in Lake Geneva, opened for business in July 21. The museum features books, games, magazines, figurines, artwork, gaming dice and merchandise related to Dungeons & Dragons. 

Most of the items for the museum either were donated by museum staff or former Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) employees. The museum building was TSR’s first commercial location for Dungeons & Dragons. 

Members of the city council approved in June to rezone the Williams Street property from general business district to central business district to allow the museum to be established.

Representatives from the Gygax Memorial Fund loaned a 40-inch-by-28-inch stained-glass window depicting a blue dragon to the Geneva Lake Museum, 255 Mill St. in Lake Geneva, for a future exhibit. 

Gail Gygax, Gary Gygax’s wife, and other representatives from the memorial fund presented the stained-glass window to museum officials in November.

The stained-glass window will be featured in the “A Legacy of Imagination– Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons and the Creation of Culture” exhibit, which is set to be established at the museum sometime in 2022. 

The exhibit is set to feature gaming materials, products, artwork, books and maps related to Gygax and Dungeons & Dragons. 

Daniel Colwell, senior manager for Lake Geneva’s Emagine theater, announced plans in November to establish a Dungeons & Dragons-themed restaurant and amusement center on vacant land near the Emagine theater on Highway 120.

The restaurant, which is set to be called Griffin & Gargoyle Tavern, will feature a restaurant, ax-throwing area, gift shop and game playing rooms.

Colwell wants to break ground on the restaurant in spring 2022 and have the business open by spring 2024, in time for the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons. 

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s College of Arts and Communication presented a Dungeons & Dragons-based play “She Kills Monsters” in November at the Hicklin Studio Theatre. 

The play was about a girl who discovers the world of Dungeons & Dragons through her younger sister. 

Parking continues to be an issue in Downtown Lake Geneva

Parking has been a hot-button topic in the City of Lake Geneva for years, and 2021 was no exception. 

The year started with the paid parking season beginning in February instead of in March, as usual. City officials approved to move the paid parking period to February to obtain additional parking revenue from Winterfest, which is typically held in early February.

The city gained about $114,350 in parking revenue for that month. Lake Geneva’s paid parking period is set to begin in February again in 2022 and will run through Nov. 14.

Parking stall markers were completely removed from Downtown Lake Geneva in the spring. The markers included parking staff numbers, which people would enter when paying for their parking at a parking kiosk or after downloading an app.

However, the city installed 50 new parking kiosks in 2020, which allow people to pay for their parking by entering their license plates number, so the parking stall markers were no longer needed.

The city council approved in May to make the parking stall markers available for purchase for $20 each. 

City officials caused quite the stir in March when they proposed to expand paid parking in the downtown area. 

The city proposed to expand paid parking on Warren Street, Maxwell Street and Madison Street, between Main Street and Geneva Street, which would have included 52 parking stalls and generated about $74,604 a year for the City of Lake Geneva.

The city also proposed expanding paid parking on Geneva Street between Cook Street and Maxwell Street, which would have included 57 parking stalls and generated about $81,777 a year for Lake Geneva.

Many residents packed a public works committee meeting, March 22, to voice their disapproval. After some discussion, the committee members decided not to move forward with the proposal, and the issue was not discussed again. 

City aldermen approved in May to allow people who rent the Riviera ballroom for a wedding or special event to rent the lower Center Street parking lot (Parking Lot B) , which is a paid parking lot, for them and their guests. 

The cost to rent the parking lot is $750 per day. 

The city ended the year by allowing Downtown churches to provide free parking to non-resident members in 2022. The churches that are a part of the program include First Congregational Church, First Church of Christ Scientist, Holy Communion Episcopal Church and Lake Geneva United Methodist Church. 

As part of the program, the churches distribute placards to non-resident members who then place them on the dashboards of their vehicles to allow them to have free parking during services.

City officials piloted the program during a 90-day trial period in the fall. The number of people who used the program increased from one on Aug. 1 to 13 on Oct. 31. 

Saying good-bye to a well-known philanthropist 

The Lake Geneva area said “good-bye” to a well-known philanthropist who friends described as a “true gentleman,” “generous,” “creative thinker,” “scholar” and “devoted father.”

Richard Driehaus died March 9 at the age of 78 from natural causes. 

Driehaus was known for his career in investment management and established the Driehaus Capital Management firm in 1982. 

Driehaus Capital Management is an independent investment adviser with about $14.7 billion in assets under management as of Nov. 30. The company has 26 investment professionals and 85 employees.

Besides his career in finance, Driehaus also had a love for architecture. He purchased the Glanworth Gardens home, known as the Driehaus Estate, along Geneva Lake and restored it in 1999. 

Driehaus preserved the 1886 Ransom Cable House in Chicago, which currently houses his financial company. He also established the Driehaus Museum, which highlights the art, architecture and design of the late 19th century to the present, inside the 1887 Samuel M. Nickerson Mansion in Chicago. 

Driehaus is known for giving back to the community. He donated the fountain that is located in front of the Riviera, which has been called the Driehaus Family Fountain. 

Driehaus has provided millions of dollars to the Lake Geneva Beautification Committee and other organizations to help fund projects throughout the area. 

Since 2004, Driehaus donated more than $400,000 in matching grants to the Lake Geneva nonprofit Time is Now, which offers financial assistance to people who are in need. 

Driehaus also was known for his elaborate birthday parties, which featured Diana Ross, the Beach Boys and other well-known celebrities. 

His final birthday party was held in 2019 and featured a James Bond 007 theme with cars from the James Bond movies. 

Later in the year, Glanworth Gardens, W3505 Snake Road in the Town of Linn, was listed for sale for $39.25 million. Soon after, an offer was made and accepted. 

The estate features a 14,145 square-foot home, 40 acres of gardens and a forest, and about 621 feet of level of frontage.

Glanworth Gardens includes 13 bedrooms, a family room with views of the gardens, reflecting pool, lakeside library, office space, formal and informal dining rooms, 13 fireplaces and warming rooms.

Other properties located on the estate include a four-bedroom guest house, carriage house, staff offices, boathouse and “children’s village.”