Court documents show the Department of Natural Resources is interested in running the Oakwood Inn as a part of a system of state park inns.

In a letter to Abigail Lawlis Kuzma, counsel from the attorney general’s office working on the Oakwood matter, from Robert Carter Jr., director of the DNR, the DNR stated it spent the month of August reviewing documents, making on-site visits to the Oakwood property. The letter was dated Sept. 9 and filed with the court Sept. 14.
According to the letter, the DNR currently operates a system of state park inns proving to be quite popular with visitors and successful in their operations. “Our inns are open to everyone and our goal is to provide a high quality experience at an affordable price. Any revenue made through the inns is put back into capital improvements within the system of inns or used for other state park needs,” the letter states.

It was noted the Oakwood facility is different than the DNR’s current inn business model “simply due to the fact that it is not associated with any other state property. However the storied history, the 27-acre site and the location all make this property very intriguing. Our initial interest was based around the fact the inn is directly on Lake Wawasee, which is a resource managed by DNR and its designs fits with the remainder of the portfolio.”
The letter states “If the DNR were to own and operate this facility we would do so in a manner that compliments our current state park inns. We would operate the Oakwood Inn as a full service, first class facility open to everyone with associated convention and congregation opportunities. We would work with the Wawasee Lake Association (Wawasee Property Owners Association) on the natural restoration of a portion of the land and encourage the installation of associated walking trails for contemplation and rejuvenation. We would work hard at providing other recreational facilities in the future such as an indoor pool that could draw additional visitors, especially during winter. Finally we would commit to operate this as part of our historic inn system that has been in place since the 1920s.”

During the DNR’s site visits it was noted the following items would need to be addressed: 1) a thorough engineering and site assessment; 2) phased carpet replacement in the inn; 3) Carter noted “Although DNR welcomes persons of all faiths, we cannot represent any specific religion or denomination; 4) testing and replacement of IT and phone equipment, which would need to be brought up to state standards and on line with the rest of the DNR’s inn and reservation systems; 5) hiring an inn manager and employees and; 6) implementation of an aggressive marketing plan.

The marketing plan would include possibly changing the name to better market the facility. “We would also have extensive interpretation of Mr. (Howard) Brembeck’s role, the historic building and overall history of the site.”
Carter also noted several buildings appear to be obsolete or in severe disrepair and may need to be razed. These include the dormitory and dining hall, several cottages and the cabins. Also recommended is removal of the baseball, basketball and volleyball areas as they are in disrepair and unusable.

“It is possible for us to make estimates on the capital expenses both for ongoing operations and initial start up costs,” Carter stated in the letter. “However, it has been difficult for DNR to determine revenue potential due to the fact the inn has not operated for more than a year and prior to that was operating on a limited scale.”

Carter went on to state, “DNR understands that significant improvements and contributions have been made to this property, including but not limited to $21,000,000 contributed by Mr. Brembeck and investments and costs incurred by the United Methodist Conference and Oakwood Foundation over many decades. We also recognize that there are existing costs and improvements required to provide the first class experience we seek to ensure a successful re-opening and operation. Once up and running, we can commit to properly maintain the facility and seek capital dollars for improvements.

“During this economic downturn, the DNR will not be able to make an outlay of capital expenses to purchase this facility. We would like to propose that DNR receive this property at no cost in exchange for operating and maintaining this facility and grounds for generations to come.

“We look forward to discussing means to cover the historical costs and other expenses necessary to complete this project. We recognize this proposal would constitute a significant contribution to the DNR. We believe this proposal is in harmony with the vision and nonprofit missions of existing retreat programs for adults, youth leadership and area conservancy initiatives. DNR will need help from Mr. Brembeck’s group, the Wawasee area community and interested parties to fund raise or find other ways to secure the funding required to bring about this exciting common vision.”

Meanwhile, parties held a status conference Sept. 15. Further proceedings in the court case are scheduled to be heard at 1:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13.