Bolender's Legacy: How Oak Creek farmer helped change his city, once known for having no downtown

OAK CREEK -- If you've ever met a farmer, you know they tend to fix things themselves.  Dick Bolender of Oak Creek was no different.  But his family never expected a desire for a change in Oak Creek's City Hall would lead to a different kind of career in public office. Mayor Bolender has long been out of office, but his best harvest is still growing.

"Once in awhile we`d have some horses get out.  Nothing too bad.  It`s just part of a farm life," Dick's son Mike Bolender said.

Returning to the family farm brings back so many memories for Oak Creek Police Captain Mike Bolender and his sister Lisa Reid.

"We would drag a silver saucer behind the snowmobile in the plowed field.  It was kind of rough," Reid said.

Dick Bolender may have had a full-time job at American Family Insurance, but his first love was farming.

"This is where we spent the majority of our free time," Mike Bolender said.

Mike says it was airing grievances to a neighbor that started his dad's desire to run for public office.

"When he was complaining about it, the neighbor asked 'why don`t you do something about it?'  You didn't want to challenge dad too often.  Because he accepted it and said 'I will.  I'm going to run for alderman,'" Mike Bolender said.

One year later, Dick Bolender ran for mayor and won that seat as well.

"I know he was one to want to change things.  Right the wrong, kind of thing.  Him running for mayor -- I was very proud of him," Reid said.

Dick Bolender got right to work.  His first goal? Bring in more business to the Milwaukee suburb.

"We couldn`t get a birthday present.  You had to leave the city to buy someone a birthday present.  He said 'that`s not right,'" Reid said.

"Dick was one who was very passionate about 'we gotta get more sit-down restaurants in Oak Creek.'  To this day I think his greatest challenge was, and it`s kind of funny to think now, he said 'I gotta get a Red Lobster into Oak Creek. That`s my goal,'" former colleague Doug Seymour said.

Seymour is Oak Creek's director of community development.  He says right away, the mayor had a big problem to solve.  What should be done about one massive eye sore.

In 2011, FOX6 News reported on the former Delphi factory -- three years after it closed. There was discussion on what should happen to the property.

Maybe it was Mayor Bolender's farming experience, but he saw opportunity.

"We're sitting on 85 acres of developable land and we hope it to be the town center of Oak Creek," Bolender told FOX6 News in 2011.

Bolender explained that the idea would involve moving City Hall and the Oak Creek Public Library to the former Delphi site, and then developing a city center around it.

"You need a good plan before you can jump in," Bolender said at the time.

Seymour explained to FOX6 News the challenges in Oak Creek.

"If someone would have asked you 'well, I`ll meet you in downtown Oak Creek,' you would have been hard-pressed to say 'what is that?'" Seymour said.

Bolender had a plan that he never got to see come to fruition.

"I was out on the farm with him. We worked on a vehicle.  I helped him clean stalls.  We had a new calf.  My daughter came out. I gave my dad a hug and a kiss, I told him I love him, and proud he`s my dad and he died that night," Mike Bolender said.

Just two months after that 2011 interview with FOX6 News, Bolender unexpectedly passed away. A suspected heart attack took Dick Bolender's life on December 10th, 2011.

"I prayed I`d get one more 'smoosh hug,' as I called them.  Because he was such a big guy," Reid said.

Dick Bolender may have passed away, but his crop was already planted in Oak Creek.

"We still want to be iconic in the sense that well, 'we`re going to City Hall. Where is that? Look for the clock tower," Seymour said as he gave FOX6 News a tour of the Drexel Town Center.

Next to a multi-million dollar civic center are apartments, stores and even a splash pad.

Seymour said one of Bolender's grandest visions will become reality as well.

"I was going back through some old notes, and I came across a reference to the mayor saying, 'I`m going to contact IKEA, and see if they will come to what is now Drexel Town Square,'" Seymour said.

IKEA officials announced this year they will build a store in Oak Creek that is set to open in 2018.

The city once known for having no downtown, finally has one -- and so much more.

"I think he envisioned something pretty wonderful. I think he would be like 'that turned out pretty nice,'" Reid said.

"I think he always saw that potential and had that vision," Mike Bolender said.

Two kids who grew up on a farm said they're thankful their dad's greatest harvest is still growing.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Drexel Town Square.