A downtown building is drawing some attention in Chippewa Falls, as a thorn in the side of local businesses. The owner of the building hired a contractor to give it a new look.

But, it's still boarded up because prosecutors say the contractor stole the owner's money. It was once a well-known cafe that even President John Kennedy visited, but now it sits boarded up and deteriorating.

"In reality the only thing that's left of it is the façade," Chippewa Falls City Planner Jayson Smith said.

It's often referred to as the "old Skogmo building" and has been vacant for at least a decade. Before he left town, Former Councilman Don Baker bought the building with the intentions of remodeling it.

"His intent was to improve downtown Chippewa," Chippewa Falls Police Detective Sgt. Dave Johnson said.

But investigators say Anthony Ptacek Jr., the general contractor baker hired, didn't follow through with his end of the deal.

"Mr. Baker came forward roughly two plus years after the fact and made me aware that he thought he'd been swindled," Sgt. Johnson said.

He says Baker and Ptacek signed an agreement estimating it would cost $390,000 to renovate the building. But investigators say of the more than $185,000 Baker paid Ptacek, only a small amount was actually spent on the project.

"He used money to purchase a luxury boat from a local dealership, new vehicles, diamond rings and jewelries. It's my understanding that he took some trips to Niagara Falls,” Sgt. Johnson said.

Now, Ptacek faces a charge of theft. Baker's money is either gone or tied up, and the old Skogmo building remains what community members call an eyesore downtown.

"This case is just an example of whenever anybody hires somebody to do significant work, know who you're dealing with," Sgt. Johnson said.

Right now Ptacek is serving a federal sentence at the Sandstone Correctional Facility in Minnesota for wire fraud. Detective Sergeant Johnson said next he give Ptacek the opportunity to tell what his intentions were.