OSHKOSH – The city doesn’t believe it’s greenlighting a potential $12.5 million white elephant.
City officials aren’t worried that City Center could “sit on its hands” if Common Council approves the purchase, having expressed confidence the 17.5-acre property would become a “transformative opportunity” for the downtown area.
Both Oshkosh Community Development Director Sara Rutkowski and Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation CEO Tricia Rathermel gave the assurance during a May 5 open house meeting while presenting conceptual renderings for new commercial spaces and housing.
“We’ve been watching how other municipalities have been doing with similar projects and they don’t typically run into issues when it’s waterfront property,” Rutkowski told the Northwestern. “I think we know the right way to approach it.”
What was the purpose of the public open house meeting?
The city looked to allay any public concerns as council is set to vote May 12 whether to give staff direction on making an offer for the property at 101 Commerce St. and 201 Pearl Ave.
The vote comes after seven months of closed-door sessions at Common Council, which finally agreed to a purchase amount of $12.5 million at an April 22 meeting.
But several community members have raised concerns about the potential acquisition of the former Park Plaza Mall, questioning why the city is buying the property instead of a private developer.
“If we purchase the site, then we have control over what happens there and we can guide the phased redevelopment,” explained Rutkowski, saying the city would prepare the property for outside developers. “That’s all we’re looking to do because we won’t be the actual developers of the site.”
What else happened at the public open house?
Moderated by former council member and Oshkosh Area School District Board President Michael Ford, the open house served as a means for Rutkowski and Rathermel to answer public comments surrounding the city’s possible purchase.
Around 30 community members were on hand to get a firsthand look at concept designs of green space, commercial lots and new housing along the city’s waterfront.
The city also showed the findings of a recent public survey, showing residents favored dining, retail and waterfront spaces at a redeveloped City Center site.
The survey further found that the community prioritizes business growth and community gathering over housing expansion, with 74% of the 1,646 respondents saying public access to the waterfront “is very important.”
What is the city’s timeline and how does it propose to fund the purchase?
Rutkowski said the entire development likely wouldn’t be actualized for another six to 10 years as the city hopes to have a phased redevelopment with multiple owners.
Assuring the tax levy would not be used in the purchase, the city said it doesn’t have any proposed funding models as yet but revealed it would likely take on some debt while looking at Tax Increment Financing and state and federal grants.
“The tax revenue that can be generated from this we plan on investing and using for the businesses we have in this community,” said Rutkowski. “It’s a transformative opportunity for the city of Oshkosh and not just for Common Council or for community development but for the residents.”
City Center currently houses 22 businesses, and the city said it intends to work with each tenant on finding a new home.
What are the next steps?
If approved by Common Council, city staff would be directed to offer $12.5 million to the property’s ownership group, City Center Associates LLC.
Plan Commission would then review the proposed purchase agreement May 19 to provide a recommendation to council.
Common Council would return May 26 to vote on the purchase agreement.
Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh pushes City Center vision, says site won’t sit vacant
Reporting by Justin Marville, Oshkosh Northwestern / Oshkosh Northwestern
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