RDA accepts property donation, approves Mill Street lot purchase and hears project updates

At its July 19, 2023 meeting, the Oshkosh City Redevelopment Authority approved several routine property actions and heard staff updates on a range of local projects.

The RDA unanimously accepted the donation of property at 1429 Fox Street after a motion and roll call vote. The board also approved the purchase of a vacant lot on Mill Street for $32,000; staff read the parcel identifier into the record and discussed the RDA’s inventory and procedures for handling infill lots and future requests.

During the executive director’s report, staff noted that the Pioneer Island temporary use permit for a tiki bar was issued; the Miles Kimball building has new owners (named in the meeting as Kip Golden and a development team) and is continuing on the previously approved development timeline with an anticipated finish in the fall; and the Boatworks project is seeing higher‑than‑expected bids, prompting developers Chet Wiesenberg and Tim Hess to reassess their approach. Staff also said an option term for an RDA parcel effectively expired in February 2023 but that the developers had shown engagement in city reviews. RDA staff said they are reviewing ATC easement language to avoid overly broad, perpetual restrictions on RDA properties. Staff reported work on the Sawyer/Oshkosh Avenue intersection (included in TID 35) and flagged grant opportunities tied to federal infrastructure funding.

The meeting adjourned after those items.