Oshkosh RDA approves $1 sale of 302 Merit Avenue to neighborhood nonprofit

The Oshkosh Redevelopment Authority voted to approve Resolution 2603 on March 17, authorizing the sale of 302 Merit Avenue to Greater Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods Incorporated for $1.

The vote followed a presentation from Liz Lass, executive director of Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods (also identified as Greater Oshkosh Healthy Neighborhoods Incorporated), who described the project as a pilot to convert a long-vacant lot into two long-term affordable rental units targeted at households earning below 80% of area median income. "If we purchase this property, the project will allow us to transform a vacant parcel into a safe, highquality housing opportunity that benefits residents, the neighborhood, and the broader Oshkosh community," Lass said.

Nut graf: The board emphasized removing a nearly decade‑vacant lot from the RDA inventory and using public and private partnerships to deliver affordable housing. The nonprofit has already secured a $50,000 WEDA Foundation grant, a build partner credit and allowances from Signature Homes, and expects to apply in May for Federal Home Loan Bank funding that could reimburse up to $100,000 in construction costs.

Lass presented project and budget details: an estimated duplex development budget around $398,000 (a simplified starting figure of about $415,000 reduced by partner credits), insurance cost estimated at roughly $800 per year for the LLC, and projected rents of about $1,080–$1,100 per side. She said referral partners would prioritize people transitioning from homelessness, refugee resettlement, or domestic violence services. She also noted the property’s lead service lines must be replaced and that initiating development would trigger replacement within about six months.

Board members spoke in favor, citing the expense of holding vacant land and the project’s potential to catalyze further neighborhood reinvestment. The motion to approve the offer to purchase was moved, seconded and approved in roll call with six affirmative votes (motion carried 6). The resolution authorizing the sale is numbered 2603.

Next steps: staff and the nonprofit will complete purchase and due‑diligence steps, proceed with design and construction planning with Signature Homes and other partners, and (if awarded) incorporate Federal Home Loan Bank reimbursement into the project financing. The board did not specify any contractual recapture of profit if the nonprofit later sells the property; staff noted the RDA does not typically include such provisions in offer agreements and that any re‑acquisition would occur via the open market.