Minutes: Redevelopment Authority: Tuesday March 20, 2007

Evansville Redevelopment Authority
Board of Commissioners
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, March 20, 2007, 7:30 pm
City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm by Chair Chris Eager. Present: Chris Eager, Bill Hammann, Betsy Ahner, Tony Wyse, John Decker, Tom Calley, and Roger Roth (left at 8:00). Also present: Executive Director Dan Wietecha, Greg Ardisson, and Norm Paulson.
Declare Quorum. There being a majority of the commissioners present at call to order, a quorum was declared by the chair.
Approve Agenda. Bill Hammann moved, seconded by John Decker, to approve the agenda as distributed. Motion approved unanimously.
Approve Minutes of February 20, 2007 Meeting. Bill Hammann moved, seconded by John Decker, to approve the minutes as distributed. Motion approved unanimously.

Old Business.


Night Owl proposal.

Greg Ardisson with Norm Paulson (Bob Kimball Construction) gave an update of his proposed renovations. The cost estimate is simply too high, so he has wholly revised his plans. He intends to restore the Main Street façade, possibly including the two buildings to the west. He said he intended to install siding over the third floor windows on Maple Street, allowing someone else in the future to uncover and historically restore them. The siding and roof repairs would weatherproof the building and prevent further damage. Interior renovations would be limited to the main floor, including a larger kitchen and a backdoor fire exit. The earlier proposed deck on Maple Street would instead be an enclosed three- or four-season porch, presumably cantilevered over the sidewalk. He acknowledged the project would no longer qualify for historic tax credits.

The redevelopment authority said it remained an important project in helping a local business, meeting a service need for the community, and enhancing the historic nature of a critical downtown block. They appreciated maintaining the historic façade on Main Street and said Maple Street did not have the same visibility. They indicated a preference to have the Maple Street windows replaced than covered and asked Ardisson to have his architect provide elevations showing the proposal with and without the windows. An air space lease would still be required for a porch over the sidewalk. They indicated they would likely be willing to use TIF and asked Ardisson and Paulson to work with Wietecha on financial projections for the proposal.
Allen Creek Master Plan. Dan Wietecha distributed a draft request for proposals (RFP) prepared by City Planner Tim Schwecke. Bill Hammann moved, seconded by John Decker, to approve the RFP and to solicit proposals from several planning consultants. Motion approved unanimously.

Promoting TID #5.

The board noted that the east end of downtown is in difficult condition with the Angus Haus burned down. It may be possible to consolidate several smaller parcels into one larger property for development. The city should also acquire public right-of-way between Main and Church Streets in this area. There was a consensus that the area needs to be a priority because of its prominent location.

New Business.
Main Street Construction. Wietecha stated that the contractor for the underground utility work would begin mobilizing the week of April 2 and construction would begin April 9. Sidewalks would remain open throughout the construction. The construction would be sequenced with three distinct phases: west of Madison, Maple and west of Maple, and east of Maple to the bridge. Each phases would be finished and re-opened to traffic before proceeding to the next phase. The project is scheduled for completion July 2. Laying the brick street and replacing the sidewalks would begin shortly thereafter and is expected to take all summer. The Downtown Task Force will continue promoting the downtown businesses during the construction.
8 Railroad Street. The property has recently been purchased by Mark Cash who is reportedly interested in developing the site. Wietecha will contact him.

Adjournment. Betsy Ahner moved, seconded by John Decker, to adjourn the regular March meeting. Motion approved unanimously at 8:40 pm.