Minutes: Evansville Redevelopment Authority: April 19, 2007

Evansville Redevelopment Authority

Board of Commissioners

Regular Meeting

Tuesday, April 19, 2007, 7:30 pm

City Hall, 31 S. Madison Street, Evansville, Wisconsin

MINUTES

Call to Order. The meeting was called to order at 7:35 pm by Chair Chris Eager. Present: Chris Eager, Betsy Ahner, Tony Wyse, John Decker, and Tom Calley. Absent: Barbara Jacobson and Roger Roth. Also present: Executive Director Dan Wietecha, Sandy Decker, and Greg Ardisson.

Declare Quorum. There being a majority of the commissioners present at call to order, a quorum was declared by the chair.

Approve Agenda. Calley moved, seconded by Ahner, to approve the agenda as distributed. Motion approved unanimously.
Approve Minutes of March 20, 2007 Meeting. Wyse moved, seconded by Calley, to approve the minutes as distributed. Motion approved unanimously.
Old Business.

Night Owl proposal. Ardisson gave an update of his proposed renovations. Due to monetary factors, he has scaled back his plan even further. He intends to restore the Main Street façade and replace the front windows of the Night Owl building only. There would no longer be a deck or other cantilever on the east side. Some windows on the east side would be exposed; others would be sealed aesthetically. There would also be interior renovations on the main floor. The cost is still estimated around $400,000, and Ardisson will be requesting TIF assistance of about 25%. He again expects to utilize historic tax credits. The committee agreed that it was still an important project for a significant building.

Allen Creek Master Plan RFP. Eager indicated that a master plan would help us to look at the whole parcel rather than a haphazard approach to the area. The committee noted there is some development pressure in the area and further north and it would be beneficial to have a plan out in front of any development.
Wietecha said that four consultants responded to the RFP. Noting an overview memo from City Planner Tim Schwecke, the whole committee discussed the applicants. John Decker made a motion, seconded by Ahner, to schedule interviews with Planning and Design Institute and R.A. Smith and Associates. Eager noted that the interviews as well as approvals by the Finance and Labor Committee and Common Council need to advance quickly so a consultant could be hired at the next meeting.

Main and Church Streets Connection. In answer to a couple questions, Wietecha noted that this is in the Allen Creek Master Plan area. The committee discussed the property around the former Angus Haus site as a key intersection. They said it would be great to have a connection between Main and Church Streets here to help development. The committee discussed the possibility of acquiring rights of first refusal or purchase options in the area to enable a public street.

New Business.

Jan Davis, Century 21. No update.
Main Street Construction Update. We should know more about the grant application for additional bricks in a couple weeks. A related concern is the need to purchase additional bricks. Identical bricks are available in Janesville for some $46,000 to $69,000. The grant may cover this, it could be rolled into the project budget for the street work, or it would be a TIF eligible expenditure.
Other Business. Wietecha gave a brief informational update on the old Roller Rink property and the vacant lot next to it. He also gave a status update on the hotel. It may be premature to discuss the hotel now, but when the project is ready, it will come on quickly. So the committee should be prepared with some of the legal and financial aspects before they are needed.

Adjournment. Ahner moved, seconded by Calley, to adjourn the regular April meeting. Motion approved unanimously at 8:55 pm.