Community And Economic Development Committee Meeting Tonight, 12/13/2023 – Will Vote On Several Merge And Fox Commons Items Including Request To Submit Grant To Fund Development Of Downtown Market Within Fox Commons

The Community and Economic Development Committee is meeting this evening, 12/13/2023 at 6:30PM.

They will be voting on a couple items related to the Fox Commons redevelopment and Phase II of the Merge LLC development.

Fox Commons is requesting that a 5 foot wide no-build easement be established along a perimeter section of the site that was formerly the Blue Parking Ramp. The owner not being allowed to build on that area of the blue ramp parcel will allow Fox Commons to install windows on that portion of the Fox Commons Building. Merge has agreed to this in exchange for $40,000 which will be paid to the city and the city will provide to Merge in the form of a credit when Merge finalizes its purchase of the Blue Ramp site from the city.

Additionally, Merge is requesting that the purchase date agreed upon in the development agreement with the city for the Blue Ramp site be extended from 09/29/2023 to July 31, 2024. This request is not related to the easement agreement but rather results from the discovery of “previously unknown environmental contamination and an old building foundation” as well as changes in interest rates.

The committee will also be voting on a 12-month extension under the “Repurchase Rights, Failure to Build” requirements in Southpoint Commerce Park giving Oshkosh AAP, LLC an additional year to build on the land before the city has the right to repurchase the property. This is part of an agreement allowing the city to acquire trail land in Southpoint Commerce Park.

The committee will also be voting on a request to allocate $86,550 in Community Development Block Grant Funding for a Community Resource Navigator position. This will provide funding for the creation of a position that will be voted on by the Board of Health and the Human Resource and Information Technology Committee.

Finally, the committee will be voting on authorizing the submittal of a grant application to acquire Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation funds for the Fox Commons redevelopment project. If awarded, this money would be used to fund the development of a public market “focusing on wholesome food choices and local, micro-retail shops. Located on the first floor of Fox Commons, Fox Den will be a melting pot of diverse vendors and skilled food artisans, providing visitors with a variety of meals and shopping adventures. With designated activity areas, Fox Den promises family-friendly entertainment, such as bag toss, live shows, trivia games, and movie evenings.”

View full meeting details here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1126350&GUID=A7700B26-8C7D-49FD-B8C2-A331B984A111

Follow All Things Appleton:

Be the first to reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *