OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — The Oshkosh City Council is debating the benefits of purchasing the City Center property on Main Street and helping revitalize the space. They will continue the discussion at their Tuesday night meeting.
A reimagining of City Center is included in the Oshkosh 2024 Redevelopment Plan.
“It’s a large portion of downtown, and when our downtown is thriving, Oshkosh is thriving,” Joe Stephenson, Oshkosh deputy mayor, says.
The property spans 20 acres and some 450,000 square feet, so Stephenson says it’s difficult to find a private investor who could purchase the building and afford a remodel.
“The city is really just looking at how should we play a roll in this,” Stephenson says.
The purchase is still up for discussion, but if the city does move forward, Stephenson says, the redevelopment will be completed in phases and keeping the current businesses will be a top priority.
The council is also discussing improvements to, or a possible relocation of, city hall. There’s a chance city hall will be moved to the City Center, but Stephenson says it’s not a focus of their discussion at this point.
“I don’t think at this point it’s really living up to its full potential, it’s time to really reimagine how this building and this space feels, how it looks and how it can better serve our community in the future,” Stephenson says.
Earlier this month, city councilor Kris Larson resigned due to the possible purchase of the City Center.
Larson owns a restaurant in the property, and he left the council to prevent a conflict of interest.
