RDA approves $1 offer-to-purchase framework for West Eighth Avenue redevelopment to Millennium Construction

The Oshkosh Redevelopment Authority voted unanimously to approve an offer to purchase for the redevelopment of a city-owned West Eighth Avenue parcel, advancing a proposal from Millennium Construction to develop a mixed-use project the developer calls the Meridian.

The approval, recorded as Resolution 2409 and taken as amended, authorizes a conditional option to sell the parcel to Millennium and adds timeline and land‑use benchmarks tied to the developer’s state tax‑credit application process. The authority’s members voted aye on the resolution at the meeting after adopting a motion to add and remove specific wording in the draft resolution.

The vote matters because the authority’s approval provides the developer a clear path to demonstrate site feasibility to tax‑credit reviewers and preserves the RDA’s ability to set benchmarks before final sale. John (city staff) told the authority the parcel is part of the RDA’s Sawdust District master‑plan area and that the city used an EPA grant to pay for environmental investigation work developers would otherwise have to fund.

Developer Jared English (identified in the meeting as “Jerry English”), of Millennium Construction, presented a preliminary design for the Meridian concept and described project basics: a mixed building that would include about 92 total residential units (76 apartment units plus 16 townhomes), approximately 98 parking spaces, and podium construction with subterranean parking and a plaza fronting Main Street. English gave a preliminary development cost estimate “about 28,000,000” (quoted from the presentation) before tax credits or other financing. He said the team is pursuing state housing tax credits and working with Baker Tilly on a 4% tax‑credit application.

English summarized the proposed unit mix and sizing as presented to the authority: studios and one‑bedroom units (roughly 600 square feet for studios; one‑bedroom ~900 sq. ft.), 23 one‑bedroom/one‑bath units, 42 two‑bedroom units at about 1,200 sq. ft., and 16 townhomes around 1,300 sq. ft. He described a site layout with apartment massing on the north side, townhomes on the south side, commercial frontage and plaza facing Main Street, and a “hot spot” of contamination near the northeast corner at Seventh and Main that the city’s prior sampling had identified.

RDA staff noted the authority has previously issued an RFP and had received multiple inquiries; Millennium’s team was the party prepared to bring a formal offer at this meeting. Staff and the developer told the authority they expect to submit a conceptual application to the state program in December (the timeline was described as shifting into January in recent years) and to learn award results in the following spring; if awarded, the project team expects to proceed toward closing and to begin construction in summer 2025, subject to financing and tax‑credit awards.

During discussion, members asked about contamination, parking, public amenity space and whether the proposed sale price would be $1. Staff said the $1 purchase price would be conditioned on the developer receiving the tax credits and other benchmarks in the resolution. Authority members also amended language in the draft resolution to clarify land‑use benchmarks: they inserted the word “conceptual” in one condition (number 3) and removed the word “conceptual” from another condition (number 5) so that the resolution’s timing and benchmarks match the city’s and the state program’s evolving processes.

The recorded roll call on the final amended resolution was: Bella Crowley — aye; Lasky — aye; Shireman — aye; Ponick — aye; Migrauer — aye. The motion carried.

The authority also convened briefly into closed session earlier in the meeting to discuss bargaining strategy and terms related to negotiation of the acquisition and redevelopment agreement for the parcel; staff cited Section 19.851(1)(e) of the Wisconsin statutes as the statutory basis for the closed session. After closed session the body returned to open session and completed action on Resolution 2409.

Next steps identified on the record: staff will incorporate the amended benchmark language into the final offer paperwork; the developer will continue to refine tax‑credit and financing work with Baker Tilly and partners and return with progress updates at subsequent RDA meetings.