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Authority weighs how to implement sub-area plans; members debate buying land vs. grants
Summary
Following approval of three sub-area plans, staff outlined which recommendations the ARA can lead and which require full redevelopment plans; board members debated prioritizing a catalyst property purchase versus using remaining funds for business grants or streetscape projects.
The authority discussed how to move from planning to implementation after the common council approved three sub-area plans covering Richmond, Northland/Wisconsin Avenue and South Oneida.
Lindsay, who led the staff analysis, told the board she reviewed the plan recommendations and identified items appropriate for ARA involvement, noting some actions are within city authority (for example, zoning changes) and others would require a full redevelopment plan. "City of Appleton only has that authority to do something like zoning code," Lindsay said, emphasizing that some plan recommendations will need city staff and plan commission engagement.
Kara told the board the ARA has approximately $170,000 in unrestricted funds to apply toward short-term priorities, but cautioned that larger redevelopment efforts require a catalyst project and developer commitment. "We know we have 170,000 unrestricted funds," Kara said, and she urged members to match project scope to both financial resources and staff capacity.
Committee member Marissa said she favored using ARA dollars to acquire property as a catalyst for a larger redevelopment, rather than dispersing small grants across multiple districts. "...I feel like the $1.70 would be, in my opinion, best used to buy some land to try to do a project as opposed to, like, some little drips and drabs everywhere," she said.
Kara recommended keeping the $33,000 set aside for business enhancement grants intact (the city initially allocated $150,000 for a citywide business enhancement program) and using other ARA funds for acquisitions or larger catalytic investments. Board members asked about marketing the sub-area plans to developers and whether the ARA should prioritize one subarea over others; Kara suggested identifying a catalyst project and marketing opportunities to potential developers rather than creating a tax increment district (TID) before a project is committed.
The board did not make a formal allocation at the meeting but directed staff to consider strategies for identifying project opportunities, balancing grant commitments with potential property acquisition and planning for marketing to the development community.
