Site located beside police, fire stations
By Angie Landsverk
The city of Waupaca is buying property adjacent to the police and fire departments.
“We feel it’s very important to own that whole block where the police and fire departments are,” said Mayor Brian Smith. “There are no plans to expand either right now, but in the future, we have the ability to without having to move.”
The common council met in closed session on Sept. 18, to discuss buying the former Midtown Motors site.
The property is located on the corner of Fulton and Washington streets.
When the council returned to open session, it voted unanimously to purchase the property from Mike Colligan at a cost of $225,000.
Ald. Steve Hackett was absent.
“The plan is to tear down the building and in the next few years, it will be used as a parking lot, along with parking in front of the old Kwik Trip building,” Smith said.
When Kwik Trip built its new convenience station across the street, it donated the former site to the city.
The city leases the building to C & D Professional Insurances-Rural Mutal Insurance.
There is public parking available on that site.
The fence on the Midtown Motors property is also being torn down after the city closes on the property.
The mayor estimates between 50 and 60 parking stalls will be available for the public once it is turned into a parking lot.
That figure includes the parking currently available to the public on the old Kwik Trip site.
The closing on the former Midtown Motors site is set for late October or early November, Smith said.
He said the city will use reserve funds to pay for the property.
“We haven’t decided whether we will borrow money and repay the reserves,” Smith said.
Like next door, there was once a gas station on this property.
“The place was cleaned up previously with a Brownfield Grant,” he said. “The only issue we might have is if we tear down the building, which is our plan, we might disturb some areas that didn’t get cleaned up.”
Smith said there is between $500,000 and $1 million available in Brownfield grants.
“So we feel comfortable if there is any contamination – and we don’t think there is – there’s probably grant money available,” he said.
There is a Brownfield Grant on the property that is good through July 1, 2020, Smith said.
“There is a little twist in it,” the mayor said. “To be able to use the grants available, we would have to buy the property through the Community Development Authority.”
The Community Development Authority is made up of city residents and members of the common council, he said.
This was not the first negotiation between the city and Colligan.
“We negotiated early in spring. It fell through,” Smith said. “He approached us about a month ago and accepted the price we offered him back in the spring.”
The city initially talked to Colligan about buying the property when it was planning the renovation and expansion of the police department.
That project began in 2007 and ended in 2008.