Developer must have preliminary plan for vacant church by Nov. 15
By Angie Landsverk
The city of Waupaca is giving a developer more time to come up with a plan for the former St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church site.
The common council voted 10-0 last month to approve a two-month extension of the development agreement with Nino Pedrelli, of State Street Realty Advisors.
The extension is to next February, said Kathy Kasza, the city’s finance director and treasurer.
There is to be a preliminary plan by Nov. 15, and council approval of one by Feb. 1, she said.
If there is no plan by June 1, Pedrelli agrees to pay the city $75,000 for the property.
“The good news is he still thinks he can put together a project. The bad is he’s not ready to show them publicly,” Mayor Brian Smith told the council.
The property is bordered by Badger, State and Division streets, with senior apartments behind it.
The city bought the property for $100,000 in late 2018.
It then negotiated a transfer of the property to Pedrelli for $1.
That was so the property remained taxable this year.
The church has been vacant for 16 years, since the parish dedicated its new church on Shadow Road in May 2003.
The property is among those identified in the city’s downtown master plan as being catalysts for Waupaca’s downtown redevelopment.
The mayor previously said there was interest in developing the property into a commercial or residential project.