Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
Shawano plans to sell Center Street Park to United Cooperative, as part of the cooperative’s redevelopment project, and to establish a new park elsewhere, under an agreement approved by city officials Wednesday.
However, the city will first have to prove it owns the property it has been using as a park for more than 30 years.
The ownership wrinkle came up during back-to-back special meetings of the Plan Commission and Common Council.
City Attorney Tim Schmid said a title search didn’t turn up any record of who owns the property.
The property “showed up” in the records as a tax-exempt tax parcel in 1981, Schmid said, but no further history could be found.
The Common Council approved taking the matter to court with the expectation of a declaratory judgment that the property belongs to the city.
“Since the city has been using it as a park, we can make the case it does belong to the city,” Schmid told the council.
He said if there are no other parties objecting, the court process could take two to six months.
City Administrator Brian Knapp added the city is not aware of any other would-be owners laying claim to the property.
The park is adjacent to the United Cooperative property at 660 E. Seward St. The cooperative property borders East Green Bay Street on the north and extends south about four blocks to Center Street.
The cooperative plans to tear down and replace some of the buildings, remodel office, warehouse and fertilizer storage space, and add grain bins and a feed manufacturing facility.
The cooperative plans to bring truck traffic onto the property off Green Bay Street and have it exit on Center Street.
That caused some concern when the plan was first presented in September because of the proximity of the park and potential safety issues.
Under the revised plan, United Cooperative will purchase the Center Street Park property for $158,000, according to the developer’s agreement.
That money will go toward establishing a new neighborhood park on existing city property adjacent to the Mountain Bay Trail and Richmond Street, about three city blocks from Center Street.
The new location, at about 4 acres, is roughly half an acre larger than the Center Street site, Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks said.
United Cooperative has also entered into contracts to purchase several other adjacent properties that will slightly expand the boundaries of their redevelopment project first presented in September.
United Cooperative will begin work on the $6.9 million feed mill and warehouse buildings by the end of April. A $200,000 remodeling of office and retail space will begin by the end of June and be completed by the end of the year.
Construction of grain storage and drying bins are expected to take place in the first half of 2017. That part of the project is expected to cost $3.5 million.
All structures on the property considered blighted are to be removed no later than June 30, 2017.
The city will contribute $850,000 in tax incremental finance grant money to the project, and another $300,000 in infrastructure work, including reconstructing Center Street from Hamlin to Fairview Way to accommodate heavier truck traffic.
There are still several more approvals required from the Plan Commission and Common Council in coming months, including a site plan that will show United Cooperative’s landscaping plans and its plans for a fence or some kind of buffer between its property and adjacent residential areas.