Tim Ryan, tryan@wolfrivermedia.com
City officials this week heard pitches from two developers offering plans for the Shawano Medical Center site after the hospital relocates later this year, but lingering questions stalled them from making a final choice.
The Shawano Plan Commission, Industrial and Commercial Development Committee and SMC-ThedaCare representatives met in closed session with the developers Wednesday.
It had been expected that a recommendation would be made to the Shawano Common Council for its reorganizational meeting Tuesday, but the meeting was adjourned with no action taken.
“We have some follow-up questions for them,” City Administrator Brian Knapp said.
Knapp said the city would look to get those questions answered before another meeting is scheduled.
“It’s entirely dependent on their responses,” he said. “Once we’ve gotten some clarity, we will probably reconvene and continue with the discussion.”
The city initially had three developers interested in the property, but one of those had been pursuing tax credits tied to the historic nature of the hospital property.
The historic tax credits played a major role in financing for the project that turned the former Lincoln School into an apartment complex.
But in the case of the Shawano Medical Center, there had been too much remodeling and building modifications to qualify for the credits.
City officials have been mum about what the two remaining developers are proposing.
The hospital will relocate this fall to a new site adjacent to ThedaCare Physicians on County Road B.