The Sunset School redevelopment project was discussed at Wednesday's City Plan Commission meeting. The Sturgeon Bay School District owns the property, and so the final say on any course of action resides with it. The city serves in an advisory role. It considered three proposals, opting to recommend a 23-unit townhome concept.
S. C. Swiderski (SCS) of Mosinee submitted the plan, which does not include affordable housing. Expectations are for the development to be valued between three and three-and-a-half million dollars. SCS is asking to be gifted the land and have the district pay for demolition of the existing structure. A recent estimate suggests the cost to be $189,000 when factoring in the removal of debris. Administrator Josh VanLieshout says the district had been cautioned by city officials ahead of time that they may not receive any windfall from the property's sale.
The commission also looked at the three proposals for a parcel of land on Maple Street. It rejected an affordable housing proposal titled the Village at West Waterfront. The submission relied on Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority funds, which would not be allocated until springtime. Construction wouldn't start until January 2022. The estimated value came in at $1.67 million. All members thought that the location required something more upscale than what was offered.
The second submission seeks to use $1.4 million in community development grants and $740,000 in additional assistance. In total, the building would have 40 units, 21 of those affordable housing. Construction could be concluded as early as June of 2022. Commission members unanimously rejected the building's preliminary design, asking Northpointe Development to look at several modifications.
The third proposal was a grander project, 78 units with no affordable housing. It asked for $2.5 million in financial assistance and included an opt-out clause lasting up to 18 months. That was too long for Mayor David Ward. He said it was conceivable that construction may drag into 2024 given that timeline, and the rest of the commission agreed with his assessment. The panel will deliberate on Northpointe's resubmission at a future meeting.
*Photo shows exterior design for townhomes at the West Side School site on Eighth Avenue. The City Plan Commission will be recommending the S.C. Swiderski development to Sturgeon Bay School District who owns the property.
