Appleton, WI (WTAQ) – Appleton city leaders announced that, on Wednesday morning, they signed closing documents to buy a downtown parking lot from Outagamie County for $2 million.
That is the site of the planned center.
The city also plans to spend nearly $2 million to improve infrastructure around the site, including a portion of a skywalk connecting the center to the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel.
Plans call for the hotel’s owners to operate the center.
The move comes on the heels of Appleton and nine other communities agreeing to raise hotel room taxes.
The last community to approve a room tax raise was Neenah, which did so Tuesday night.
Kaukauna, the Town of Neenah, Kimberly, Little Chute, Grand Chute, the City of Menasha, and Town of Menasha are also raising their hotel room taxes.
Room tax money is earmarked for the exhibition center as well as the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau’s tourism development fund to pay for new sports facilities.
Project leaders now have to contract with an architect and construction manager. Construction could begin by next summer.
The cost of the facility could be as high as $35 million.
