OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – When you think of Pioneer Island in Oshkosh, you may picture family trips to Lake Winnebago. You may also picture the current location vacant with rubble.
The City of Oshkosh and local developer Art Dumke are hoping to change that.
“Mr. Dumke would like to have the marina dredged and then perhaps even open up some more boat slips,” Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff said.
The marina isn’t Dumke’s only hope for the redevelopment.
“The people that do boating also have a desire to remain nearby for swimming or other recreation, so he wants to make that available,” Rohloff said.
An outdoor tiki bar and outdoor activities are also possibilities, according to Dumke. Although, nothing is set in stone.
“We have a project plan that could have a bunch of different things. But until we enter into a development agreement and know exactly what’s going to get done, it’s premature,” Rohloff said.
The Oshkosh Common Council voted unanimously Tuesday to create a tax increment financing district for Pioneer Island.
That means a portion of the taxes would be diverted or refunded to help finance the development. Right now, an exact dollar amount hasn’t been set, but developers could potentially receive almost $6 million in incentives if this moves forward.
“We don’t know what those incentives might be until we know exactly what he wants to do, and so, we’re open-ended on what those incentives might be,” Rohloff said.
The new tax increment district isn’t the only incentive for development. Pioneer Island is one of two opportunity zones in Oshkosh. Those zones will give investors tax benefits– but in order to take full advantage of the opportunity zone, Rohloff says Dumke will have to have a plan in place by Dec. 31st.
The city is hopeful a redevelopment will bring more tourism.
“A little nostalgia comes back a little bit which is always awesome, but then the new ideas, the possibilities are pretty much endless out there. It’s a great property,” Justin DeJager with the Oshkosh Convention & Visitors Bureau said.
But for now, the keep out signs at Pioneer Island will remain.
