Oshkosh is looking to buy the City Center site for $12.5 million. May 6, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Oshkosh is looking to buy the City Center for $12.5 million to redevelop it into new housing, commercial and public spaces.
“Downtown development is really key to what we do for our city,” said Tricia Rathermel, President/CEO of the Greater Oshkosh Economic Development Corporation. “It truly does create vibrancy. It’s the heart of our city.”
Conceptual designs show what the 17-acre city site could look like – these are conceptual, not exact renderings of what Oshkosh actually hopes to develop.
City Center, formerly the Park Plaza Mall, was built in the 1960s. It still has over 20 tenants, including companies 4Imprint, Becket’s and Caramel Crisp. If purchased, the city says it’ll work with each tenant to find new homes and potentially let them move back in when the project is completed.
However, that could be a long ways off.
“I would guess a minimum of six to 10 years before we feel the development is good,” said Sara Rutkowski, Oshkosh Community Development Director.
The site is about 25% of Oshkosh’s business district. The city would buy the site, then prepare it for private redevelopment, believing it’ll both improve the city and in contribute more to the tax base in the long-term.
“What we really are talking about here is the city purchasing the site so we have site control,” said Rathermel. “And that sets us up for a phased redevelopment.”
The city will look for state and federal grants to offset the $12.5 million price tag, plus an unknown amount to prepare the site for redevelopment. Oshkosh says it may take on debt but won’t charge extra property taxes.
“We would not be using the tax levy to purchase the site,” said Rutkowski.
The city will vote on whether to approve the purchase at a series of meetings this month:
- Common Council, May 12
- Plan Commission, May 19
- Common Council, May 26
After previous discussions, the city does not plan to move City Hall to the City Center site.
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