STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) – The future of a senior housing apartment building in Stevens Point is back in limbo after city council members struggled to agree on its future. Edgewater Manor along the Wisconsin River downtown needs several maintenance and safety upgrades. Mayor Mike Wiza says the list is pretty extensive. “We now have a study showing what repairs and what improvements are needed. There was some discussion at council, and I don’t think there was a good consensus. There were four failed motions, so I think there’s a lot of concern.”
There are reports of bricks falling from the building, and recent complaints of elevator breakdowns and curb and sidewalk problems. The windows are also in need of upgrades, and the facade has been temporarily repaired. A motion by Tony Patton to deny funding for Edgewater Manor repairs failed on a 4-7 vote. Another motion to borrow 1.4 million dollars for the most critical of the repairs did not pass either. A third motion to have the Redevelopment Authority bring a prioritized list of repairs back to council next month also failed on a 5-6 vote.
Mayor Wiza says he would have liked to see a decision on funding or no funding. “Nobody wants to say that we’re not going to make the repairs. It’s a large sum of money to commit as well for the residents of that area, and I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t make a decision on how much to fund or not to fund at all. None of those motions passed.”
The motion that did pass was to dissolve the present agreement requiring both Redevelopment Authority and city council approval to move forward with Edgewater Manor projects. Wiza says that puts all decision making except financing in the hands of the Redevelopment Authority. “What the council did was turn that authority back over to the Redevelopment Authority where it was in the first place. The Redevelopment Authority now is going to be charged with making a decision on what to fund, what to repair, and then come back and ask us for money, or say that the city is probably not the best person to handle this and look at other alternatives.”
With the agreement dissolved, Edgewater Manor residents don’t yet know what’s next for the building they call home, because it’s now up to the Redevelopment Authority. “They could sell it. They could lease it. They could tear it down. You know, they have that authority. They could also ask the city to fund the full 4.7 million dollars, and council might say no to that. I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
It’s possible the Redevelopment Authority will come back to the city council with a specific funding request. If they do, getting it could be a longshot with half of the council opposed to putting money into the building. Some alders believe the city should not be in the landlord business. Alderman Mike Phillips is one that believes the building is a money pit with possible hidden problems and costs, and he’s not in favor of borrowing for it.
The city has hired Candlewood Properties to manage the leasing of the units. There are considerably more tenants at Edgewater Manor now, which would allow the building to sustain 20 years of payments on a 1.4 million dollar loan if that is approved in the future.
Several city residents including Edgewater Manor residents spoke in favor of borrowing to repair the building, but did not pursuade council members to commit to either keeping ownership or spending money on the building.
(Listen to Mayor Mike Wiza’s comments after the city council meeting on our website, here.)
