STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — A historic downtown building can see the light at the end of the tunnel to vacancy.
Monday evening the Stevens Point City Council unanimously approved a developer’s agreement for the Fox Theater. The building that sits right in the heart of downtown has sat vacant since the mid-80s but will soon become a new events space.
The City of Stevens Point took ownership of the Fox Theater property in November of 2019. An RFP was released for the property in March with two final proposals being submitted by June 12th. From those proposals, a selection community made of local leaders recommended a proposal from local company Wildcard Corp.
Wildcard is proposing to turn the vacant theater into an events space and beer garden. With the back two-thirds of the building demolished at the end of 2019, the newfound greenspace will be used to create the outdoor beer garden. Inside the front third of the building, an indoor events space will be built on the second floor.
A rendering of the proposed inside events space of the Fox Theater in downtown Stevens Point. (Photo courtesy of The City of Stevens Point and Wildcard Corp.)
City Community Development Director Ryan Kernosky explained the content of the developer’s agreement to the council. “Selling the Fox property itself to Wildcard for one dollar. And then the area behind the Fox which is currently owned by the Redevelopment Authority for a dollar as well.
“Additionally, we would be relocating the small greenspace to the adjacent right of way next to Strongs Avenue and then be constructing a new parking area that would be done at the expense of Wildcard.”
The developer’s agreement will last a period of 5 years after Wildcard receives its final occupancy permit. Kernosky explains the length of the agreement is to make sure the space remains an open business for at least 5 years to help the City get a return on investment.
The only public funds’ Wildcard is asking for in the proposal is a facade improvement grant to help restore the property to its original opera house facade. The facade improvement grant is a new grant program in 2020 that Stevens Point offers through the NPS Main Street Facade Improvement Grant program. The grant won’t exceed $30,000 of work on the project.
Members of the RFP selection committee spoke at the meeting expressing their support for the project. Visitors Bureau Executive Director Sara Brish says the proposal would fill a needed niche for the city’s downtown area.
“I feel like this would really compliment some of the spaces that we have and offer something unique and alternative, something different for the community. And additionally now more than ever we’ve seen an uptick of interest from our community and from our visitors in outdoor seating.”
A rendering of the proposed outdoor events space for the Fox Theater in downtown Stevens Point. (Photo courtesy of The City of Stevens Point and Wildcard Corp.)
Portage County Business Council Director Todd Kuckkahn was also a member of the RFP selection committee. He said the proposal offers a unique way to honor the historical aspect of the Fox Theater and ways to keep the project local.
“One was that they were planning to take the facility back to its original facade which was the opera house. I’m interested and excited to see that.
“They also brought back some of the history of the area in talking about the Andrae’s Biergarten. G.F. Andrae was one of the first people who was very involved in developing that space. They talked about in their proposal about using locally sourced materials.”
The proposal was approved unanimously by the City Council. With the approval, Wildcard will begin engineering and plans work for the project. Completion for the events space and beer garden is scheduled for the fall of 2021.
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