Community Development Authority - Regular Meeting

Is that a yes? Yep. I think it was a yes. All right. Well, good afternoon everybody and um welcome to the White Fish Bay uh Community Development Authority. Good to see you people out there and it'll keep those of us up here awake and and lucid and all of that. Some of us have been doing this for a long time. It's good to see some of the newer faces as well. So, we've got, I think, a very interesting uh schedule today and u uh I think we'll start with an approval of the minutes from the meeting held on July the 9th. Move approval. Second.

Uh any discussion on that? Any concerns? All in favor, please say I. I. Motion carries. Thank you. All right. Now, let's see. We'll go to dis discussion. uh and some action on a request from the Argo to replace the marquee sign at the Fox Bay Theater. We're going to take that item two uh by itself and not push it into uh three and four. So, if you go over to that what it's you all got a picture of this thing

for those of you out there. I don't know if they put it up in the screen. And uh I think the first thing we need to do is to see if what what we have in a matter of comments. Uh this is supposed to be a discussion on uh what they've drawn up as their u uh initial signage.

If you don't mind, I can give a brief introduction with some background and then um the owners perfect is here this evening as well. So, this item is before the CDA um this evening because it's one of the provisions um that you requested to be included in the developers agreement to review any alterations to the marquee sign. Um typically signs are administratively approved and do not require ARC or CDA approval. Uh so, one of the um owners of the Argo, Adam Powers, who you all have seen now many times, is here this evening. Um, and he can he can walk through uh what what they're requesting this evening, which is a replacement of the sign, as well as their efforts to um to kind of keep the likeness of the original sign as well as their plans to utilize the original sign within the building.

Notes down here.

Hello all. Thanks for having me. Um so I just want to thank you all first for um meeting with us today and um looking at the sign here. Um after a close look um into the sign and actually the structural issues and electrical and also the safety of people walking under the sign um we've had multiple companies go through um and do a survey on the sign and basically found out that it's unfeasible to actually restore it at at its state right now. So, we're proposing um a new sign. Um and as you can see um it's a little bit different. Um I would say that the dimensions are very similar to the old sign. The illumination as well. There's also a dimmer on the sign as well to keep uh very close to whatever the sign was before. We're still going through some of those electrical things when it comes to um determining the actual illumination of it. And once we have those, we'll we'll send it over to the village for final approval with the cut sheets and actually illumination of the sign. So everyone can approve that as well. Um, also we as you can see at the bottom there is uh trying to keep the tribute of the Fox Bay Theater alive. We understand how special the sign is to the community and we're trying to honor that with this thing is will always be Fox Bay Theater um in our hearts and through the community. So we're honoring it with at the Fox Bay Theater. So the the real name of the whole place is the Argo at the Fox Bay Theater. Also, what we'll be doing is the letters on the the right or the left there. Um, we're going to take those letters down and actually put them inside um upstairs in our ballroom area and uh basically restore what we can of those letters and actually bring them back to life and actually put them on one of the walls up there as you walk up the stairs to the ballroom which is going to be also called the marquee ballroom um to honor the theater. We're going to put a a nice sign on there and when people have their events or whatever it'll say a Fox Bay theater and it'll be like welcome Sarah

and Joe's wedding or or something like that on on that that wall. Um also on our website we'll have um a a space where we are going to ask people to send us photos and pictures of their memories of the Fox Bay Theater. And we're going to build this out um not only uh uh online but also we're going to try to uh work with the historical foundation actually do an installation of the history of Fox Bay Theater. So always be alive inside those four walls. Um and also um as we we build this business and and take the work to get people to show up and get new bands to come um it's very important to us that you know they can actually find find the building. That's also one reason why we're trying to um make sure people know that it is the Argo and people will come there for their wedding receptions, um bands or or dinner and whatnot. Um that's all I really have. Um I know Coat's on the line if you have anything else to add.

Hi everyone. Uh I think you you've pretty much covered every everything, Adam. I think I would just I would just add that, you know, we we obviously understand the the how special this sign is and we did our best here to to honor that and to to bring elements of the old sign into into the new sign. So, I just want to to call that out. But I think you covered everything. Thanks. Any uh questions, comments? We've got a few people here. If uh you have a comment, a quick one, we'd take that as well.

Hey, my my only question for you, it's not about the sign actually. It's it's the um I don't know what you call it. The the the the ceiling below the the silver strip. Yeah, the awning. Yeah, the awning. There you go. Um is is that going to stay the same or is there going to be like a you know, one single strip of green light or something? Um, as of right now, it's going to be stay the same, but it does it does need some work. Um, as we do construction, you can see, you know, there still needs some work. So, and then I suppose all the bulbs on the awning, right?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All those will be replaced. Um, most will be LED internally and then on the external try to do as close to what was up there as possible. I I if I remember, isn't there a a western entrance that has something Fox Bay? Maybe a neon or something? I I keep there's nothing there now. Yeah, it's not part of your building. It's actually, you know, 100 feet west. Yeah. Yeah. This says Fox Bay building, I believe. Something like that. But is it is it neon? Is there like a neon strip to it? I think some kind of art deco thing to it. Anyways, you might want to match that. That's all. Yeah. No, I got you. Yeah, I'm good.

Just a couple of questions about the the layout of the sign here. Um just trying to eyeball it. Uh the um area that is part of the marquee that would be utilized for posting of uh what's going on inside. Yes, that looks like it's a little smaller than what the the original one is. Is it or is that just my um it's it's a little bit smaller. Um the idea was trying to fit basically a week worth of activity. So you had one line. So it's five lines. We're open 5 days a weekish to have a much um what's happening in there. Okay. And then that'll that'll be back lit then I Yeah.

And the uh uh the Argo portion of it above there uh right now the old Fox Bay sign had bulbs in, you know, an array that Yep. that I think maybe rotator glitter or whatever. What what's this one going to have as compared as compared to that? It'll be um more LED, but it will be as close as possible to the the original um fixtures. There's a bunch of different light bulbs out there now that are more LED that will have that.

Yeah, it kind of looked that way in that third picture there. So, and and given I mean just the overall square footage of this versus what's there, uh is is it pretty much the same? I mean, it looks like it is, but yeah, it's Yeah, it's pretty much on par with the old sign. Um, as far as the uh uh the word, and I should know this probably from a earlier presentation. Yeah. Can you talk a little bit about your name? Yeah. What's the what the origin of that?

Yeah. Um, yeah, absolutely. Um, the Argo is um a family name of of my whole family. Um it's a originally a sailboat that my grandparents bought from or built from scratch. So in Lake Erie, my grandfather and my grandmother and then I found out later that my grand or my aunt and uncle actually built the sailboat. My my grandparents kind of watched. Um but so they built it from scratch and they sailed um Lake Erie every summer and it was just one of those places that was so much fun to be on. Always had a good time. It was a place to gather. It was it was safe. Um, and I just remember being like just this is a place I always want to be. So, um, long story short, but, uh, they ended up, uh, sailing it actually all the way down to Florida after my grandfather passed. And it was always in the family. It was always this great place to be. And, um, when I was trying to think of something to name this, I really wanted to like not only something that made sense to me, but also understand that like this was a place that everyone loved. And that's what I'm trying to bring to here to Whitefish Bay. It's something that everyone loves to be in there and they never want to kind of leave. They want to hang out, watch a band, um get some food, watch someone get married. Um and it's just very personal to to us as a company and also to me as a person. Um I did name my dog actually Argo as well, but that was before this project. Um but that's kind of the story behind it.

Thank you. Let me ask you a question then. Um uh if one comes uh to find the uh the theater and I'm not just thinking of people in Whitefish Bay, you're going to be attracting people from miles and miles around. I hope. Yep. And I think you will. That's the goal. Uh and uh what they're going to be looking for is something that says Fox Bay. Now they may be looking for the Argo sign as well. But I think uh and there's nothing wrong with putting Argo up there because you guys are the ones doing the work and all of that,

but uh uh my own view is there should be more room for the reference to Fox Bay and Argo could be in as big a letters as you want it, but if if you if you if you want the the theater to have the feeling that it's got history, that it's got importance, that people are going to be excited about it, you got to boom, let them know that they're there, at least at the right right block

and you can keep your Argo sign if you want that big if that's what you do with your buildings that's fine but just broaden that and light it and so that people can see that especially in the evening and for pickups at you know at night and mom and dad are going to pick up the kids after this or that you know how that goes maybe under the sign what you're going to hear so again that would be my suggestion a little less argo make it big that's fine but U u Fox Bay. That's the whole idea. That's that's been the thing for so long. I think you lose things if you don't. So I just encourage you to think that over. Absolutely.

Any other comments? Anybody in the audience? Oh, we have one here. We have one here. Um I did did you look at uh uh doing some kind of electronic uh for lettering for the uh you know the changeable part of the marquee. Yeah, we looked at that. We wanted to keep it more true to the style. And um it just for me if we're going to honor a something that's a little bit older, we want to kind of keep that same aesthetic. Um I I'm not at all surprised that that once you got into it that you discovered that the the old sign was essentially not salvageable. Yeah.

Um there was an article written in 1990s where they did some also look into it and did some repairs but I don't think they ever got it repaired fully. Yeah. So, I uh I don't mean to disagree with our chairman, but I I I like the scale of it. Um and and the way it uh the the way it works, and I I think it's I think it's an admirable. Is the are are the are the lettering is the lettering at the Fox Bay, is that back lit? Yes. Okay. That'll be lit at night, so it'll Good. Yeah. Yeah. Good. I'm

okay. Any other comments? Yes, please. I would uh just echo what um Dick has shared that I think you've struck a nice balance between paying homage to the theater but then kind of rebranding it for your new purpose. So, I like what you've done here. I think it's balanced and it has a nice aesthetic. Thank you.

Yeah. Go ahead. You know, I started out with the idea that we really needed to do everything we could to save the old Fox Bay sign just because I thought it was historic and and had nostalgia and people people really did like that. But the more I think about this and the more I see the the new the design here, it's in keeping with the scale

uh and it it does provide that uh that reference uh to the Fox Bay Theater. that's lit. But I think more than anything else, this is a an initiative that we want to be successful. And you sure want people to know where they're going and how to get to the Argo because that's the uh that's that's what's going on there now. And uh it's not a movie theater anymore. So this is what it's this is what it's going to be. And I think that uh I'm I'm going to support this one. Anything else uh from any of us?

Mr. Chairman, is this uh in the purview of the this approval uh of the CDA or are we making a recommendation to the board? It's the CDA would would approve. I I I would move I would move that the CDA um approves the plan for the revised uh uh Argo sign as presented. Would you say I a second? Second. Second. Sarah has We'll go through that again so there's no mistake. Second it. Okay, we had a second. All in favor? I I Any oppose? There we go. Got your sign. Thank you. that has passed. Thank you.

Thank you. Can you can you give us a 20 seconds on how your construction is going? Um, very well done. Very well. Excellent. Okay. Okay, I think the next order of business uh is a discussion and perhaps some action on a memorandum of understanding between the village of Whitefish Bay and this body, the CDA. And how would you like to handle this?

Yeah. Um so the short of it is that um I'm going to request that you do not take action on this this evening. Um, as I wrote in the memo, we took the direction from the last CDA meeting, which was to draft anou between the CDA and the village of White Fish Bay that would transfer the TID one um funds to the CDA. We have um I've talked a lot to elders as well as to our auditors and um obviously to our village attorney, Chris. Um and so Chris had drafted that agreement. our um auditors had reviewed it and provided feedback which was positive and this morning we heard back from Ellers to be fair to them they had a quick turnaround time um and they recommended some additional changes that I think are really useful um the the highlight of it is is that they're recommending that we do annual transfers versus the one lump sum transfer that was in the draft and so we will make those edits which I think are very good um and thank you to Mike for reviewing those recommendations as as well. So, we'll make those changes and then we'll bring this agreement back to the next um CDA meeting. And at that time, the bid agreement should be ready as well. Um for that bid agreement, we're just waiting on the lighting cost because it would be ideal to just do one agreement and lump all those expenses in um to that one agreement. So, hopefully at the next CDA meeting, we'll be able to work through all of that um and the TID closure planning um will essentially be done. In the meantime, I will reach out to members of the joint review board to just let them know about these final plans and to just make sure um that they're in agreement and don't have any major concerns and I'll report that back as well at the next meeting.

All right. Are there any comments? Um I am hoping if anyone read the agreement and has comments, I will take those as well so we can incorporate it into a final draft. I I don't know that I have comments on the agreement, but just when would those um payments start that so you said there's annual payments. Is that to starting next year or October 1st or 26? I do have it memorized. We uh 2026. 2026. Yeah. October 1st, 2026. December 1st. December 1st. Okay. Is there anything else we need to do on this? Any other comments on the uh memorandum of understanding between the village and the CDA? I think we're good.

If anyone does read the agreement and you have comments, um please send them over and we'll incorporate that into the next draft. Okay. uh maybe for the benefit of those who haven't had to read it and uh you do you want to just maybe say 30 seconds of what that's about or it's really just facilitating moving the remaining what is essentially 400,000 from TID one to the CDA um to be used for the purposes outlined in the project plan which is um providing incentives to businesses within TID one. So, it's an internal moving around of some money and and uh given some of the new means of suspending it. Yep. Yeah. Exactly.

Okay. Any other comments on that or anything to add on it? Any questions by those out in the audience? All right. We'll move right along then. Uh let's see. The next item is item number four. That we may convene into a closed session pursuant to Wisconsin statute 19.851c 851c deliberating or negotiating the purchase of public property investing of public funds, conducting other specified business wherever and whenever competitive and or bargaining reasons require a closed session specifically regarding redevelopment of SED food market. So moved. Second. All right. Any questions on that? All in favor please say I.

I have it. We'll go into close session. All right.

All right. I'll I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Yeah. Second. Second. All right. All in favor? I I Thank you very much. Motion carries. One