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Despite findings from a newly appointed committee, the park debate at Monday’s meeting was divided on familiar lines: whether to leave the Wilkie site as open space or build another steamboat replica there.
In June, the council resolved the Wilkie-no Wilkie debate with a wrecking ball and tore down the aging replica. Now, the city is relying on several committees to develop a plan for the scenic riverfront area home to the former Wilkie.
Monday night, the Downtown Revitalization Committee debuted its report, urging the council to pursue a proposal to remake the park with stylistic cues from the 1950s and 60s before the levee was built. The committee also suggested the council further study a proposal to build a Mississippi River interpretative center on the former Wilkie site.
The council seemed intrigued by the proposal but suggested the interpretive center may work better at another site.
Monday night’s decisions were made in three motions, the first stating that no new structures will be built on the Wilkie site in accordance with the city’s comprehensive plan. That motion passed 4-2 with councilmen James Kahl and Al Thurley dissenting. The council then unanimously passed a pair of motions ordering city staff to seek redesign proposals for the park, and ordering staff to pursue outside funding for the interpretative center proposal.
Most of the debate centered on the first motion, when Thurley said he opposed any directive that would limit new-use proposals for Levee Park.
“This whole issue has taken years, and it may take a few more years,” Thurley said. “But I think it deserves to take the time it needs.”
Another facility similar to the old Wilkie would need either public backing or a substantial private endowment, Mayor Jerry Miller argued. Miller said public sentiment wouldn’t support the city subsidizing construction or maintenance of the interpretative center originally proposed by another committee, the Levee on Main Task Force.
“There is not an appetite out there for the public to take on more buildings,” Miller said.
Levee on Main members said their proposal wouldn’t necessarily use public funds, and argued they deserve at least two years to raise money from private sources.
Task force member Linda King said she and other interpretative-center supporters were disappointed when the council dubbed their “dream site” off-limits. But King said the group was intrigued when Miller hinted that city-owned land west of the Wilkie site might better suit their proposal.
“We’re alive and well,” King said. “The idea of having an interpretative center, we never thought it was going to happen quickly.”
Mark Sommerhauser may be reached at (507) 453-3514 or msommerhauser@winonadailynews.com
