By Taylor J. Hale 

Staff Writer

STEVENS POINT – CREATE’s Fox Theater project may get a boost from the city.

The finance committee approved plans for a $250,000 funding request to CREATE Portage County to support their revisioning of the Fox Theater.

A 3-2 vote carried the motion at a committee meeting on Sept. 9.

The funding will aid phase-one of the “New Fox” project and is contingent on CREATE staff working with the city to form a development agreement to be reviewed at the October finance committee meeting.

The agreement will finalize construction plans, allowing CREATE to access the funding. City leaders would utilize tax increment financing capital for the request.

The request was spurred from the city issuing a raze order to CREATE for the declining downtown property on July 22.

Other phases of the revisioning still need funding. The committee will review funding possibilities for future phases as the Fox project progresses. Some area leaders voiced concerns over funding the project while the city works with a tight budget. The group has hit the $1.2 million mark for their $3.5 million fundraising campaign.

CREATE provided the city with a list of how they would utilize the funding. The list included: Hiring an architect to complete strategic demolition plans; Removing parts of the building determined to be unsafe or not useful to future; Development; Gutting any remaining sections of the building; Completing façade improvements; Tuckpointing brickwork on remaining sections of the building; Installing new roofing over any remaining sections of the building; Securing any remaining structures to ensure public safety between demolition and development.