Sheboygan plans to sell public parking lot for $78K to local church

Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press
·2 min read
People walk to Sheboygan City Hall in the late afternoon, Monday, January 9, 2022, in Sheboygan, Wis.
People walk to Sheboygan City Hall in the late afternoon, Monday, January 9, 2022, in Sheboygan, Wis.

SHEBOYGAN — City of Sheboygan could sell a parking lot to a church and school downtown.

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and School, 824 Wisconsin Ave., is hoping to purchase Parking Lot No. 3 for $78,400, according to an Oct. 13 offer to purchase agreement.

The lot, 821 Niagara Ave., is on the west side of the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts, 826 N. Eighth St., and north of the church.

The public parking lot has a mix of about 40 metered and permit parking spaces. Parking is free on weekday evenings after 5 p.m. and all day on weekends and major holidays.

Trinity Lutheran Church is planning to maintain the parking lot, according to Council President Kurt Gruben, while looking for "potential enhancements” to the facilities downtown. The sale is pending.

The offer to purchase is contingent on agreements with the city and Weill Center. The city will transfer nearby land or alleys, such as an east/west alley south of Lot 3 and land along the north and east sides of church’s playground, according to an addendum to the offer. The City Plan Commission approved the city's vacation of the alley at an Oct. 24 meeting.

Prior to closing the deal, Trinity Lutheran must also enter into an agreement with the Weill Center to make sure it has access to loading docks and doors on the west side. There must be a plan for performance buses and trucks to park, too.

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The church approached the city regarding parking issues in January 2022, seeking help with affordable off-street parking options for teachers and staff at the school.

Derek Muench, director of Transit & Parking, and Chad Pelishek, former director of planning and development, met with Trinity Lutheran representatives to discuss changes. They added another pay option to the permit structure, lowering monthly fees at parking at Lot 3 from $25 to $10.

Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner. 

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Sheboygan to sell public parking lot to Trinity Lutheran Church