The city's east side water tower in jeopardy

Along with renovations to the city’s water filtration plant are plans to raze Oshkosh’s historic water tower with its beacon that has safely guided so many boaters back to the Lake Winnebago shore near Menominee Park. City officials say the pumping station underneath the tower is in violation of DNR codes and it would cost slightly over a half million dollars to bring it into compliance. But in order to make those repairs the tower has to be torn down anyway, says the city’s public works director Dave Patek. The city also says tearing the tower down would give them more room for expansion at the existing water filtration plant.
(*NOTE: I have been told by Deputy Mayor Bryan Bain that there is apparently a way to make the needed repairs without tearing down the tower.)

Those interested in historic preservation or even those who just want to keep some of old-time Oshkosh have asked the Common Council to hold off on making a decision until ideas can be presented, even though the city’s Landmarks Commission has tried coming up with ideas on its own.

You can read more about the council’s decision in this Oshkosh Northwestern article. And be sure to vote in our online poll as to what you think should be done with the tower.