WAUKESHA — The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) Waukesha campus will close this spring, leaving county and city officials to determine the future of the 75-acre lot.
Neighbors in the area have expressed mixed reactions about the site’s redevelopment.
“We had a meeting with the city, a couple of us neighbors. We made it clear we wanted single-family affordable housing,” said Craig Swartwout, a neighbor.
On Jan. 7, the Waukesha Common Council approved a land-use change, reclassifying the campus from civic-institutional to residential flexible land use.
The decision, recommended by the Plan Commission, followed studies that ruled out commercial, industrial, and park uses due to the surrounding area and budget constraints.
Watch: Neighbors weigh in on UWM-Waukesha redevelopment
“It’s got to make sense for people to keep up with property tax and mortgages,” said Austin Temple, another neighbor. “I want something that will make people want to live here, whether it’s public use or a nice museum or something like that.”
City Planner Doug Koehler said residential development would be the most suitable use for the property. He noted that the county, which owns the land, is eager to return it to the tax rolls.
City leaders estimated that developing homes on the property could generate more than $1.5 million annually in taxes.
However, the type of housing remains a contentious issue.
Alderman Rick Lemke said homes on the site could range from $600,000 to $1 million, a figure some residents feel is far from affordable.
“When they said affordable housing was $650,000 to $1.2 million, I was like, ‘Wow, that doesn’t seem affordable to me,’” Swartwout said.
As students finish their final semester before the campus closes, neighbors like Temple stress the importance of community involvement in shaping the site’s future.
“People need to get involved,” Temple said. “You can’t complain about what ends up there if you’re not involved.”
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
