Winnebago Co. planning vision for former college campus, taxpayers subsidizing upkeep

PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK

MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Winnebago County hopes to have a long-term plan for the former UW-Oshkosh at Fox Cities campus by next year, but taxpayers continue to subsidize its upkeep until then.

The county, which owns the 43-acre campus, has opened the Barlow Planetarium, Community Arts Center, office space and the fieldhouse to the public to generate revenue, and the Menasha Joint School District now runs the childcare center. County Executive Gordon Hintz isn’t aware of the specific figures, but county taxpayers are still subsidizing much of the $800,000 annual upkeep costs. Hintz added that the Barlow Planetarium had its best year in a decade, which has helped mitigate some costs.

The county plans to finalize its long-term vision next year, Hintz said.

“Redevelopment doesn’t happen overnight,” said Hintz. “But we want to have a plan that we’re moving forward.”

The county’s plan prioritizes fiscal sustainability:

Be financially sustainable on its own
Generate tax revenue or offset other costs with the campus
Preserve community assets, like the Barlow Planetarium or the Community Arts Center
Add broader community value

Possibilities center around building new housing and expanding new childcare, according to the assessment the county performed.

Rent the public spaces available at the Winnebago County Campus here

“Every day we are subsidizing a campus that doesn’t make money, we’re not able to do some of our core missions,” said Hintz. “Finding a way to turn this into an opportunity instead of a stranded asset is the goal.”

Winnebago Co. planning vision for former college campus, taxpayers subsidizing upkeep

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