PHOTO: Courtesy of WLUK
MENASHA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — In about four months, the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus in Menasha will cease to exist.
As the campus prepares to close in June, leaders with Winnebago and Outagamie counties — which own the property — continue to weigh what the future use of the location will look like.
The counties say negotiations are ongoing with parties that are interested in the campus.
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson says of those showing interest is the Menasha Public School District.
There have been talks with additional parties as well, which Nelson cannot publicly reveal at this time.
The counties are planning on selling the property — to include the Barlow Planetarium and Weis Earth-Science Museum.
“This proposal will effectively turn key operation in which all the facilities, assets, will be accounted for,” said Nelson.
Current UWO Fox Cities student Kameron Kemp is sad to see the campus close. He’s planning to transfer to UW-La Crosse after this semester.
“It’s very close to home, don’t have to pay for living or food or any of that. That’s awesome,” said Kemp. “I kind of like the one-on-one with the professors.”
County leaders say general maintenance and upkeep of the 43-acre campus could cost them roughly a combined $1 million each year, even if no one is using the facility.
If the counties don’t reach a deal by the end of June, UWO Fox Cities Board Trustee Steve Binder wants both counties to fund operations at the University Childcare Center for parents.
“We don’t want these people [the parents] to have to worry that if this doesn’t get done by June 30, that they have no place to take their children,” said Binder.
UWO says a liaison continues to work with the counties to negotiate a plan to fully transition campus operations back into the hands of the counties by the end of June.
Nelson says the Universities of Wisconsin system has been a helpful partner as they work to find a long term solution for the property.
“A lot of the personal property that they would have a claim to take, they have been very flexible in leaving some of these assets here,” said Nelson.
He hopes to reveal more details about interested parties next month. The UWO Fox Cities Board of Trustees will meet again March 24.
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