A new future could be on the horizon for the Waukesha County Museum, assuming the city can live with more "upscale" apartments as part of a plan that would help save the financially struggling institution.
That's something that isn't clear at this point, given the common council's recent decision on an unrelated, but similar, apartment plan that was ultimately rejected.
Interim Waukesha County Museum chief executive officer Tom Constable said last week that a local developer is willing to buy the museum's buildings at 101 W. Main St. from the Waukesha County Historical Society and Waukesha County Museum.
The sale, however, is contingent on the city giving the apartment project an approval, said Catherine Huelsman, who is part of the development team — Historic Prairieville Limited Partners — that would purchase the museum site.
As part of the redevelopment, the developer would add 42 market-rate apartment units, making room by tearing down two other buildings on the museum's property: the old jail built in 1885 and a connector building built in the 1930s.
Saving or losing history?
"It's a win-win," Huelsman said. "What we're trying to do is save the museum."
Under the concept, the museum would enter into a long-term lease agreement to remain in the building.
Huelsman said the lease would likely be 25 years with a renewal option, and the museum would only pay $1 a year in rent. Huelsman's team would be responsible for the building's expenses and maintenance, in itself considered a major factor in the museum's finances, given the age of the old county courthouse.
Constable said the transaction will save the museum more than $100,000 annually in utility and building repair expenses. In total, Huelsman said the project would cost $4 million to $5 million.
Though reacting only to unofficial details at this point, at least one city official didn't like what she is hearing.
Alderwoman Kathleen Cummings, who said she was "shocked" by the proposed plans, has many concerns about losing landmarks.
"I'm concerned with the proposal that has been presented," Cummings said. "I'm an advocate of repurposing buildings for future use. It's a historical site and those buildings are part of our history."
Constable, however, said the agreement will preserve the 1893 Waukesha County Courthouse, a national register historical landmark.
Huelsman noted that's an important part of the plan.
"We wanted to preserve the biggest building on the site," Huelsman said. "It's not a perfect world, but if it were the city and county could support (the museum). That's not a reality."
Alderman Aaron Perry said while he hasn't seen any plans from the developer, he is "happy to see something creative" being presented that could help preserve the museum.
"It's positive to see something that could help save the museum," Perry said.
New museum plans
Under the new agreement, Constable said the museum will occupy the first and second floors of Waukesha County's historic courthouse building.
Relocating museum exhibits — including the Les Paul exhibit — into this consolidated space gives the museum an opportunity to redesign exhibits and create a more efficient use of space, he added.
The third floor, which includes the original 1893 courtroom, will be historically restored for banquet/wedding use, as a civic meeting space, and for the museum's educational programs, Constable said.
"The intent is to bring the original 1893 courtroom close to its original splendor," Constable said.
Constable said the museum has wanted to create a space for people to hold catered events and business or personal meetings in the original courtroom for years, but because of substantial costs associated with those plans that was not financially feasible for the museum.
Moreover, the museum has been operating without county funds this year, a year after the county cut museum funding in half. The museum had previously relied on some type of county support for more than a decade, and most likely needed more county funding to stay open in the long term.
Community Development Specialist Jeff Fortin said any plans would have to first come before the city's Landmarks Commission because the buildings that would be razed are on the local and national landmark registries. So far, no redevelopment plans have come before the city's planning department, he added.
Huelsman said her team is looking at setting up a meeting with city officials to go over plans.
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Apartment talk
The apartment element is an issue in and of itself, though one that is further complicated by its impact on historic buildings.
When the apartment plan officially comes before the city it will be the latest in a series of recent apartment projects proposed for downtown Waukesha. Perry and a majority of the council were recently against a luxury apartment complex at the site of the former Fox Head Brewery just outside of downtown.
After the council didn't move forward that plan — which would have seen a 202-unit complex get built just west of Carroll University — the developer said the council is biased against multifamily housing and the city's denial would discourage future developers from coming to Waukesha.
Perry doesn't think so and added the circumstances with the Fox Head Residences are different.
"That was a very unfair representation of what we do," Perry said. "The city of Waukesha is fortunate to have a council engaged and one that will look at each development individually."
Huelsman said her apartment plan and the Maple Avenue project are different because of the density.
"This is also a package deal," Huelsman said of the apartments and helping save the museum. "One helps the other. Approving apartments will, in turn, support the museum."
Perry said the fact that the apartment plan will help save the museum "will factor into" his decision about whether to approve the apartments. But Perry said he's curious to see the design of the apartments.
Perry also wants the city to better define what a high-end apartment complex is, and likewise consider what's best for downtown in broader terms.
"I'd like to see more business development to make downtown successful," said Perry.
For Cummings, another question comes to mind.
"Why couldn't they be high-end condos that are owner-occupied where the people are more invested," Cummings said. "That's always the preference. I have more questions and not enough answers."
For historical interests
In the end, Cummings, an advocate of historical landmarks and a former member of the Landmarks Commission, said she is more concerned about what the property owners will do to maintain history than their living arrangements.
"To me this (proposal) seems counterintuitive to what a museum is about," she said. "Even if (museum officials) were to sell, their job as a museum is to preserve history, not demolish it."
Cummings said one of her concerns is the fact that Alan Huelsman, a partner with Historic Prairieville Limited Partners, is also a member of the Landmarks Commission.
"You're supposed to be supporting repurposing buildings before demolition," Cummings said.
Catherine Huelsman said Alan would remove himself from the discussion when the issue comes before the Landmarks Commission and that without this plan the museum wouldn't likely have a future.
Cummings said the fact that apartments would be built on the property "is another whole debate."
Constable, however, said this plan is about preserving the museum's history, given the museum's own financial hardships.
"This is a beginning step in a long-term plan for the financial sustainability for the museum," Constable said.