DE PERE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The process of getting the necessary approvals to build the $80 million Mulva Cultural Center in downtown De Pere will begin on Monday.
The project was announced four years ago, but details of it have remained relatively broad. However, new documents filed with the city are now shedding light on what will be inside.
“Really it’s all about being able to have really incredible cultural experiences,” said Bridget O’Conner, a spokesperson for the project.
The center’s main attraction, a 10,000 square foot exhibit hall will be on the second floor, along with an outdoor terrace with views of the downtown.
The center’s main entrance will be on the east side of the 73,805 square foot building.
On the first level, there will be two classrooms and a 224-seat auditorium that will be accessible from a secondary entrance on the building’s west side.
O’Connor tells FOX 11 the auditorium will host things like movies, performances, and lectures.
“It’s designed to be able to have lots of different ways of having community enjoyment and cultural expression right in the heart of downtown De Pere”.
On the center’s north side, there will be a two-story, multi-use atrium looking out at east De Pere’s busy roundabout. A grand staircase in the atrium will take people to the second floor.
The atrium will connect with what is described as a signature restaurant. O’Connor says details of the restaurant are still being worked out.
The plan is to have three traveling exhibits rotate through the cultural center each year. If you wanted to see one of these types of exhibits now, you’d have to be the one who would have to travel.
“We’d probably have to go to Chicago or New York to be able to see that caliber,” said O’Conner. “To now, to be able to have that caliber of exhibit here, it’s pretty exciting.”
The developers say well over 100,000 people could visit the cultural center each year.
The center is expected to have an annual economic impact of $3.1 million.
Construction is scheduled to start in spring and for the center to open in fall of 2022.
The cultural center is a gift from De Pere natives James and Miriam Mulva. James Mulva is the retired chairman and CEO of Conoco Philips.
O’Conner says to keep an eye on the Mulva Cultural Center’s website for updates on the project.
