TOWN OF NASEWAUPEE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The state says it’s moving forward with revitalizing Potawatomi State Park in Door County.
Gov. Tony Evers says the project will be included in the 2023-2025 state budget.
He also said contractor GRAEF has been hired and will now begin work on formulating two design plans for the Potawatomi Observation Tower; one design that restores the existing tower and a second design that replaces the existing structure with new materials while maintaining the tower’s historic character.
Both designs will include cost estimates and proposed timelines for completion of the project. Following the completion of the concept designs, the DNR will solicit feedback from residents on the best design option for the park and community to be included in the governor’s 2023-25 Capital Budget proposal.
The 74-foot-tall tower, built in 1931, was closed in 2017 after its wood was found to be decaying. In 2020, the tower was placed on the state and national registers of historic places.
After the tower was closed, the DNR conducted of study of the structure. The DNR released a report in 2020 with three options — all of which would require the tower to be physically accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and concluded the tower must be dismantled.
A public survey earlier this year showed a clear preference for a restored or rebuilt tower. Earlier this month, the state announced it would move ahead with a request for architectural and engineering services.
Meanwhile, legislative Republicans are accusing Evers, a Democrat, of stalling the project until after this November’s election.
“I also take issue that Gov. Evers is once again blaming the Legislature for the failures of his administration. The DNR is part of the executive branch, meaning they are under the complete control of the governor,” State Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, said in a news release.
“If he wanted to, Gov. Evers could order the repair of the tower today. We could also proceed if he allowed the state Building Commission to consider the project. This falls squarely on Gov. Evers’ shoulders and he should be held accountable for his conspicuous lack of action.”
Money is not an issue,” State Sen. Andre Jacque, R-De Pere, said in a news release. “The current state budget, which the Governor signed last summer, includes over $200 million for maintenance projects for state facilities — not to mention all the federal ARPA money he is distributing throughout the state. The DNR could have submitted a request to the Building Commission at any time, but they have failed to do so.”
A similar tower was replaced recently at another state park in Door County. The new Eagle Tower opened at Peninsula State Park last summer. The project cost $3.5 million, with $750,000 of that coming from the Friends of Peninsula State Park group.
Comments