The former City Center Plaza in Appleton is undergoing a major redevelopment as it becomes Fox Commons. The 180,000 square foot, multi use facility includes features ranging from living units to retail space. Lawrence University is one of the main tenants, creating almost 50 apartments for students, along with educational and community space. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Downtown Appleton’s old City Center Plaza is no more. The site is undergoing a substantial redevelopment and is now Fox Commons.
When finished, it will be a mix of commercial, residential and retail space.
The first phase of the project is ready to open.
With the ceremonial ribbon cutting, Lawrence University is the first tenant to move into the new Fox Commons facility in downtown Appleton.
“All of us across the university are excited for what Fox Commons means to our community,” said Chris Clarke, Vice President for Student Life.
Phase one for Lawrence, is the opening of 23 residential spaces for students. Available for juniors and seniors, the three and four bedroom apartments are meant to give students a more “real world” living experience while still in college.
“Having this opportunity to be able to cook and learn how to make food, cleaning our bathrooms, cleaning our kitchens, making sure everything is nice is going to be vital when we’re actually doing it in the real world, figuring that stuff out,” said Lawrence University senior, Ben Blumenthal.
The second floor apartments are just the beginning as the college will create another 26 units scheduled to open next year.
A business and entrepreneurship center as well as a pre-health commons will create career exploration space, mentoring opportunities and collaborative programming.
The college partnering with Mosaic Family Health and Prevea as well as Gener8tor, a venture capital firm and accelerator, to improve education opportunities for students.
According to Laurie Carter, Lawrence University President, “Our students graduate with a wonderful tool kit and we want them to be able to put that tool kit to action, while they’re still students. So, when they graduate, they’ll understand what it’s like to work in healthcare. They understand what it means to be an entrepreneur and that will allow them to go out into the world and more immediately make meaningful difference.”
While the Lawrence University investment in Fox Commons is meant to enrich the student experience, the project as a whole is going to benefit the entire downtown Appleton community.
Mayor Jake Woodford added, “Having a higher-Ed institution in the heart of your community is truly an asset and and we certainly see it that way. It’s my hope that local businesses will really start to see that and that we’ll create new markets for new types of businesses to come in downtown and be a part of this.”
Students will move into the new apartments this weekend.
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