Rendering of a proposed central park within the Wilden Portfolio Park development in Appleton. (Image courtesy Thrivent)
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Details and images of a large-scale redevelopment project in the Fox Valley were released Thursday.
The plans cover the nearly 600-acre Thrivent Financial site, west of I-41 on Appleton’s north side. Something for everyone is what Thrivent is hoping to create with the 580-acre footprint of land.
Right now, they’re in the early stages for design of Phase 1, which covers about 250 acres and includes horizontal infrastructure like roads and utilities.
“Our goal is to create a one-of-a-kind, high-quality community for the city of Appleton and also create a great environment for our employees,” Director of Real Estate & Work Place Services at Thrivent Eric Merriman said.
One of the big things Thrivent learned from community feedback is that housing is a top priority. The plan includes more than 2,000 housing units with single-family homes, townhomes and apartments. The hope is to help combat an ongoing housing shortage.
“The concept that they’ve put together would significantly increase the number of housing units available in the Valley, and we’re excited about that possibility,” Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford said.
The development is called Wilden Portfolio Park. The city of Appleton approved zoning and permitting for the land in September.
The plan also has commercial space for things like grocery stores, restaurants, retailers, hotels and office space, but they’re still seeking potential buyers. For those concerned about park space, don’t panic.
“We actually expect there to be over 150 acres of green space of a variety of types on the site, including six miles of walking trails,” Merriman said.
There’s a lot of overall excitement for the project. Woodford said while there’s still a long way to go, he thinks it will be an asset and help the area thrive.
“It’s not often that a community the size of Appleton, with the amount of development that we already have, has the opportunity to grow within in such a significant way,” Woodford said.
Thrivent is exploring possible future reuses for its building, including converting it to multi-tenant. The entire project may take years or even decades to complete.
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