Inside the Weis Earth Science Museum in Menasha, October 3, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Finding a suitor for a 43-acre college campus is no small task, especially when multiple counties own the site.
Outagamie and Winnebago counties can now look for a new use for the UW-Oshkosh Fox Cities campus as it closes its doors after 77 years of serving the Fox Valley.
Outagamie County’s 36-person board approved a resolution Tuesday, the final step in the county agreements. It previously was passed by Winnebago County’s property committee and county board of supervisors, and Outagamie County’s property committee.
Here are the basics of the agreement:
- The contents of the Weis Earth Science Museum will become part of Appleton’s History Museum at the Castle
- Winnebago County receives the UW-Oshkosh at Fox Cities campus for $1
The counties need to formally pass a resolution to release UW-Oshkosh from their agreement with the counties, effective June 30. Assuming the counties pass this resolution, the UW-Oshkosh chancellor will also need to approve.
Winnebago County is now responsible for determining the future of the campus.
“We think there’s a lot of potential,” said Winnebago County Executive Gordon Hintz. “Both to preserve the cultural amenities that people in Northern Winnebago County have enjoyed for years, and some new potential for the property as well.”
Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson advocated for this resolution for months.
“What it came down to was just a matter of practicality,” said Nelson. “It simply made sense for one entity — in this case Winnebago County — to focus on trying to figure out how to put it to best public use.”
Its main critics primarily take issue with the Weis’ move. The Barlow Planetarium will remain open and at the same location through the transition, according to Hintz.
“The communications arts theater, the childcare center are things we’d like to preserve,” said Hintz. “I think the educational space is potential for new opportunity to be there. There’s 43 acres total. I’d like to see some of that land developed.”
Hintz says they’ll most likely divide the land for some mixed development. If the board denied the proposal, the campus would go up for sale on the private market.
They now just need formal approval from the Universities of Wisconsin system, which is expected to go through.
Winnebago County plans to hold community listening sessions in the coming months.
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