The Brown County Central Library. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Brown County and state leaders are celebrating a new collaboration inside downtown Green Bay’s library.
The Job Center of Wisconsin’s Brown County location has moved into the 51-year-old building that doesn’t need as much space as when it opened.
“When we all realized we all have very similar audiences that are coming and going from our doors, it just made sense,” said Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach.
The job center was inside the nearby Baylake City Center on Adams Street.
The county is expected to receive about $72,000 per year for the job center occupying about 4,000 square feet of space, according to county officials.
“It is without question making sure that we’re reaching out to people and going to them instead of waiting for them to come to us by changing the way we do workforce development,” said Kate Owens, Director of Industry and Engagement for the Bay Area Workforce Development board.
“It’s going to be a model from what libraries can do around the state,” said Ben Miller, the Wisconsin State Librarian.
Even more changes could be coming to the library as the county board has approved spending up to $30 million to relocate the Aging and Disability Resource Center. It’s currently across the street from the police department on Adams Street and would go where the children’s section currently is on the library’s first floor.
An addition to the building is also possible to make room for the ADRC’s Grounded Cafe.
“We are in the process of doing that final due diligence to make sure that the business model works in terms of all parties,” said Streckenbach.
If it works out, the library’s underutilized 90,000 square feet will become much more active, while making three government-run entities more efficient.
The current plan is to keep the home delivered meals program at the current aging and disability resource center building. However, the county is looking to see if there are better options.
The county was considering putting some of the ADRC operations into the former Bank Mutual building across the street from the library, which it purchased in 2023.
Streckenbach says the traffic patterns prevented it from working out and other options are being considered for the property.
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