The new Appleton Public Library will open in early 2025 after more than a decade of planning and several years of construction.
The $40.4 million project, which remodeled and expanded the library’s previous footprint, was funded through public and private funds and the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The library redevelopment plays a central role in the redevelopment of the College North Neighborhood, says Jennifer Stephany, executive director of Appleton Downtown, Inc.
“A modern library has been a long time coming. It will do so much for the community — provide educational resources, help close the digital divide with its computer labs, create a space for entrepreneurs and more,” she says. “It’s part of the overall goal of creating a place where people want to live, work and play.”
The nearby transit center will also undergo a $26.8 million redevelopment. The city received a grant from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to pay for the project, which includes a new building with public restrooms, covered outdoor waiting areas and first-floor indoor waiting areas as well as a police dispatch security substation, says Lily Paul, economic development specialist for the city of Appleton.
“We have several big projects and there’s been a lot of collaboration on them, which has been the key to their success,” she says.
Apartments will be built on the center’s upper levels. Appleton set aside $1.8 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to support the affordable housing component of the project, which would be done in partnership with a private developer.
On College Avenue, two other projects involving Lawrence University have multi-use components. The 180,000-square-foot Fox Commons, which opened in September, includes housing for Lawrence students, retail space and a new home for Mosaic Family Health.
Redeveloped by Dark Horse Development, the former City Center Plaza still has space for retailers and other tenants.
“We are seeing an exciting time of rapid urban renewal downtown,” Stephany says. “Downtown is being transformed with housing, attractions and employment options.”
Lawrence also partnered with the Trout Museum of Art for a new 100,000-square-foot structure at 315 E. College Ave. The four-story, $38 million building will include the museum on the ground floor, academic spaces for Lawrence on the second floor and market-rate apartments on the third and fourth floors.
“The new Trout Museum will be a cultural hub and will elevate that corridor as people come to visit the museum, go across the street to visit the History Museum at the Castle [or] walk down the street to grab coffee or lunch,” Stephany says. “It has a definite economic impact on the area.”
Thrivent campus redevelopment
Thrivent and the city of Appleton are working on a plan to redevelop the 580 acres the financial services organization owns just north of U.S. 41 between Meade Street and Ballard Road.
“A lot of the current roads will be extended through the property to help with traffic flow,” Paul says. “We are all on the same page with the project, making it mixed-use and including space for residences, retail, office space and greenspace.”
The proposed master site plan includes a new Thrivent operations center near Interstate 41, an estimated 2,200 new housing units and more than 450,000 square feet of office and retail space, which could include a grocery store and a hotel. A part of the current Thrivent headquarters will be repurposed for another use. An estimated 30% of the redeveloped property will be restored and preserved as public parkland, including a system of trails.
Paul adds the project will transform that area of north Appleton, but there is no timeline on when the project will begin.
“This project will be completed in stages over the next decade or longer,” she says. “It’s a very large site, but when done it will dramatically change that part of the city.”
Southpoint adding new lots
In September, crews began work on the expansion of the Southpoint Commerce Park along Coop Road and Midway Road. Paul says a total of 13 lots ranging in size from three acres to 13 acres are being created.
“There are no large sites left in the remainder of the park, and industrial land is in high demand,” she says. “It has great access to State 441 and is in a desirable area, close to a lot of other businesses.”
There are several smaller lots available in the business park on Quest Drive off Midway Road.
The city is also developing a nature conservancy that will border Southpoint’s expanded area. “There will be trails in the conservancy, which is a great amenity to have with those lots,” Paul says.
Construction on the individual lots could begin next spring.
Comprehensive plan developed
The city of Appleton recently updated its comprehensive plan, which identifies areas where the city wants to put its focus during the next few years. Paul says the focus areas include Wisconsin Avenue, Richmond Street and South Oneida Street.
“We’ve taken a look at those areas and determined what kinds of businesses could be successful there,” she says. “We are really focusing on developing those areas.”
