West Bend council approves offer to sell Fire Station No. 1 to Midwest Museum of Firefighting for $1

The Common Council of the City of West Bend voted July 21 to authorize an offer to sell Fire Station Number 1 to the nonprofit Midwest Museum of Firefighting for the price of $1, a move proponents said would enable a downtown museum showcasing a donated firefighting collection. The vote followed a presentation by museum organizers and comments from council members in support.

Museum leaders said the donated collection is currently housed in a 10,000-square-foot building in Polk and that Fire Station Number 1 has about 25,000 square feet, giving the project room to expand exhibits and add interactive, educational displays. "This collection deserves a tremendous home where as many people as possible can view the collection," said Jim Schlaemer, acting president of the Midwest Museum of Firefighting.

If the council-approved offer is executed, the museum will have a due-diligence period to inspect the building and confirm the project is feasible for the site; the museum will also need to apply for site plan and architectural review by the City of West Bend Planning Commission before alterations. The resolution authorizes the city administrator to execute the offer to purchase on behalf of the city.

Kevin Steiner, co-founder and vice president of the Midwest Museum of Firefighting, told the council the organization has secured "commitment[s] plural for over $2,000,000 in cash donations" and estimates it needs a minimum of $4,000,000 more in cash (in addition to the donated collection and the building) to cover renovation, exhibits and a secured endowment for operations. Steiner and Schlaemer estimated the museum project would likely be one to two years away from moving in, depending on fundraising and renovation schedules.

Council members asked practical questions about parking, timeline and museum operations. Museum representatives said the station site could be configured to expand surface parking and that street parking would be relied on for special events. On staffing and operations, the organizers said they expect a mix of paid staff (for maintenance, programming and marketing) and volunteers—many of them retired firefighters—to serve as docents and support outreach.

The resolution notes the property is currently zoned and land-classified to allow institutional uses such as a museum. It also calls for a period of due diligence for the buyer and requires the museum to obtain standard municipal approvals (site plan and architectural review) prior to redevelopment. City staff and speakers framed the proposed sale as a public–private partnership intended to preserve the firefighting collection, help revitalize downtown, and create a cultural and tourist attraction.

The roll-call vote was read aloud and recorded as unanimous in favor. The councilors recorded as voting "aye" were Alderman Spartz; Alderman Schmidt; Alderman Engelking; Alderman Sturning; Alderman Sizer; Alderman Butchlich; Alderman Zingshaim; and Alderman Bergquist. The resolution passed and the offer-to-purchase authority was granted to the city administrator.

Council discussion and the museum presentation also noted the collection includes hand-pulled and horse-drawn apparatus, an operating call-box station and other historic pieces intended for interactive display. Museum leaders said the collection is open to the public at its current Polk location on the second Sunday of each month from May through October and by scheduled visits.

Next steps spelled out in the presentation and the resolution: the museum will complete its due diligence, seek necessary city planning reviews and continue fundraising for renovation, exhibits and an operating endowment. The council’s action establishes the property transfer framework but does not obligate the city to provide capital funding for the museum; the transfer includes standard municipal review and approval processes before any renovation work begins.