Council approves sale of Fire Station No. 1 to Midwest Museum of Firefighting for $1

The Common Council of the City of West Bend on July 21 voted to authorize an offer to sell Fire Station No. 1 to the Midwest Museum of Firefighting for $1, a move proponents said would repurpose the building for a museum and downtown tourism anchor. The vote followed a presentation by museum representatives and a staff summary of the resolution.

The museum’s acting president, Jim Schlaemer, told the council the collection “deserves a tremendous home” and described a donated collection of historic firefighting apparatus that museum organizers say ranges from hand-pulled and horse-drawn equipment to more recent apparatus. Kevin Steiner, co‑founder and vice president of the Midwest Museum of Firefighting, described private fundraising commitments and the group’s ties to West Bend Mutual Insurance Company.

Supporters say the station’s 25,000 square feet could allow the museum to display more of the collection than its current 10,000‑square‑foot facility and add interactive educational exhibits. The museum group told the council it has secured more than $2,000,000 in cash commitments and estimates a minimum additional funding need of $4,000,000 for building work, exhibit buildout and an operating endowment.

City staff framed the resolution as a public‑private partnership. Resolution No. 23, which the council considered, would authorize an offer to purchase the property for $1, grant the museum a due‑diligence period to inspect and confirm feasibility, and delegate authority to the city administrator to execute the offer. Council members were told the property is zoned and classified for institutional use and that the museum would need site‑plan and architectural review by the city before conversion.

During discussion, Alderman Mary Beth asked about collection size and space; museum organizers said the current collection is housed in about 10,000 square feet and that Fire Station No. 1’s 25,000 square feet provides room to expand and to host interactive, educational displays. Council members discussed parking, fundraising and project timing; museum representatives said on‑site parking could be expanded and additional street parking would likely be used for special events. Schlaemer said the collection is open for visits in its current location on the second Sunday of each month, May through October, and by appointment for groups.

A motion to approve Resolution No. 23 passed on a roll call vote. Council members recorded as voting “Aye” were Aldermen Spartz, Schmidt, Engelking, Sturning, Sizer, Butchlich, Zingsheim and Bergquist; the mayor announced the motion carried.

Next steps spelled out in the resolution and discussed during the meeting include a museum due‑diligence period, the museum’s application for site‑plan and architectural review with the City of West Bend, and fundraising to cover renovation, HVAC upgrades and creation of an endowment to support operations. The council packet notes that if the city declines to approve the sale, the museum organizers indicated they would seek another location outside West Bend.