County executive to negotiate sale of former UWM–Washington County campus; executive committee recommends county board review

A majority of the Washington County executive committee voted Monday to direct the county executive to negotiate a sale of the former University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Washington County campus, with a recommendation to the full county board to consider execution of the resulting agreement.

County Executive Josh briefed the committee on multiple proposals for the 200,000-square-foot campus, saying the task force assigned to study the site found “about 2 or 3” realistic options and stressing that the county has carried operating and capital costs since UW vacated the building. He told the committee a local parochial school, Ozaukee Christian School, submitted a $3,000,000 purchase offer for the building and adjacent parking and that the Cedar Lake Conservation Foundation (CLCF) has indicated interest in buying roughly 60 acres of surrounding land for conservation.

The committee discussed an appraisal the county commissioned that valued the property at $5,000,000 with the existing school use and zoning; members also noted a $2,000,000 state grant the county may apply toward electrical upgrades and other eligible preparations. The committee ultimately voted to direct the county executive and staff to continue negotiating with Ozaukee Christian School and to bring a completed package to the county board for formal approval.

Why this matters

The campus has sat largely vacant since UW left in mid-2024 while the county has continued to pay utilities, grounds and minimal maintenance. Committee members said delaying a decision risks continued operating costs and further deterioration at a time when county and municipal budgets are constrained. Proponents of the sale argued the combination of Ozaukee Christian’s purchase offer and a conservation group buying surrounding land could both preserve much of the site and put the building back into educational use.

What the county executive told the committee

• “We established a task force to try and winnow through a number of those different scenarios,” the county executive said, describing outreach to nonprofits, nearby universities and private developers. He said only a small number of proposals included sufficient funding to cover the estimated annual operating cost of $300,000–$500,000 and capital needs.

• He said Excel Education, a national charter network, had submitted a letter of interest…