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Planning commission backs changing UW‑Waukesha site to 'residential flexible' use
Summary
Commissioners unanimously recommended amending the city land‑use plan to allow 'residential flexible' development for the 75.9‑acre UW‑Waukesha site, enabling the county to seek proposals for mixed residential reuse after the campus closes spring 2025.
The commission voted unanimously on Dec. 18 to recommend a land‑use plan amendment for the UW‑Waukesha campus at 1500 University Drive, shifting about 75.9 acres from "civic and institutional" to a "residential flexible" designation.
Doug, planning staff, explained the county owns the site and the university system plans to close the campus at the end of the spring 2025 semester. County studies and developer interviews concluded that residential uses—single‑family, duplexes and multifamily—are the most financially viable options given topography, heating plant constraints in the existing buildings, and surrounding residential zoning. Staff said the county intends to pursue requests for proposals for residential redevelopment and has been discussing removing the existing buildings and cleaning the site as part of a repurposing plan.
Alderman Rick Lemke told the commission he has been in redevelopment authority discussions with county staff and said about $2 million in state funds combined with county funds had been identified to help clear the site. Commissioners discussed preserving lower‑density edges adjacent to existing neighborhoods and noted future rezoning and preliminary plats would come back for public notice and hearings. The commission’s recommendation forwards the amendment to the common council and preserves standard public notices and rezoning steps for later phases.
The recommendation passed unanimously.
