Waukesha council approves plan amendment to allow residential reuse of former UWM Waukesha campus

The Waukesha Common Council on Jan. 7 unanimously approved a comprehensive plan amendment to change the 75.9‑acre former UWM Waukesha campus from institutional use to a residential‑flex designation, enabling future rezoning and development proposals.

City planner Doug told the council the site, owned by Waukesha County, is surrounded on nearly all sides by residential neighborhoods and that redevelopment options reviewed with developers and county staff consistently pointed to residential uses as the most practical reuse. He cited topography, wetlands and airport height limits (roughly a 50‑foot building height at the hilltop) as constraints that will shape future designs.

Dale Shaver of Waukesha County said the county hopes to return the parcel to the tax rolls after UW closes the campus in June 2025. He said the county has invested about $11 million in building improvements since 2009 and has access to roughly $2 million in state grant funding to offset demolition or conversion costs; county estimates put raw demolition at about $6 million and suggested on‑site reuse of demolition materials could materially reduce that expense.

Residents and neighborhood representatives who spoke during the public‑hearing period urged the council and county to protect green space and address stormwater risks. "This is going to be a very large development...there should be major consideration for having a small green space and a neighborhood park," said Maggie Flood, a nearby resident. Craig Swerdout, who attended the county’s October open house, criticized the public‑input exercise that used stickers to represent different housing types as "some pretty flawed input" and asked whether residents could review RFPs before they are issued.

Neighbors also raised questions about property lines and existing vegetative buffers, nighttime lighting, and whether the city’s impact fees will provide parkland funding. County staff said a property‑value analysis projects the site’s total taxable value after development at roughly $150 million–$200 million, producing about $1.7 million annually in revenue to the city under the county’s scenario, though precise outcomes will depend on the housing mix and future rezoning proposals.

Council members emphasized that the plan amendment is an early, procedural step to change the land‑use category and that specific development proposals, site‑by‑site rezoning, stormwater plans and park dedications will be reviewed at later stages. A motion to approve the amendment was made and seconded by Alderman Rick Lemke; the council voted to approve the plan change unanimously.

What's next: the land‑use amendment allows developers to prepare proposals and submit rezoning and site‑plan applications, which will be subject to plan commission and council review, public hearings, and any required environmental or stormwater permitting.