Milwaukee, Wis. – Today, the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) advanced the sale of the former Department of Natural Resources (DNR) southeast regional headquarters to the Bronzeville Center for the Arts, Inc. (BCA). The sale was approved by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance today for $1.6 million.
BCA, the purchaser of the former DNR facility, is a nonprofit arts organization committed to exploring, preserving, and presenting African American art and culture. BCA intends to develop an arts and cultural center on the property, including an auditorium, exhibition space, and outdoor sculpture gardens. The BCA will provide cultural resources relating to African American art, culture, and history in Wisconsin, and specifically, tell the story of the Bronzeville area – a story both specific to Milwaukee and resonant for many Black communities nationwide.
“This is the first sale of its kind in four years, and we look forward to the impact that BCA will bring to Milwaukee residents and visitors,” said DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfeld. “Our goal is to continue to create a more sustainable, efficient, and modern government positioned to best serve the State of Wisconsin and Wisconsin taxpayers.”
“The Bronzeville Center for the Arts has now received the necessary approvals to move forward with the purchase and transformation of this prime piece of real estate in the heart of Milwaukee’s Bronzeville District,” said Kristen Hardy, President of the Bronzeville Center for the Arts (BCA) board. “We are thankful to the Department of Administration, the Building Commission, the Committee on Joint Finance and Governor Evers for helping us take this significant step forward, which will initiate BCA’s thorough and intentional planning process including critical community conversations as we develop project and programming plans.”
Since the release of the Vision 2030 report, the State of Wisconsin has begun to evaluate the overall state government footprint for the purpose of consolidating state-owned facilities and leased space. DOA continues toward the Vision 2030 goals for state government facilities and workforce. DOA has most recently listed another five parcels of underutilized land for sale located at the Northern Wisconsin Center in Chippewa Falls. The listing is available on the DOA website here.
