State lawmaker pitches $208.6 million plan to keep Milwaukee museum exhibits

Rep. Russell Goodwin, D-Milwaukee, is exploring a proposal for the state to purchase the Milwaukee Public Museum complex for an estimated $208.6 million. The plan aims to preserve specific exhibits that will not move to the new museum while converting the remaining space into offices for state justice agencies. This figure represents the cost to reuse the existing structure as a mixed-use facility, excluding design expenses and the property price itself.

Goodwin intends to introduce legislation authorizing a feasibility study for this concept. He plans to present the bill during a lame-duck legislative session later this year or at the start of the next regular session in January. The proposal directly addresses the fate of popular attractions like the Streets of Old Milwaukee and the museum's historic dioramas, which are currently built into the walls of the old building and cannot be relocated.

The state's interest in the site stems from a stalled effort to build a new state office complex on the near west side. Two previous proposals for a new construction project were rejected due to high costs. The Department of Administration has since shifted its focus to renovating the existing State Office Building, a project previously estimated at $95.7 million. Goodwin suggests that moving agencies such as the public defender’s trial division and the parole and probation office into the museum complex could streamline operations near other justice facilities in MacArthur Square.

This approach conflicts with the city’s long-term downtown plan, which calls for razing the museum structure to make way for high-density mixed-use development. City planners aim to replace the building with housing and retail spaces to generate property tax revenue and revitalize the area. County consultants noted that demolishing the current buildings would cost between $12.6 million and $13.6 million, depending on the handling of the Wizard Wing, a structure situated between the main building and the Kilbourn Tunnel freeway off-ramp.

Museum officials have long cited deterioration in the existing building, particularly in basement and upper-level storage areas. Concerns about the safety of the county-owned collection threatened to cost the museum its accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Construction on the replacement facility, the Nature & Culture Museum of Wisconsin, is nearing completion. The 200,000-square-foot building in the Haymarket neighborhood is part of a $255 million project that includes a $40 million state contribution.

Controversy arose when Museum Director Ellen Censky stated in 2023 that entire exhibits would not move, though elements would. This comment sparked outrage after it became clear that the Streets of Old Milwaukee and the European Village would not be fully replicated in the new venue. Advocacy groups including PreserveMKE and SaveMPM formed to champion the old exhibits, and a change.org petition to save the Streets has garnered more than 11,000 signatures. Goodwin, who voted against a $45 million county contribution to the new museum in 2022, is the first elected official to formally support these preservation efforts.

The county recently closed a request for proposals for the museum site, with submissions due on Oct. 12. Celia Benton, the county director of economic development, stated that the county will not disclose the number of proposals received until the evaluation process concludes in December. While the county discouraged tax-exempt concepts like a state building in its initial request, Benton left open the possibility of reopening the process if no existing proposals are accepted. Goodwin has not yet discussed his specific management plan with the Wisconsin Historical Society or the state agencies he proposes to house in the building.