Preservation
Eschweiler Buildings
Four buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, each about 100 years old, currently exist on the northeast quadrant of the property.
They are the planned centerpiece of the 8.4-acre housing zone within Innovation Campus. Abandoned for several years, the buildings are in varying stages of disrepair.
The UWM Real Estate Foundation is committed to saving these remnants of Milwaukee history. The buildings were designed by noted Milwaukee architect Alexander Eschweiler (1865-1940) to serve as a county school of agriculture and domestic economy – one of the state’s first technical schools.
The foundation is currently soliciting developers interested in acquiring and developing this zone, including restoration and reuse of the buildings. In order ensure a financially viable project that would guarantee the that the historic buildings are beautifully restored, the City of Wauwatosa approved zoning that would allow for architecturally compatible infill buildings raising the possible number of units to 200. The City’s Historic Preservation Commission will have final approval over design to the project.
The Monarch Trail
The plans for Innovation Campus have included strong efforts to limit its construction footprint on a site that also contains a sanctuary for monarch butterflies.
Each fall, hundreds of millions of monarchs throughout the United States and Canada migrate to central Mexico for the winter. This site is one of many where the butterflies fuel up and roost on their long journey. UWM faculty and students will work closely with experts in the environmental community to manage the habitat area.
In fact, after UWM had zoned the land and laid out tentative building plans for the engineering facility, the boundaries were shifted to better protect the monarchs. The site now includes more than 11 acres of undisturbed habitat.
Recreational walking and bike trails are also included in the plans, which include designating nearly 55 acres for a Milwaukee County Park.