- A community partnership unveiled plans for a new building at 315 E. College Ave., which will be the new home of the Trout Museum of Art, Lawrence University and apartments
- The Trout Museum will occupy the first floor, Lawrence University will have future-forward educational spaces on the second floor, and there will be market rate apartments on the third and fourth floors
- This building is the second Lawrence University expansion that will bring more of the school into downtown Appleton
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
It's one of the most noticeable streets in all of Appleton but change is coming to Lawrence University. One College Ave. construction zone is becoming a space for the whole community.
With students home for winter break, College and Drew Street is a quiet end of downtown, but the future 315 building aims to make this spot lively all year round.
“We'll have this beautiful building that's not just for Lawrence and the Trout Museum. It's for the entire community,” said Carter.
That’s Lawrence University president Laurie Carter. On Tuesday, the school announced a $10 million grant for a new collaborative building with the Trout Museum.
“Our students have the opportunity to engage with the Trout Museum in the ways they always have but we're deepening that partnership,” said Carter.
This $38 million new building was designed to fit the needs of all of its residents.
Like the Trout on the first floor, academic spaces on the second, and apartment tenants on the third and fourth.
“We're seeing sort of a renaissance in Downtown Appleton with all these new projects and things happening,” Turner said.
That’s Trout Museum director Christina Turner. She said this partnership worked for them because they want to move to a space designed specifically for them.
“This is a fantastic building, but it's 100 years old and we're looking to build an accredited art museum that's purpose built to be an art museum,” Turner said.
And Carter said this partnership worked for Lawrence because they wanted to expand their footprint and add space designed with the future of education in mind.
“Those areas will be able to work collaboratively because they're in one building. That speaks to the future,” said Carter.
The 315 building should be completed in September of 2025.
