James Marschke of Jahn & Sons plasters a wall at Albrecht Hall on the former Concordia campus. Credit: Calvin Mattheis

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The Potawatomi tribe's ongoing redevelopment of Concordia University Wisconsin's former Milwaukee campus is now in its $30 million second phase, including renovations of two historic buildings to be completed by November.

That space will be used for tribal offices, as well as a center to provide job training for American Indians, said Stephanie Omdoll, director of communications for Potawatomi Business Development Corp.

"We've always seen this campus as a place for urban Indian culture," said Omdoll, whose group oversees the tribe's commercial ventures.

The Forest County Potawatomi Community took control of the 11-acre site, between W. Kilbourn Ave. and W. Highland Blvd., and N. 31st and N. 33rd streets, in 1990. Concordia moved to Mequon in 1983.

The tribe initially leased the former Concordia campus to the Indian Community School, which moved in 2007 to its new Franklin campus.

In 2010, the Milwaukee Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett approved a redevelopment plan for the near west side buildings, now known as the Wgema Campus. Wgema is the Potawatomi word for "chief" or "leader," Omdoll said.

The redevelopment project's first phase featured the 2012 construction start on a $36 million data center. That two-story, 45,000-square-foot building opened in 2013 at 3135 W. Highland Blvd., replacing a nonhistoric building that was demolished. That facility is operated by Data Holdings LLC, a subsidiary of Potawatomi Business Development.

Also, the historic former Wunder Hall, 3215 W. State St., was renovated into offices for Potawatomi Business Development, and its Greenfire Management Services LLC construction management subsidiary. That $5 million project restored a three-story building constructed in 1925.

It is now named the Bgemagen Building, using the Potawatomi word for "war club."

Finally, in 2013, Woodlands School, a charter school, expanded to a second location at the former Pritzlaff Hall, 3121 W. State St., now called the Nengos ("Star") Building. That was a $1.6 million project.

The second stage for redeveloping the former Concordia site started in summer 2015, with renovations at the former Albrecht Hall and former Rincker Library, Omdoll said.

The three-story Albrecht building and neighboring two-story library are now known collectively as the Wgetthta ("Warrior") Building, 3136 W. Kilbourn Ave.

The former Albrecht Hall, built around 1900, will house some tribal gaming commission offices that will move there from the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, 1721 W. Canal St., Omdoll said. That building also will provide a satellite office for the tribe's executive council, which is based in Crandon, in northern Wisconsin, and a satellite tribal courtroom, she said.

The courtroom will allow tribal members who live in the Milwaukee area to avoid the long drive to Crandon for case hearings.

Those offices are to be completed by November. The project will include event space for up to 250 people created within the former Albrecht Hall chapel.

There are preliminary plans to eventually operate the Potawatomi Academy at the former library, Omdoll said.

The future academy will be designed to provide post-high school education, with a focus on job training, for tribal members and other Native Americans who live in Wisconsin, she said.

The renovations of the Wgetthta Building, which will use a new atrium to connect the former Albrecht Hall and library, will cost around $15 million, Omdoll said.

Also, a two-level, 120-space parking structure, with one level underground, is being proposed for a vacant lot east of N. 33rd St. and south of W. Kilbourn Ave. Construction of that $3 million project, which needs Common Council approval, would likely begin in spring 2017, she said.

Another project will renovate the former Concordia refectory, or dining hall, 944 N. 33rd St., including the restoration of its commercial kitchen, Omdoll said. That two-story building was constructed in 1925.

It can then be used to prepare and serve meals for seniors provided through the Indian Council of the Elderly.

The council now serves meals, prepared off-site, in the former Concordia gymnasium, 3126 W. Kilbourn Ave., known as the Tthigwe ("Thunderbird") Building.

That commercial kitchen and dining hall project will cost an estimated $6.5 million, and the property will be renamed the Wgemas ("Little Chief") Building. Those renovations could start in fall 2017, with completion by summer 2018, Omdoll said.

The Tthigwe Building's nonhistoric addition, where the meals are now served, will then be demolished.

That building's historic portion, built around 1930 and used for basketball and other recreation programs, will get improved heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, Omdoll said.

Those projects will cost around $4.6 million and could begin in fall 2019 with completion in summer 2020.

There also will be additional work on landscaping throughout the campus, she said.

Meanwhile, the tribe since 2009 has acquired other nearby properties, including five duplexes on the west side of N. 33rd St., between W. State St. and W. Highland Blvd.; the Lion House, a historic former mansion converted to small offices, at 3209 W. Highland Blvd.; Havenwood House, another former mansion converted to offices, at 3301 W. Highland Blvd.; and the former Havenwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 3333 W. Highland Blvd., which was demolished for a parking lot.

The Potawatomi nation's investments are adding much-needed jobs and commercial activity to the near west side, said Ald. Robert Bauman, whose district includes the site.

"They've done a fantastic job," he said.

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