Milwaukee's War Memorial Center faces a financial crossroads. What's their path forward?
Nearly eight decades later, the War Memorial Center — an architectural gem along Lake Michigan — is again seeking support as it faces a financial crossroads.
Funding from Milwaukee County will sunset over the next decade, a long-anticipated shift based on a 2013 agreement. The center is seeking $9 million from the state, matched by private donations, to kickstart a preservation fund that will generate enough interest to more than make up for the loss.
"We want to continue to be good stewards of the building for generations to come," said Andy Gordon, who chairs the center's Board of Trustees and served in the Army for seven years. "We're doing it in a way that we don't need to come back to the well every year."
The building was designed by Eero Saarinen, who also created the St. Louis Gateway Arch, and is full of symbolism. The boxy exterior calls to mind pillbox bunkers. It's situated 200 feet from the lake — the distance troops fought under fire at Normandy. The bars on the birdcage staircase represent POW prison cells.
But the center strives to be more than a building — its mission is to honor the dead by serving the living.
That includes a focus on mental health through events like Frost Fest and Freezing for a Reason, which raise awareness of veteran suicide and homelessness. Schools across the state download online lesson plans and use traveling exhibits, including one that highlights local women veterans.
The War Memorial Center is unique not just in Wisconsin, but across the country, Gordon said.
"There are very, very few places like us," he said.
Milwaukee County's annual contribution to the War Memorial Center, which represents about 20% of the center's revenue, will fade out by 2033. It was an agreement made years ago as the county faced a large structural deficit.
Cultural institutions drive tourism, create jobs and provide important mental and emotional experiences for visitors, County Executive David Crowley said in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"The unfortunate truth is that the increased costs of state-mandated services have a direct impact on our ability to continue public support for non-mandated services, such as our arts and cultural institutions," Crowley said.
"We need creative solutions and bipartisan support from the state Legislature to invest more public dollars into arts and culture in Milwaukee County and across Wisconsin," he said.
A similar plan was reached last year for the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum and Charles Allis Museum, which will transfer out of county ownership.
More: Improving sales tax income helps push Milwaukee County's financial forecast into the black
The War Memorial Center will continue to be a public-private partnership, Gordon said, though the public dollars will be a one-time amount from the state. Around $2 million in private donations will support the Vietnam Memorial on the grounds, where nearly 3,000 memorial bricks need restoration.
Gordon pointed out the county's involvement will continue in other ways. Milwaukee County is ending operational funding but remains responsible for the exterior of the building, like repairs to windows.
"The county has been very supportive of us," he said.
The War Memorial Center has long prepared for its next chapter.
Part of that strategic plan involved approaching Rep. Tony Kurtz, a Republican from Wonewoc, and Sen. Eric Wimberger, a Republican from Oconto. Both have military experience — Kurtz served in the Army for two decades and is a veteran of the Persian Gulf War and Iraq War.
"Especially for the next generation that comes up that's not going to know what so many people did before them, it's just important that we honor that (ultimate sacrifice) and make sure people don't forget," Kurtz said.
Their bill to provide $9 million in state funds received a public hearing May 22, which several veterans attended to support the measure. Kurtz wanted to reach that first step toward becoming law before Memorial Day.
The proposal has bipartisan support with nearly 40 cosponsors, unifying the Legislature's most conservative members and Democratic representatives from Milwaukee.
Kurtz said the center is not just a Milwaukee County issue — it's a monument for veterans across Wisconsin, and it should be the state's obligation to preserve it.
It's possible the funding could make its way into the state budget rather than a standalone piece of legislation. Kurtz is a vice-chair on the powerful Joint Finance Committee that's currently crafting the budget. A spokeswoman for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers hasn't yet said whether he supports the funding proposal.
"My goal, at the end of the day, is whatever the easiest path (is)," Kurtz said. "Whatever we can get done and across the finish line is important to me."
The center has also worked to bring in new streams of revenue. A newly renovated ballroom is rented out for corporate events and luncheons. The Lake Michigan backdrop makes the center a popular wedding venue. A beer garden opened in 2021 through a partnership with Kegel's Inn.
A community gathering space was the original intention behind the War Memorial Center. In 1946, civic leaders planned to make the memorial part of a $5 million complex with an art museum and symphony hall.
"(They) wanted a space where the citizens of this state could come and enjoy the freedoms that those who didn't make it home sacrificed, so the rest of us could enjoy," Gordon said. "We could come together after a tumultuous (war)time."
More: Premieres, prayers and movie stars: The past lives of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's new home
The center also provides low-cost office space for veterans groups, including the Military Officers Association of America southeastern Wisconsin chapter. It's a convenient place for veterans to meet with students working on school projects, for example, especially as veterans grow older and seek more engagement with new generations.
"If the War Memorial Center wasn't here, I don't know where that would happen," said Tim Wendt, the chapter's president who served across the country in the U.S. Coast Guard.
Right now, the center is in a good position. There are no deferred maintenance projects, though the 68-year-old building will have long-term needs. The center wants to avoid cutting back on services and educational programs. Admission is free, and they want to keep it that way.
The center needs volunteers throughout the year, including more than 600 people to place 27,316 flags for every Wisconsinite killed in action.
The Field of Flags ceremony takes place at 11 a.m. May 23.
"(The center) helps you appreciate what you have, and sometimes on a daily basis, that can get lost," Gordon said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: As county funding fades, War Memorial Center looks to state for help
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