Wgemas project to serve Potawatomi for years

Listen to this article

At a cost of $9 million, the Wgemas project has made a big difference for the Potawatomi community.

Construction on the 26,673-square-foot building started in May 2017 and was completed last December. The builder was Greenfire Management Services and Quorum Architects was the designer.

The building was designed in a utilitarian fashion, with minimal detail and simple terrazzo floors throughout. Its large gathering space serves many different purposes for the Indian Council of the Elderly programs, including the meal program as well as group events such as drum classes, technology classes and beading groups.

A commercial kitchen and offices were built for Lisa Kaye Catering, a neighborhood entrepreneur. The project also includes a second-floor space that the Forest County Potawatomi is looking to use to further their outreach by welcoming an outside tenant to their campus, as well as offices in the lower level of the United Indians of Milwaukee.

Wgemas has undergone extensive masonry repair, window and roof replacement and site and interior design. The building follows the same benchmarks established during the previous renovations on the campus.

As a whole, the redevelopment of the Wgema Campus, formerly Concordia College, provides a healthy setting by putting a priority on the responsible use of natural resources.

“This project brings the Wgema Campus together as a hub for community engagement,” said Emily Neal, architectural associate and sustainable design advocate for Quorum Architects.

“Neighborhood residents are invited to participate in Potawatomi events and grow connections with other organizations that have a presence on the campus. Additionally, outside tenants are invited to occupy space on campus through the new office space provided in the Wgemas building,” she said.

The Wgemas project demonstrates the use of “green” design working together with historic-renovation practices, Neal added.