St. Augustine Preparatory Academy, a K4-12
th grade Christian school in Milwaukee, announced today that it now plans to invest a total of $100 million to create the Aug Prep North campus at the former Cardinal Stritch University campus in Glendale and Fox Point.
Aug Prep is a private voucher school located on the south side of Milwaukee that was co-founded in 2017 by Becky and
Gus Ramirez, chairman of Waukesha-based manufacturer
Husco International. Aug Prep now has more than 1,800 students, and last year opened a new 123,000-square-foot elementary school on its campus.
After
Cardinal Stritch shut down operations last year, the campus was
purchased by the Ramirez Family Foundation for $24 million, with plans to convert it into a north campus for Aug Prep.
Ramirez initially estimated renovations and improvements to the former Cardinal Stritch campus’ grounds and 12 buildings would cost between $8 million and $10 million. Aug Prep president and CEO
Abby Andrietsch later said the renovations and improvements to the campus would likely cost closer to $25 million.
But on Tuesday, Aug Prep announced plans for a significantly larger investment in the campus, totaling $100 million, which includes the $24 million purchase price. The Ramirez family and Husco have committed $75 million in the initial phase at Aug Prep North. Aug Prep is launching a $25 million fundraising campaign to invite additional investment. In the first weeks of the campaign, over $5.5 million in contributions has already been secured.
“We firmly believe that a high-quality education is the single most important factor resulting in economic prosperity and career options,” Gus Ramirez said. “This fall, we encountered and grappled with unexpected, significant additional costs for the project. At the end of the day, we remain deeply committed to the vision and promise of this school. Our primary goal is to create opportunities for Milwaukee youth to develop into impactful men and women whose values and faith set them apart. We have faith that the community will invest with us to support this project and its mission.”
[caption id="attachment_585600" align="alignleft" width="580"]
Site plan for the St. Augustine Preparatory North Campus at the former Cardinal Stritch campus in Glendale and Fox Point.[/caption]
The updated plans for Aug Prep North at the former Cardinal Stritch campus now include significant new construction, along with some renovation and upgrades to existing buildings. The new campus is planned to open in fall 2026 with just over 300 students in grades K4-6th and 9th with plans to grow to serve 1,000-plus students in grades K4-12.
Beyond the initial investment, Aug Prep says it envisions a second phase in the future which would eventually build capacity to reach 2,000-plus students.
Pewaukee-based
VJS Construction Services has been appointed the general contractor with Milwaukee-based
Eppstein Uhen Architects serving as the project’s architect.
Aug Prep said today that an assessment of the former Cardinal Stritch campus’s buildings determined that the costs for renovation far exceeded what was viable for older building structures. As a result, several existing buildings -- many of which date back to the 1960s -- will be demolished to allow for the construction of new facilities. The existing gym, library, campus center and fine arts building will undergo renovations while the remainder of the buildings will be torn down.
The Aug Prep North campus plans include classrooms, STEM labs, music and fine arts spaces as well as athletics facilities including a new fieldhouse, a turf soccer field, and an outdoor track. The campus will also include facilities for college and career readiness, and health care.
“We know that providing a rigorous academic experience while serving the whole child - mind, body and soul - will open doors to develop our students into future leaders,” said Andrietsch. “Our students across Milwaukee are full of limitless potential. It is our job to help them unlock that potential. I cannot wait to see the impact our students will have on our community, our state and our world when we have hundreds of Aug Prep students graduating every year.”
As a result of the changes to the plans for the campus, the school’s opening date has been pushed back from 2025 to 2026.
Meanwhile, Aug Prep says it expects its Aug Prep South campus to grow to more than 2,400 students over the next three years.
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An aerial view of the former Cardinal Stritch Campus in Glendale and Fox Point, now owned by the Ramirez Family Foundation, who plan to convert it into a north campus for St. Augustine Preparatory Academy.[/caption]
