Wisconsin Lutheran College to acquire former Finney Library building.
The City of Milwaukee’s Zoning and Neighborhood Development (ZND) committee unanimously last week to accept a proposal by Wisconsin Lutheran College to purchase the former Finney Library building at the intersection of Sherman Boulevard and North Avenue.
The proposed plan calls for the 9,000-square-foot building to be transformed into a youth education and parent resource center that will target prospective first-generation college students from low-income families. The Finney Library building has remained vacant since the nearby Washington Park Library was opened nearly seven years ago.
“Finding the right fit for this location has been a long and arduous process,” said Alderman Willie Hines Jr., president of the council, who lives a few blocks from the building. “But I think all of us are grateful for the final outcome. This is exactly what our community needs. Wisconsin Lutheran College will bring its proven track record to a neighborhood that desperately needs its young people to become more aware of higher education and the opportunities it can provide.”
Milton Cockroft, director of Pathways to College, said the Finney Library is an ideal location for the program to fulfill its vision of helping young people become the first members of their families to become college graduates.
“Wisconsin Lutheran College wanted to have a greater community presence in the central city, because it has traditionally been a well-kept secret, despite the fact that it is right here in Milwaukee’s backyard,” Cockroft said. “In our meetings with President Hines and others, it quickly became apparent that the Finney Library building was the perfect spot to establish that community presence.”
Pathways to College expects to open the new facility by the end of the year.
