Last week, Governor Tony Evers announced the City of Waupun will receive a nearly $5M Neighborhood
Investment Fund grant to help with the construction of a new Senior Center. The proposed center will be
constructed on city-owned land located at 520 McKinley Street.
In January of 2019, the Waupun Common Council appointed a Facility Advisory Committee (FAC) under
recommendation from the Waupun Community Coalition on Aging (WCCA). The FAC met to review
results of a facility audit and to examine possible solutions to community facility needs. The Senior
Center was one of three community buildings identified with significant needs. The current Senior Center
needs include repair to exterior masonry tuck pointing and brick; ADA updates and facility modifications;
and, additional space needed to accommodate growing programming and attendance. The WCCA
emphasized that as Baby Boomers age and retire over the next decade, demand for services offered and
space required to meet resident needs will only increase. Given that the current building is land locked,
the FAC identified several alternatives to relocate the Senior Center that could address the community’s
needs both today and longer term. Construction of the proposed facility at the McKinley location was
among the recommendations of the group. Mayor Julie Nickel emphasized the importance of WCCA’s
plan that resulted in such a strong grant application, stating, “Since I took office over five years ago, our
team has worked to foster a strong sense of community through our Senior Center. This grant will allow
us to broaden our vision and continue to meet the needs of our seniors”.
According to City Administrator Kathy Schlieve, “The pursuit of a new Senior Center for the community
has been a journey. It started with the work of the WCCA and its members who recognized the need for
a new facility and worked together to create a vision that became the basis for this grant application. The
funds being made available through the American Recovery Plan Act (ARPA) offered a once in a lifetime
chance for our community to realize this vision. We are thankful the State of Wisconsin and Governor
Evers chose to support this well-defined plan and we look forward to bringing the community together in
this space once constructed”.
Details of the new facility are still being finalized. However, in accordance with grant guidelines, it is
anticipated the new senior center will be fully constructed and operational by December of 2024.
For more information, please contact Sarah Van Buren at 920-345-1656 or [email protected]