Town Square Sells Former Green Lake County Safety Building
TOWN SQUARE SELLS FORMER GREEN LAKE COUNTY SAFETY BUILDING;
PROCEEDS TO BE REINVESTED IN THE COMMUNITY
GREEN LAKE, WI – May 15, 2023 — Town Square Community Center announced today it has sold the former Green Lake County safety building to a business owner, with plans to use proceeds to support the nonprofit’s community center’s programs and upkeep of the historic courthouse building which Town Square will continue to own.
“The sale begins an exciting new chapter for Town Square,” said Executive Director Kris Anderson. “The reduced overhead allows us to direct resources into the courthouse building and community-enriching programs for generations to come.”
“A portion of the proceeds will go toward maintenance of our historic courthouse building and improving accessibility.”
The former county safety building currently consists of a Bingo hall, commercial kitchen, and Town Square Tap bar, plus 20,000 square feet of unused space which formerly housed the Green Lake County jail.
“Our community made this possible by investing in Town Square initiatives and reimagining spaces that became attractive to a buyer,” said Anderson. “Those earlier investments will compound as the sale proceeds are put to use in ways that can have lasting impact.”
The safety building’s buyer, Matt Rogatz, will lease certain spaces back to Town Square to allow successful community activities to continue, including Bingo and Town Square Tap operations.
“Matt is heavily invested in Green Lake and committed to a robust future for our area,” said Anderson. “We believe this partnership is a win-win for the community.”
Town Square purchased the vacated buildings from Green Lake County in 2012. Receiving no tax dollars, the nonprofit has raised hundreds of thousands to transform the empty campus into a thriving community center housing an elegant ballroom, a 24-hour fitness center, Hangers second-hand retail shop, spaces for clubs and classes, creative and play spaces, offices, and an outdoor event venue overlooking the Mill Pond.
“More than 42,000 people visited Town Square last year,” said Anderson. “With an opportunity to ‘right-size’ our operation and expand on what we do best, we only expect that to grow.”
“[The sale is] an opportunity to ‘right-size’ our operation and expand on what we do best.”
To see the lineup of upcoming events including Bingo, Dino Daze, Party on the Pond, art classes, and live music at Town Square Tap, visit Town Square’s website, greenlaketownsquare.org.
Town Square Community Center is 100% privately funded and operated. Located in the heart of Green Lake, its mission is to enrich the lives of the Green Lake community members, family, and friends by providing cultural, social, recreational and educational opportunities for people of all ages, while preserving our treasured historic building. Town Square is operated by Green Lake Renewal, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.