LOCALLY OWNED. NATIONAL EXPERIENCE. REAL DESIGN.
.png)
REVITALIZING ONDOSSAGON SCHOOL
The Ondossagon School is a cornerstone, both building and entity, that has brought so many surrounding areas together including an involved and nostalgic alumni, a sports powerhouse and the basis for the first few decades of many attendees’ lives. The original school was built in 1917 and it served the community for over 80 years. Since it closed in the 90s, there have been many proposed uses and discussions about the school’s next life. Today, it’s clear that affordable housing is sorely needed and that utilizing the school for housing serves multiple purposes and contributes positively to the surrounding area and honors the history of the school and those who attended.
The design and development team consists of the owners of the property, Bayfield County, C&S, Northwest Wisconsin Community Services Agency, California Commercial Investment Companies and Northwest Regional Planning. The group originally pursued a $2m CDBG which was not awarded due to the readiness of the project, but has since regrouped to look at various opportunities including AHP Funds, Brownfield Grant Money, local fundraising, HOME loans and Clean air and living grant funds through the EPA and low income housing tax credits.
The Benoit Community Center has an Ondossagon Room filled with school memorabilia, has hosted all-school reunions and really celebrates the history and community of the Ondossagon School. Click HERE for a series of photos uploaded to flickr by community members.
The Ondossagon School Revitalization Project was recently featured in the Business View Magazine. "This project exemplifies C&S Design and Engineering’s ability to handle complex architectural challenges, collaborating with property owners, local governments and regional planning organizations while maintaining the historical integrity of iconic buildings."
PROJECT DETAILS AND UPDATES
November 2024
The project has an estimated $7.1 million dollar hard cost price tag to rehabilitate the 20,000 square foot structure, with a proposed plan of creating 18 units consisting of studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroom units. Care has been taken to preserve as much of the historical nature of the building to create a unique living environment for market rate, low-income and senior housing.
