After more than 10 years of community conversation, Wauwatosa is nearing a decision on the future of the Wauwatosa Public Library and City Hall building. The city is currently looking for community feedback on four design concepts that outline options for repairing, modernizing, and functionally improving the shared municipal complex.

Why Now?

While the last major renovation of the complex took place in 1992, significant portions of the building’s infrastructure date back to 1957 and have officially reached the end of their useful life. Beyond necessary structural repairs, the building requires substantial updates to meet modern accessibility standards, improve energy efficiency, and better serve today's community programming needs.

Based on past community feedback, several features have been integrated into the current design considerations, including:

• A larger, dedicated storytime room to accommodate families.
• A separate, dedicated space tailored for older students and teens.
• More meeting and collaboration rooms for local groups and residents.
• Comprehensive updates to ensure the facility is welcoming and navigable for everyone.

Next Steps and Funding

The project is currently in a public engagement phase. The Common Council is expected to review all community feedback and make a final decision on the scope and design concept in late July 2026.

Once a concept is selected, it will inform a private fundraising campaign led by the library. The project will be funded through a combination of the city’s standard capital budget, grant funds, and private donations. There will not be a referendum for this project.

How to Participate

Depending on the concept chosen by the Council, estimated project costs range from $36 million to $107 million. Because this is a long-term investment in Wauwatosa's civic heart, resident feedback is critical to narrowing down the options.

Residents are encouraged to view the detailed design concepts, review the estimated pricing, and complete the public survey online.

Review the concepts and take the survey.