A Door County theater company is awarded ARPA funds for new dormitories

Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·3 min read
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FISH CREEK - Peninsula Players Theatre was one of five recipients of funds awarded last week by Gov. Tony Evers for building projects that were rejected by the state Legislature in the final version of the 2023-25 state budget.

The Door County theater company is receiving $330,000 to put toward two new dormitories for the professional actors, crew and staff from across the country who perform and work there from May through October each year. Founded in 1935, Pen Players is America's oldest professional resident summer theater company.

Peninsula Players Theatre received $330,000 from the State of Wisconsin to put toward these new dormitories the company built for the actors, crew and staff who live there from May through October to present their shows. It was part of a total of $36.6 million Gov. Tony Evers awarded to five building projects across the state.
Peninsula Players Theatre received $330,000 from the State of Wisconsin to put toward these new dormitories the company built for the actors, crew and staff who live there from May through October to present their shows. It was part of a total of $36.6 million Gov. Tony Evers awarded to five building projects across the state.

In a news release, Evers cited the nearly 40,000 theater-goers who attend Players shows each summer, most of them visiting from outside Door County, as a reason for the award to the company.

The dorms were completed in May at a cost of just less than $4.3 million, with the $330,000 used to pay the remaining bills and reach the goal of the Act II capital campaign Players launched to build them, executive director Brian Kelsey said.

"Oh, it was incredible," Kelsey said to the Advocate about learning Players is receiving the funds. "It allows us to close our capital campaign … focus on our many other maintenance needs. Without housing, we would not be able to do what we do. We're thrilled the governor saw it as something important and something worthwhile to do."

The new dorms have amenities such as indoor plumbing and climate controls that weren't in the aged dorms they replaced, with some of the old structures dating to before the company's founding 88 years ago. Those living in the old facilities needed to use an outdoor mobile shower trailer that served as the main bathroom, among other inconveniences, and the company said when it launched its capital campaign the outdated facilities were threatening its ability to operate successfully.

Kelsey said Players first started fundraising for a housing upgrade in 2019 but paused the effort when the COVID-19 pandemic hit a year later. Fundraising resumed for the past year and a half, including the launch of the capital campaign in 2022, which Kelsey said was at about 90% of its goal before the award from the state.

Evers used American Rescue Plan Act funds to award a total of $36.6 million to five building projects, with two in Milwaukee and one each in Janesville, Green Bay and Fish Creek. Based on a study by Associated General Contractors, the governor's office claims the funds are projected to support more than 400 jobs and nearly $68 million in economic activity.

All five projects were part of the 2023-25 capital budget that Evers submitted and subsequently were approved by the State Building Commission. But the Legislature stripped the funds for these projects before voting to approve the final budget.

Besides the Pen Players project, the other four projects receiving funds are:

  • The Janesville Sports and Convention Center, which was awarded $15 million and is expected to generate an estimated $13 million in new economic impact to the community, as well as provide a regional venue for in-state athletic events;

  • The Milwaukee Iron District, $9.3 million for a new soccer stadium that will transform a long-vacant property into a thriving destination that also will host events at one of the busiest intersections in the state;

  • The Bronzeville Center for the Arts, $5 million to redevelop the former Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources building in Milwaukee into a site that will elevate the history and culture of African-Americans and is hoped to become a Wisconsin cultural tourism destination;

  • The National Railroad Museum in greater Green Bay, $7 million for an expansion to meet the growing need for museum offerings, accessibility, and immersive programming.

“These five projects will have a long-term impact on our state’s economy and on economic development in these communities from Green Bay to Janesville,” Evers said in a news release. “… these projects were clearly missed opportunities during the Capital Budget process, and the economic impact of these investments will pay dividends for our future economic success.”

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Peninsula Players receives $330K in ARPA funds for summer dormitories