UW-Oshkosh to buy former bank building to house new marching band practices and offices for recently hired coaches

MADISON – A state panel this week authorized the purchase a building near Titan Stadium to house the newly formed University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Titan Thunder Marching Band and offices for several recently hired coaches.

The former Associated Bank at 444 N. Sawyer St. is a great location for the band which didn’t exist a year ago, said Band Director Joseph Scheivert.

“I’m really excited for this opportunity for our students because a year ago, I was interviewing for this position, and a big question was what are we going to do for facilities. There was no space on campus that could accommodate a band,” he said.

Since then, the bank, located across Josslyn Street from the stadium, became available and at 22,237 square feet, it was large enough for what should become a 100-plus-member band.

In the past year, the athletics department has hired six coaches to be more competitive in the women’s soccer, baseball, volleyball and women’s and men’s swimming and diving programs.

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They have been using a converted meeting room at the Kolf Sports Center on the main campus. However, it makes more sense to relocate them closer to the practice and playing fields and inside the old bank.

Athletics Director Darryl Simms also said the new location has many benefits for his new coaches.

There’s “more meeting room space, more recruiting room space, better access to coaches for student athletes,” he said in an email.

The bank property also has numerous parking stalls which will add to the limited parking at Titan Stadium.

Coaches’ offices and band practice rooms don’t make the greatest pairing, Scheivert said but how one building can be a home to both tenants has been discussed at length.

“The primary impetus (for the building) was to provide a home for the marching band but there was also a need within the athletic department for additional office space," he said. "How to be good neighbors has been thoroughly discussed."

The band will rehearse in the basement and offices for the coaches and band program will be on the first floor. Fortunately, band rehearsals aren’t held until 4:30 p.m., giving the coaches some quiet during the bulk of the day. There may be some scheduling conflicts during the football pre-season but it is hoped that adding acoustical tile and practicing outdoors as much as possible will conditions tolerable.

The State Building Commission authorized buying the property for $675,000 using cash reserves. Closing is scheduled for September.

A lease agreement will enable the university to begin some interior work but how much is probably up to the bank and the university’s facilities management staff, Scheivert said.

The university bought a bank building, which still has the teller windows and two large vaults in place. Removing the vault doors to better utilize that space is a unique challenge.

“The goal is not to purchase a building and immediately spent a lot of money on it. We’ll utilize space by removing things not by wholesale gutting and restoration,” Scheivert said.

The marching band’s first scheduled performance is Sept. 3, the first home football game. By then, Scheivert hopes to have a marching band of at least “dozens of members” and a place to store uniforms and instruments.

“There’s plenty of work to be done,” he said.

Kevin Murphy is a Madison-based freelance reporter.

This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Building purchased for Titan Thunder March Band at UW-Oshkosh.