Waukesha YMCA Selling Landmark Building

Waukesha Family YMCA officials said Tuesday they are selling the historic Tudor-style gas station that the city designated a landmark earlier this year. 

If successful, the move would end a dispute between the nonprofit agency and the city over the fate of the building at 422 E. Broadway. YMCA officials had hoped to build apartments for people with diseases such as muscular dystrophy and fibromyalgia , but those plans were scuttled over the summer when the Landmarks Commission voted to prevent the building from being demolished. 

The nonprofit had offered to donate the building and renovation costs to any group willing to move it to a new location. No one took them up on the offer, but a group did offer to renovate the gas station on its current site. YMCA officials said they would support this effort.   

“The YMCA will now honor that request and give the group and the Landmarks Commission the opportunity to step up and acquire the property,” said Chris Becker, Waukesha Family YMCA Executive Director.

The listing for the property will be for 90 days.

While it hopes to sell the building, YMCA officials also said they would preserve their right to appeal the Landmarks Commission decision to protect the building from demolition. They are appealing the ruling to the City Administrative Board. 

“While we are filing the appeal solely to preserve our arguments with the Appeal Board’s decision, we firmly believe that we will not need to take the matter to the court for final determination, because the indication from the local preservationist group and the Landmarks Commission is that there is a strong interest to raise the money to buy and preserve the building on site,” said Stan Riffle, past president of the YMCA Board, in Tuesday's press release.