SaveMPM

State Rep. Russell Goodwin is exploring whether Wisconsin could buy the Milwaukee Public Museum building, keep its built-in exhibits open, and move justice-related state offices into the rest. The $208.6 million reuse estimate used against the idea was built for demolition and apartments, not this plan. SaveMPM explains why and proposes a State Office Building swap.

MPM’s deferred-maintenance figures grew from $30 million to $154.3 million as public money was sought. SaveMPM traced each one to its source across six reports. Where a report itemizes costs, repairs needed now run $2.7 million to $11.2 million. The County approved about $19.1 million in repairs from 2002 to 2021, and about $20.5 million in later plan items went unfunded because MPM was leaving. Which line items make up the big numbers? We’re asking.

Milwaukee County’s own 2005 audit counted 6.5 million artifacts at the Milwaukee Public Museum. Today MPM cites about 4 million, and no record produced so far explains the difference. Part 2 asks why the County trusted MPM’s numbers again in 2022.