The City of Milwaukee has moved forward with plans to shutter Capitol Library in favor of opening a new branch at a former Walmart on the city’s northwest side.
The Capitol Branch, located at 3969 N. 74th St., opened in 1964 and is just over a mile from the site tapped for a new city-run library at 5825 W. Hope Ave. in the Midtown Center retail complex. The Milwaukee Public Library system divides its libraries into three geographic clusters – north, south and central – with one central library and 13 branch libraries.
The former 150,000-square-foot building big box store closed a decade ago and was recently slated for redevelopment. The city denied plans to convert the building into a self-storage facility. Developer Gorman & Co. is planning a 200-unit affordable apartment community on an adjacent parking lot. The city has also considered a tax financing district to help fund the new development.
It’s unclear when the Capitol branch is set to close its doors and the new one at Midtown is planned to open.
“The city – and equally important, the Library Board – is far from setting any transition date. While there are plans advancing, much work is necessary before a schedule is firmed up,” Jeff Fleming, a spokesman for Mayor Cavalier Johnson, said in an email. “The Mayor is encouraging prompt action on this as a new library will be a valuable addition to the Midtown neighborhood and a needed replacement for the current Capitol Library.”
During the 2026 budget process, Johnson launched successful efforts to secure funding for a new library branch on the city’s northwest side. In the approved budget, the development received $200,000 in property tax levy support. An estimated $4 million in borrowing would be needed in 2027 to pay for the new branch, according to the city’s five-year capital plan.
Investment in the Milwaukee Public Library system has fluctuated over the years. The library system’s current budget is $33.6 million, roughly $700,000 less than 2025.
Most recently, the city opened a revamped Martin Luther King Junior Drive branch in Harambee in early September after two years of construction. It is now the third-largest public library in the system at about 18,000 square feet.
However, efforts to end Sunday hours at two branch libraries – Good Hope and Tippecanoe – were met with backlash during the annual budget process. After multiple amendments and vetoes, the Common Council secured funding to expand Sunday hours.
The library system’s Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Milwaukee-based architecture firm Engberg Anderson to lead the designs of the new library branch, according to the April 28 meeting minutes.
Common Council and City Plan Commission approval will be needed for the new Walmart redevelopment.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee to close Capitol Library, open new branch at former Walmart
Reporting by Vanessa Swales, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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