SHEBOYGAN – Sheboygan Area School District could soon greenlight a gym or housing development on the former Washington Elementary School playground and baseball diamonds.
SASD hopes to sell nearly 3 acres of land at 1227 Bell Ave. that was previously utilized by the elementary school, which closed more than a decade ago.
The SASD Board of Education heard proposals from Flawless Hoops that envisions a new recreational space, as well as Gorman & Company and Habitat for Humanity that put forward housing projects at a Feb. 10 Committee of the Whole meeting and a March 10 Board of Education meeting, although it hasn’t decided on a proposal.
Flawless Hoops proposed buying the land for $100,000, Gorman & Company proposed buying the land for $500,000 and Habitat proposed buying it for $20,000.
The elementary school, 1238 Geele Ave., was sold to Gorman & Co. for redevelopment into affordable apartments. Gorman & Co. also redeveloped the Garton Toy Factory apartments and several other developments across the state.
The Washington Elementary School building, built in 1912, was added to the state and national registers of historical landmarks in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Flawless Hoops proposal includes a permanent gym and youth programs
Flawless Hoops, which provides co-ed youth and adult men’s basketball leagues, personal training, mentoring and tutoring, hopes to use the land to build a permanent facility to meet its growing membership, which has ballooned to more than 820 people since 2020.
The building would offer an open layout, indoor playroom, several classrooms for mentorship and tutoring, locker and scouts rooms, and administrative offices. It would have one regulation-sized basketball court and two side-by-side half courts.
Flawless could begin construction in September and finish in summer 2027. Building costs could be between $3.5 million and $5 million, which would be financed through fundraising. Flawless Hoops Founder Cedric Foster said Flawless has about $6 million donated to the program so far.
The organization has rented gym space from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic School, 814 Superior Ave., to host leagues, tournaments and open gyms for the last several years.
Foster said having a permanent space could help Flawless Hoops establish a semi-professional men’s basketball team, an Amateur Athletic Union basketball team and more tournaments.
He said the organization is honored to “keep motivating and uplifting kids because that’s what they really need. That’s something I take pride in — actually being there for people in our community.”
Gorman & Company proposes 40 income-restricted townhomes
Oregon-based Gorman & Co. proposed constructing 40 income-restricted townhome units across six buildings.
The project would be geared toward individuals making 60% of the county’s annual median income and offer 28 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units.
Adam Gorman, development project manager with Gorman & Co., said the proposal would keep the playground and basketball courts open to the public and potentially enhance them.
He said Gorman & Co. wouldn’t seek any tax incremental financing from the city, but much of the proposed timeline depends on securing Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority tax credits, Affordable Housing Program funds and federal Low-Income Housing tax credits.
Gorman would submit the WHEDA application in December and would receive notice of the award in June 2027. Construction could start in spring 2028 and finish in fall 2029, according to the proposed timeline.
Habitat for Humanity Lakeside proposes 21 single-family homes
Habitat for Humanity Lakeside proposed building 21 single-family homes over the course of five to seven years. Homes would include three to four bedrooms and range from 1,300 square feet to 1,500 square feet.
Habitat would aim to build four homes a year with the support of volunteers and possibly North High School students from the home construction program. The nonprofit has engaged students at Sheboygan Falls and Plymouth high schools on previous home builds.
Le’Shay Guy, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Lakeside, said that although the organization’s focus is on affordable housing, stable housing is essential to improving attendance, graduation rates and reducing relocation.
Habitat has built more than 50 homes across Sheboygan County since 1993, providing housing for more than 100 children.
The organization would be supported by sponsorships, donations, grants and mortgage revenue generated from other Habitat homes.
Guy said Habitat would also invest $10,000 into the school district for each home built.
SASD Board weighs housing needs versus community gym proposal
The board’s initial discussion at the March meeting didn’t reveal a clear proponent choice, but many members emphasized a need for housing.
A Redevelopment Resources housing study released in 2024 indicated the city could need up to about 5,200 housing units to meet projected population growth and employer hiring demands by the early part of the next decade.
Kay Robbins said as much as she loves sports, housing is a “more pressing need” for her. She said the possibility of affordable homeownership “strikes a chord,” hearing from families that housing is a challenge with rising rents and a lack of entry-level homes. Robbins added income-restricted rentals could be valuable, too.
“I think all three proposals have merit,” Robbins said. “It is a matter of which will be the best.”
Denise Wittstock raised concern about how several years of construction could impact the neighborhood, which could be necessary for the Habitat project.
More than a dozen community members, including youth, spoke in favor of Flawless Hoops’ proposal, sharing stories of how the nonprofit organization is instilling values of teamwork, integrity and respect in youth, providing an affordable activity for families and shaping adults.
Heidi Boehmer said she loved hearing students share what impact the program has had on their lives.
“They are empowered to do that, partially because of this program,” Boehmer said. “That’s very impressive to me.
“And at the same time, Flawless isn’t going anywhere. It’s going to stay here. It’s going to keep growing with this space or without this space,” she continued. “And I can’t say the same for housing.”
Boehmer said the city is limited with where it can grow, and infill development is a good option.
Flawless Hoops has been searching for a permanent space for several years. Building near the Walmart in the town of Sheboygan was a possibility in 2024, but there were interpretation disagreements with town leadership about the zoning of a desired parcel.
Leah Hibl said during the board meeting Flawless Hoops would be a great program for SASD students, especially with the mentoring component, but she also considers the importance of addressing basic needs like housing.
She told the Sheboygan Press she’s still on the fence on what proposal she’d vote for, but it was “heartening” to see the immense support for Flawless Hoops.
“It was clear to me that there is this incredibly passionate community, and within that incredibly passionate community there are people that know what might be good for that area,” Hibl said.
When will the SASD board decide on the land sale?
The next SASD Board of Education meeting is April 28, but an agenda hasn’t been posted yet.
Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: SASD weighs gym, townhomes, Habitat homes on Washington site
Reporting by Alex Garner, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
