May 12, 2026 – Slinger, Wi – After nearly two years of planning, collaboration, and community engagement, the Slinger Community Campus Committee is moving forward with an ambitious project designed to maximize existing municipal space while creating a vibrant new gathering place for residents, organizations, and local businesses.
Ken Reiser, chairman of the newly formed Slinger Community Campus Committee, said the vision for the project was shaped directly by community feedback and a shared desire to invest in Slinger’s future.
“We conducted a community survey, which identified the need for additional gathering and community space, and we are planning to add a 7,100-square-foot Slinger Center community facility located between Village Hall and the Public Library,” said Reiser. “The current design for the community center is estimated to cost approximately $3.25 million.”
Dyann Benson, Village of Slinger assistant administrator and community development director, said the remainder of the project, includes a flip flop of two existing municipal buildings. “The current Village Hall administrative offices will relocate into the existing library building, while the library would move into the current Village Hall facility,” she said. “That design estimate totals approximately $4 million.”
“The library currently occupies approximately 7,500 square feet, while Village Hall encompasses about 14,000 square feet,” said Reiser. This renovation will double the size of the current library.
The new Slinger Center community facility will physically connect the two buildings, creating a centralized campus intended to serve residents for generations to come.
The opportunity to move forward with the project was made possible in part through the construction of the new Slinger Police Department, located south of Highway 60.
“The police department is expected to move in late July or early August,” said Reiser. “The new station is located behind Uptown Motors and provides convenient access to Hwy 175, Hwy 60, and Hwy 164.”
The police department project is funded separately from the Slinger Community Campus initiative.
According to financial advisor Ehlers, “the Village of Slinger is constructing a new 25,410-square-foot police station on Enterprise Drive, with project costs estimated at $15.5 million.”
Benson made clear, there are two different projects in the works. “There are two different design contracts, two different funding sources, and the Village projects have to be publically bid out,” she said. “The community center is a private build and being overseen by the Slinger Foundation.”
After the projects are completed, Benson said, the Village taxpayers will be the ones funding the utilities for all buildings including the community center.
According to Reiser, the total $7.25 million project includes not only the new construction, but also the remodeling, demolition, and transition work necessary to successfully transform the existing facilities into a unified community campus.
A major source of momentum behind the project has been the overwhelming support from the Slinger community.
Among the notable contributions was a $500,000 donation from a private couple, along with an additional $500,000 commitment from the Slinger Library Board. Reiser said local businesses, residents, and community organizations have all played an important role in the success of the fundraising campaign.
“There’s a tremendous amount of community spirit here,” he said. One of the campaign’s most successful initiatives, titled “100 Extraordinary Women,” exceeded expectations with 127 women contributing more than $1,000 each.
“We raised $127,000 through that effort alone,” said Reiser.
Several local businesses have also contributed between $25,000 and $75,000 each, while the library’s fundraising organization has committed significant financial support to the initiative.
Beyond serving municipal functions, the Slinger Center is expected to become a flexible gathering space.
“The Slinger Center will feature a meeting room capable of accommodating approximately 85 people,” said Reiser. “The space will be flexible and available for Village Board meetings, Planning Commission meetings, community organizations, and business functions.”
In addition to financial contributions, local manufacturers and tradespeople have volunteered to build much of the indoor and outdoor furniture for the facility at no cost.
“The Slinger Community Campus project has generated tremendous enthusiasm, and it’s exciting to see everything coming together,” said Reiser.
Reiser said the long-term goal is to create a welcoming, community-centered campus that will enhance collaboration, engagement, and civic pride throughout Slinger for decades to come.
At this time, a groundbreaking date has not yet been established.
