South Milwaukee may close the Grobschmidt Senior Center this year. Find out why.
South Milwaukee may close the Chester W. Grobschmidt Senior Center at the end of 2024 to help fund police dispatch services.
The senior space opened in 1982. In 1994, it was renamed from the South Milwaukee Senior Center to the namesake of one of South Milwaukee's most famous mayors, Chet Grobschmidt.
Chet’s daughter Karen Southerlin of Oak Creek said she has not told her father about the possible closure yet. She's worried “this will crush him.”
“My dad was very honored to have that building named after him,” she said. “He was very proud of the Grobschmidt Senior Center.”
She said he and the family built the gazebo behind the facility at 2424 15th Ave. and “(my dad) was at the senior center all the time participating in every event there.”
The center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.
When could the Grobschmidt Senior Center in South Milwaukee close?
The South Milwaukee Common Council will consider the closure at its June 4 meeting. If approved, the center could close Dec. 20, 2024.
What is the reason South Milwaukee may close the senior center?
South Milwaukee entered into an intergovernmental agreement with Oak Creek for emergency dispatch services set to begin in 2025.
“The Oak Creek dispatch center offers capacity and resilience that South Milwaukee could not afford on its own,” the city said in a statement May 30.
Despite the agreement resulting in a capital savings for South Milwaukee, it increases the dispatch operating budget to where the city needed to reallocate over $560,000 from its current budget to cover costs.
The city has already identified over $370,000 in reductions which officials say, “will have little impact on South Milwaukee residents.”
The proposed closure of the senior center would help close the remaining $190,000 gap.
“I can understand budget cuts and funding is hard these days,” Southerlin said. “I totally understand this whole thing.”
Understanding something doesn’t always make it easy.
The city also noted in its May 30 statement announcing the possible closure that Sandy Quinlan, senior center director for the last 34 years, is retiring at the end of the year.
How many members does the Grobschmidt Senior Center have?
There are currently 225 members of the center ― most of whom do not live in South Milwaukee, according to the city’s statement.
Where could seniors go instead?
Three miles north of the Grobschmidt Senior Center is the Kelly Senior Center, 6100 S. Lake Drive in Cudahy, managed by Milwaukee County.
Southerlin said South Milwaukee, Cudahy and even Oak Creek are all close enough together and offer various services in other venues ― like community centers and libraries ― so seniors should be able to use those facilities in the neighboring municipalities without much issue.
What is Chet Grobschmidt’s legacy in South Milwaukee?
Chet Grobschmidt served as alderperson for District 4 for nine years.
He was elected mayor of South Milwaukee in 1966 and served for 28 years, retiring in 1994, according to a mayoral proclamation in 2020 for Grobschmidt’s 100th birthday.
Grobschmidt’s 104th birthday is June 8.
Contact Erik S. Hanley at erik.hanley@jrn.com. Like his Facebook page, The Redheadliner, and follow him on X @Redheadliner.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: South Milwaukee could close the Grobschmidt Senior Center this year
