Should Appleton offer grants to developers to enhance the architecture of new buildings?

Duke Behnke, Appleton Post-Crescent
·2 min read
The design of the new building at 315 E. College Ave. in Appleton elicits diverse opinions. The building will house Lawrence University classrooms and the Trout Museum of Art.
The design of the new building at 315 E. College Ave. in Appleton elicits diverse opinions. The building will house Lawrence University classrooms and the Trout Museum of Art.

Reader question: Does Appleton offer an economic incentive to encourage developers to construct architecturally attractive buildings? With the austere look of some of the new buildings, that might be a worthwhile investment.

Answer: The city doesn't offer any grants to enhance the architecture of new construction, but it does provide matching grants for exterior renovations to commercial buildings. The grants are capped at $7,000 per project and can apply to aesthetic improvements such as painting, masonry cleaning and landscaping.

Appleton Downtown Inc. also offers facade renovation grants.

For new construction, though, Community Development Director Kara Homan summarized the city's position this way: "We respect that architectural attractiveness can be subjective and is driven by the property owner and their design team."

There's no universal acceptance for what's architecturally attractive, much less whether government should play a role, financial or otherwise, in that determination.

When Lawrence University and the Trout Museum of Art broke ground on a $38 million building at 315 E. College Ave., they touted its "simplicity of form" that will "seamlessly fuse the boundary between downtown Appleton and the edge of Lawrence University's campus."

Commenters on social media viewed the building differently.

"Pretty sterile looking design reminiscent of the Paper Valley Hotel but happy to see the Trout staying downtown," an Appleton resident said on Facebook.

"I have no words for the design (or lack of design) of this building. Did they get multiple proposals and this was the best? Very confusing," another post said.

Watchdog Q&A: Duke Behnke answers your local government questions

Beauty, indeed, is in the eye of the beholder. Personally, I like the architecture of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel and the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.

Lawrence Memorial Chapel is one of Appleton's most recognizable landmarks. It is an example of Georgian Revival architecture.
Lawrence Memorial Chapel is one of Appleton's most recognizable landmarks. It is an example of Georgian Revival architecture.
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton features a distinctive rotunda, which serves as the main entrance.
The Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in downtown Appleton features a distinctive rotunda, which serves as the main entrance.

On the other hand, I think the architecture of the AT&T building at 221 W. Washington St., while perhaps functional, is crude and cold.

I'm curious what others think about the best and worst architecture in Appleton and the rest of the Fox Cities. If you have an opinion, please share it with me. My contact information is listed below. I might use the responses in a future column or story.

Post-Crescent reporter Duke Behnke answers your questions about local government. Send questions to dbehnke@gannett.com or call him at 920-993-7176.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Should Appleton offer grants to developers to enhance architecture?