Classic Grand to undergo facelift, updates through cooperation with city

The Grand Oshkosh was thrust into the limelight this year after a Memorandum of Understanding was signed early in January between the historic building and the City of Oshkosh.. This understanding announced that the 19th century theater is now slated for renovations, potentially as early as 2026. The news may come as a surprise to some, but to those close to The Grand, like President and CEO Joseph Ferlo, a project like this is well overdue. 

“It seems like we’ve been talking about it forever,” he said. “I’ve been here 20 years and we first started talking about a project like this as much as 15, 16 years ago.” 

The building is in need of structural repairs, accessibility accommodations, and expansion of the lobby and lounge to adapt to changing trends in the entertainment industry. The projected budget, set at a lofty $10 million to cover both the repairs and the addition, will be split 50/50 between the City of Oshkosh, who owns the building itself, and The Grand Oshkosh, Inc. Ferlo acknowledges that the shared cost of the project has generated more public attention than would ordinarily be expected. 

“Normally, a project like this would be at a moment in time where all the work is being done privately, but because the city owns the building and because the city put up half the money, it puts us out there a lot earlier than we would normally be,” he said. “While it’s going to happen, it’s still to some extent a concept that’s being put together.” 

Common Council member Joseph Stephenson also serves on the Board of Directors for The Grand Oshkosh, serving as a liaison between the two parties. 

“My main role is to bring The Grand and the City together and to help them work as one,” he said. “Even though the Grand is their own organization, we are running it like a city project.” 

As a central feature of downtown Oshkosh, The Grand plays a major role to residents of the area, so Ferlo believes it’s been incredibly important for those involved with the project to work jointly with the community when planning. 

“There’s a core committee of about a dozen people who find their way together,” he said. “And there are certain times along the way where different people have been leaders.” 

Working closely on the project is T.R. Karrels & Associates, the architectural design and structural engineering firm tasked with designing and constructing the addition and remodel. Stephenson has been thrilled with the dedication to the historical character of the building.

“The architect that we got is very cognizant of Oshkosh’s history and the architecture of William Waters, so we’re trying not to hurt the original building at all,” he said. 

The computer renderings of the expansion depict a stark contrast between the original building and the expansion, which since their release earlier this month have garnered some criticism.

“As the addition goes on, we’re not trying to replicate historical features, because with modern materials, it’s just going to look weird, but we can pay homage to that history,” Stephenson said.

Ferlo affirms that historical preservation will be prioritized during the renovations.

“When you walk into the historical part of The Grand, it’s going to look pretty much the same,” he said. “It’s incredibly important to respect the history of the building. Someone once told me, ‘When you put an addition on, you want to do it in a way that they might’ve done it then if the technology that exists today had existed then.’” 

That’s an attitude that the planners of the project have taken to heart, especially when it comes to accessibility for users and performers with physical disabilities. Ferlo encountered numerous difficulties and how some are completely barred from utilizing certain spaces within The Grand. 

“It’s going to be phenomenally more accessible,” he said “Right now, if someone in a wheelchair wanted to get backstage, because of that differential in height, the only way to get a wheelchair from the lobby to the stage is to exit the building, go up the alley, and enter in through the backdoor. It’s terribly impractical. And to get to the dressing rooms, I don’t think it’s terribly possible. But now, with this addition, if you wanted to get from the lobby to backstage, you’d be able to do that backstage, and if you wanted to get to the dressing room, you can access the ones upstairs. In theory, now the entire backstage becomes much more accessible than it was.” 

Ferlo commends T.R. Karrels & Associates for their work in adapting the existing structure. 

“Making a historic building accessible is an incredible challenge, and again, I’d love to take credit, but these engineers have worked really hard to come up with a way to find your way around this building,” he said.

Accessibility isn’t the first challenge this project encountered. Ferlo found that the area beneath and around the Grand is contaminated by chemicals from a dry cleaner that had previously operated on the block.

“Originally, one of the things I wanted to do was rebuild the dressing room areas and extend the basement, but we couldn’t dig down,” he said. “Instead, we expanded the dressing rooms on the first floor next to the stage. It still accomplishes the same thing, but instead of going down, it goes sideways.” 

Stephenson is very informed on the issues that come with soil contamination. 

“Old dry cleaners are one of the worst contamination sources you can get,” he said. “Remediation adds cost. You’re going to be taking the soil away, treating it. If there’s vapors, you’ll need to be installing filters, and you have to make sure that anything you build on top is nonpermeable, so nothing—water, gas, contaminated soil—is able to leak through, so if it’s in the ground it stays in the ground. There’s a lot of consideration put in.” 

There’s still a lot to be done as far as planning goes, but after that initial roadblock, things have been going smoothly. Stephenson is aware that funding could be a possible hurdle going forward. 

“And it’s not an obstacle,” he said. “It’s just going, getting the word out, and making sure we can find those donors. It really is a community effort, and I think that’s our next task at this point.” 

Donors are a huge part of the process when it comes to projects like this one. As of now, planners are unsure of when construction will begin, since it all depends on how soon The Grand can get their half of the budget, and that depends on the community. That’s why organizations like the Oshkosh Community Foundation are so important. 

President of the Community Foundation Bill Wyman is confident in himself and his coworkers as they make an attempt to find donors. 

“We are representatives for the private side of a public/private partnership,” he said. “We are going to market the idea and talk to donors to see if they have interest. That way we can get a feel for what the donors would like to see.” 

One example of this is the outdoor balcony that will be added to the Grand Lounge, which was suggested by a donor who thought it would be a cool feature for summer events when The Grand isn’t selling as many tickets.

Ticket sales, of course, are a major source of income for the Grand Oshkosh, and closing down for a year during construction would pose a major challenge for the group. For this reason, Ferlo stretches beyond Oshkosh in hopes to spread the word. 

“We have an opportunity, maybe we’ll go to a venue in Fond du Lac or Neenah as a way to draw audiences back into the Grand when it’s done,” he said.

by Gracie-Jean Zahner

Published February 3rd, 2025

Oshkosh West Index Volume 121 Issue IV