APPLETON — The proposed master plan for the redevelopment of the Thrivent campus on the city's north side calls for a new Thrivent operations center situated close to Interstate 41 and between 2,200 and 2,300 new housing units.
The campus also would accommodate between 450,000 and 500,000 square feet of office space, between 120,000 and 175,000 square feet of retail space, including a grocery store, and a hotel off Ballard Road.
In addition, about 30% of the 580-acre property would be restored and preserved as public parkland, open space, waterways and a system of trails that would connect with the larger community.
Dave Kress, Appleton's deputy director of community development, emphasized that the plan is conceptual and could change over time.
"It's going to take many years, if not multiple decades, for it to be fully built out," Kress told The Post-Crescent.
The City Plan Commission held hearings on Thrivent's land-use and rezoning requests Wednesday and recommended they be approved. The Common Council will consider the actions Sept. 4.
Appleton Principal Planner Don Harp said Thrivent's mixed-use development would enhance the city's tax base and promote the goals and objectives of the city's comprehensive plan.
"The proposed land-use patterns depicted on the concept master plan appear to provide a vibrant neighborhood community for people to live, work, meet everyday shopping and social needs within a unified development," Harp said in a memorandum to the Plan Commission. "This appears to be compatible with the existing adjacent commercial properties and residential neighborhoods."
Thrivent would anchor the south end of the property
Thrivent would build a new office building and parking lot on the south end of the property near I-41. It's identified as "Thrivent HQ" and listed at 300,000 square feet on the master plan presented to the Plan Commission, but Thrivent later clarified that the building would be 150,000 square feet.
"Thrivent is committed to our employees and clients in Appleton and building for the future," said Eric Merriman, Thrivent's director of real estate. "This hearing is an exciting step forward in our planning. We're grateful for the continued collaboration with the city of Appleton and to the broader community for their input to our master plan, which will guide long-term development over the next several decades."
The land immediately east of the new Thrivent building is reserved for an iconic park.
The north and west sections of Thrivent's Ballard Operations Center at 4321 N. Ballard Road would be razed for redevelopment, according to the plan. Between 50,000 and 70,000 square feet would remain and would be repurposed.
"We're exploring a range of potential future uses for the building, including office, community and civic uses," Samantha Mehrotra, Thrivent's senior public relations manager, said. "No final decisions have been made on the potential new building or Ballard."
Thrivent would retain its Meade Operations Center at 3920 N. Meade St. in the southwest corner of the campus.
Thrivent is a Fortune 500 financial services company whose roots in Appleton date to 1902. Its corporate office was built in 1975 and expanded in 1994. Thrivent currently has 1,500 employees in Appleton.
The space needs of the company's workforce changed following the coronavirus pandemic as employees opted for remote work or hybrid work. In May 2023, Thrivent announced it would explore development options for its campus.
The master plan is a refinement of preliminary concepts previously reported by The Post-Crescent . The planning process involved two online surveys and two open houses to gauge the wishes of the community.
What types of housing would be offered?
The master plan depicts a full range of housing options.
- 300 single-family homes on quarter-acre lots
- 400 single-family homes on eighth-acre lots in a traditional neighborhood development
- 120 townhomes
- 220 garden-style apartments, which typically give tenants exterior access, landscaped grounds and common outdoor areas
- More than 1,000 apartments in multifamily buildings
Appleton has identified additional housing as a priority and is making policy changes to encourage and streamline housing development .
A market study done for the College North Neighborhood Plan calculated Appleton's demand for additional housing at 301 units annually.
Plan places commercial development along Ballard Road
The plan shows commercial development along the west side of Ballard between I-41 and Milestone Drive.
It envisions a 65,000- to 100,000-square-foot grocery story, a fuel station, retail stores and a four-story hotel.
During the public hearings, residents questioned whether the development would increase traffic congestion and reduce property values.
Emily Cialdini, vice present of development for Land by Label Development Co. — Thrivent's partner in the project — said a traffic analysis is underway.
The analysis will recommend improvements such traffic signals, turn lanes and traffic-calming devices to ensure safe travel, she said.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com . Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke .
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Plan for Thrivent campus shows new corporate office building, range of housing options
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