Froedtert ThedaCare plans to build townhouses for medical residents on the former site of Roosevelt Elementary School in Neenah, Dec. 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy: ThedaCare)
NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The former site of a Neenah elementary school is being repurposed as a housing development for medical residents.
It’s part of Froedtert ThedaCare’s Graduate Medical Education (GME) program.
Officials announced Thursday that approximately 56 townhouses will be built at the corner of 1st Street and E. Forest Avenue, adjacent to ThedaCare Medical Center-Neenah. The townhouses will serve as on-campus housing for medical school graduates completing their residency.
“The development plans reinforce ThedaCare’s commitment to training the next generation of physicians and addressing the region’s growing health care needs,” said Lynn Detterman, president of the North Region of Froedtert ThedaCare. “It can also help them adjust quickly in the community by embedding them in a familiar and supportive environment.”
Detterman said the units are affordable housing, which is different from many normal college campuses.
“Maybe the housing wasn’t quite as desirable as we would’ve liked it to have been, and it was really expensive, right? Because of location, location. Well, this is location, but we’re also going to have it be affordable for those residents,” she said.
The property was previously the home of Roosevelt Elementary School, which closed at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Local businessman John Bergstrom and other community members helped facilitate the sale of the site in October 2022. ThedaCare and the ThedaCare Family of Foundations later purchased the property. Bergstrom also donated funds to have the Roosevelt building torn down and the site converted to green space in preparation for future use.
Detterman said with many resident programs, students are from out of state and move away after completing their residency. This new housing initiative aims to keep students in the area.
“Hopefully, grow a love for living in the Fox Cities, and as they choose positions, potentially permanently here, they will buy houses then in the nearby area,” she told us.
ThedaCare said its plan for the housing is for it to be used exclusively by students and their direct family. But the medical group does have a backup plan.
“If, for whatever reason, that doesn’t come to fruition like planned, we can consider some other options,” Detterman explained. “Another thing that we have on the table is we are looking to partner in the community for a potential daycare center.”
The city of Neenah is on board. Mayor Jane Lang told said it’s a great opportunity to expand options for students.
“Obviously, our doctors are in short supply. For us to have this residency program right in our community, I am thrilled about it. I think this will be a great chance for us to connect with those residents and help them to understand why we think Neenah is a great place to live,” Lang said.
ThedaCare says there will be two phases of construction.
The first phase would consist of two buildings and 28 units being built on the west half of the property. Construction began in October 2025 and is expected to wrap up in summer 2026. The second phase would consist of two buildings and 28 units being built on the east half of the property, with construction beginning in fall 2026.
Plans call for 32 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom townhouses. Each unit would also have an attached one- or two-car garage.
On-campus housing allows medical residents and fellows to focus more on their training, ThedaCare says, with benefits including:
- Reduced commute time
- Better work-life balance
- Peer networking
- Shared experiences
- On-call opportunities
Data from the Wisconsin Hospital Association says the Badger States will need 2,000-4,000 more physicians by 2035. Studies show nearly 55% of individuals who complete residency training remain in the community in which they trained to practice medicine, and 70% of physicians stay in the state when they complete both their GME and residency in the same state.
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