“A historic day for Denmark”

On Wednesday, September 23, hundreds gathered outside a former school building in the Village of Denmark to mark the beginning of a new chapter for the community. That afternoon, OneDenmark officially unveiled the new Community First Credit Union Community Center & Library to the public, inviting them in and welcoming them to their new space after an extensive renovation project. The Denmark News was in attendance for this historic event to learn more.

OneDenmark was founded in 2019 by a group of concerned local citizens searching for ways to help the greater Denmark community “connect, belong and thrive”. The organization soon tasked themselves with establishing a community center as a “hub” to help accomplish this goal, setting their sights on the former Early Childhood Center which was shuttered with a successful district referendum in 2022. The Denmark School Board would officially grant the property to OneDenmark in October 2024 with ground officially being broken on the extensive renovation project one year later in October 2025. 

For the past year, passersby have seen the former school building undergo a rapid transformation as partnering contractors revitalized the structure and OneDenmark worked towards their dream. Then, after years of planning, months of renovation and countless hours of envisioning, OneDenmark was ready to unveil their new community center to the public for the first time last Wednesday. 

The occasion began with a ceremony outside the front entrance at 3:30 p.m. featuring speeches, recognition and an official ribbon cutting. Brown County Library Board Trustee Brian Anderson served as Master of Ceremonies and opened the proceedings by reflecting on the past year’s $5.5 million renovation project “to transform this historic school building into a vibrant community hub”.

Anderson then overviewed the building’s long history as a high school, junior high, middle school, elementary school and Early Childhood Center with multiple additions and renovations in between. He explained how OneDenmark had seen potential in the building when it was vacated by the district and went over the efforts they took and the partnerships they created to make their vision a reality including financing through both grants and private donations. Anderson also recognized the “people who drove the vision, design and construction” stating, “Through the hard work of hundreds of people, the new community center is persevering as an important part of Denmark’s past while creating opportunities for generations to come. For more than 100 years, this building served the citizens of Denmark at various points of their lives--high school, junior high, kindergarten. Now it can serve everyone at every point in their lives.”

Marion Dahlke of the Denmark VFW Auxiliary presented an American flag to OneDenmark Board President Deb Kralovetz which was then raised by members of the Denmark American Legion Post 363 and VFW Post 6705 with Denmark High School choir students Lily Buregge, Ezra Lyons and Olivia Grusznski providing an acapella rendition of the National Anthem.

Brown County Executive Troy Streckenbach recognized a number of representatives and public officials who supported the project and, noting the large crowd in attendance, stated, “This is a community space. This is why the library is here. It’s why Brown County, as we continue to try and figure out where we invest dollars to make the community stronger, we are looking for these types of partnerships…Oftentimes, the government goes and puts something there, but maybe the community didn’t want it. This is a perfect example of where the community wanted it.”

Denmark School District Administrator and OneDenmark Board Vice President Luke Goral spoke on the years of work and planning that led the organization to where they are stating, “As I reflect back on how this journey has evolved to bring us where we are today, what comes to mind above all else is a profound sense of gratitude and community. Transforming a vision like this into reality does not happen in isolation. It takes dedication, shared goals and unwavering support. I, and OneDenmark, are deeply grateful for every partnership, every contribution and every volunteer that has made this possible.”

Goral continued stating, “This building holds a rich history and incredible memories for every staff member who taught here and all the students who attended and walked through these doors. Within these walls, lifelong friendships were formed, mentorships were born and countless milestones were made. It is a space rooted in growth, connection and community. Looking forward, this space is being given a new life as a center for the entire community. To see this building transformed into a place where we can strengthen our bonds through lifelong learning, physical activity and meaningful connection is truly outstanding. I’m excited to see how this renewed space will serve, inspire us all and bring us together for many more years to come.”

Brown County Library Executive Director Sarah Sugden used her time addressing the crowd to unveil the new library branch’s official name revealing it will be known as the “Kathy Lynn Library” in recognition and honor of Denmark’s own Kathy Lynn Pletcher who has served on the Brown County Library Board for decades and was recently inducted into the Wisconsin Library Hall of Fame as well as being an active member of the OneDenmark Board. On the new name, Sugden stated, “When the stars align, the stars shine bright. From the very first conversation about this project, [Pletcher] has been its engine, its heartbeat, its relentless, unstoppable driving force because she cares deeply, so deeply, about this community and about libraries.” Sugden called the new branch a “people-focussed place, named for a people-focused person”.

The crowd then heard from some of the lead figures involved with the renovation project. Somerville Architects and Engineers Senior Architect Neil Yunk told them, “When our team at Somerville was asked to reimagine this building, we knew we would be doing more than just rearranging walls. We were reshaping a cornerstone in the Denmark community.” Yunk then reflected on the “complex history” of the structure and the challenges it created for construction saying they were able to “figure out a way to create a cohesive layout” with a “focus on natural light and connection”.  “By solving the layout puzzle, we achieved the primary goal: creating a hub for growth and connection.”

IEI General Contractors Nick Van Handel also spoke on some of the challenges faced during the renovation project and told attendees, “As you walk through the building, I hope you can try to visualize all the things that went into the project that you can’t see. Things that are above the ceiling that are holding everything in place, things inside the walls, the countless conversations, adjustments, problem-solving and coordination that took place behind the scenes.” He closed by calling the new center one of his favorite projects stating, “The transformation from an old school into this library and community center is just truly amazing.”

The ceremony’s final speaker was OneDenmark Board President Deb Kralovetz who greeted the crowd by stating, “Welcome to a truly historic day for Denmark. Today, we are celebrating a century of connecting this community and marking the beginning of a vibrant new chapter.” Kralovetz then reflected on the new center’s name telling all in attendance, “It is incredibly fitting that this building bears the name, ‘Community First Credit Union Community Center and Library.’ Beyond being a valued partner, those two words: ‘community, first’ are the blueprint for everything that will happen within these walls. This center was built on the belief that before anything else, we must take care of one another, lift each other up and put our community first.”

Kravlovetz then thanked all of OneDenmark’s partners including Brown County, Brown County Library, the State of Wisconsin, Somerville Architects, IEI General Contractors, the Denmark School District and “every single community member and business partner who supported this project from day one”. Her final thanks went out to her fellow OneDenmark Board members who she read by name before stating, “For the past seven years, we have planned, dreamed, sometimes doubted, but, most importantly, persevered. We kept pushing forward because we knew this moment would become a reality. It has been an honor to serve with you and be on your team.” She then addressed the community as a whole saying, “To the residents of Denmark, this is your space. We hope it serves as a daily reminder that in this town, putting community first leads to relationships in which we connect, belong, thrive.”

The Greater Green Bay Chamber then assisted with the official ribbon cutting for the center before one and all were invited inside to see it for themselves. Throughout their self-guided tours, representatives from OneDenmark and their affiliated organizations welcomed them, answered questions and provided information about opportunities to come. 

In the new Kathy Lynn Library, visitors could sign up for a library card and learn more about upcoming programming opportunities. The Paul & Jeanette Duffeck Family Community Room hosted Somerville Architects and IEI General Contractors and the spacious Community Commons was home to refreshments and lots of conversation. The gymnasium hosted carnival games for the youngsters as well as tables with representatives from the ADRC, the VA, Denmark Connects and Brown County Health and Human Services. The Teens’ Room and Children’s Room were open for business with a number of activities, and the Fitness Center was available for tours and membership inquiries. The center’s two new tenants were also available with Denmark Community Cupboard volunteers collecting donations and AOT Yoga offering mini-classes in their new spaces.

After Wednesday’s historic grand opening, the new Community First Credit Union Community Center & Library opened for regular business on Thursday with workers and volunteers settling into the new space. The center will be open to the public for regular hours Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon. The Kathy Lynn Library is now open Monday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., Thursday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Story Time will take place in the Community Room at 10 a.m. on Thursday mornings.

Stay tuned to future issues of The Denmark News for more updates from the new Community First Credit Union Community Center & Library!