Ridgeway Community Center

old Community Center black and white photo

History of the Site

The original portion of the building was constructed as part of a Federal Public Works Administration Program in 1939. Ridgeway High School/Ridgeway Union High School operated in the village until consolidation into the Dodgeville School District in the 1960’s. The original portion of the building received an additional wing in 1965 and continued to function as an active school until permanently closing in April 2020. The Village of Ridgeway received a $5,000 grant from Compeer Financial to have a feasibility study completed to assess the rehabilitation of the former school into a community center. The feasibility study was conducted by Strang Engineering and the Village Plan Commission with multiple public input sessions in September 2020. The final report was completed in December 2020. The Village purchased the building for $1 in January 2021. HVAC was upgraded and interior renovations were completed in the Summer of 2022 with support from donations and a village general obligation loan. The potential projects presented in the feasibility study may or may not be completed but were presented as part of the process to provide a future road map and prepare initial plans to inform the board of trustees prior to accepting the offer to purchase.

Amenities in the Space

Community Gym – Basketball and volleyball court
Volunteer Library and Media Center
Community Room and Senior Center – cards every morning!
Commercial Kitchen
Conference Center/Meeting Rooms – Village Board and Committee/Commission Meetings in Room 101
Village Office – Main Office/Suite A
Marshal’s Office – Lower Level/Suite B
Retail and Business Space – Interested? Call the village office!

Donations & Funding

Private donations from area organizations have been received. If your organization would like to contribute to the project, please make checks payable to the Village of Ridgeway.

We will also be actively seeking and applying for grant money to help fund the Ridgeway Community Center to provide greater community services and offset costs of improvements whenever possible. Potential Long Range Community Center Layout From 2021 Feasibility Study

Project Partners

Dodgeville Public Library | Village of Ridgeway Board of Trustees, Plan Commission, and Streets, Sidewalks & Park Committee | Community Member Volunteers | Friends of the Ridgeway Volunteer Library | Ridgeway Garden Club

Project Funders

Supporting Documents

Potential Long Range Community Center Layout – Option 2 Layout From Feasibility Study (701 KB)