A company that specializes in structural engineering and restoration is working on the Potawatomi State Park Tower this week on behalf of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Wood Research and Development from Jefferson, Oregon has a team of engineers studying the tower. Engineer Kim King from Wood Research and Development (WRD) of Jefferson, Oregon started inspecting and evaluating the tower on Tuesday and will conclude on Thursday. WRD was commissioned by the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society a few years ago to conduct a study. King says the tower looks to be in structurally good shape with some strategic areas of deterioration.
King notes that he and his team will finalize a report that will be submitted to the DNR within 30 days. The 75-foot Potawatomi State Park Tower was built in 1931 and was closed to the public in 2018. The DNR had come forward with a plan for the restoration of the tower with a spiral ramp that includes three levels of the tower with a price tag of $6 million back in January. Governor Tony Evers announced in March that emergency repairs to the historic structure were approved with an estimated cost of $500,000.
