Health system purchases naming rights for new county building that will house curling club’s facilities

    The newest building at the Ozaukee County fairgrounds will be called the Columbia St. Mary’s Center.

    Columbia St. Mary’s Health System has purchased the naming rights to the county-owned multipurpose building that houses a state-of-the-art ice facility to be used by the Milwaukee Curling Club, Roanne Barnes, president of the Milwaukee Curling Association, announced.

    “They’re a good organization, and they share the same mission and goals that we do,” she said — promoting a healthy and active lifestyle.

    That sentiment was echoed by Gerri Staffileno, vice president of hospital operations and chief nursing officer for Columbia St. Mary’s Ozaukee Hospital in Mequon.

    “Our mission, to make a positive difference in the health status and lives of the community, complements the Milwaukee Curling Club’s goal to promote a healthy, active lifestyle through curling,”she said.

    Barnes declined to reveal how much the health system paid for the naming rights for the next 15 years.

    “I think it’s just confidential information between Columbia St. Mary’s and the Curling Association,” she said.

    Although the Ozaukee County Executive Committee last week approved the naming of the building, County Board Chairman Rob Brooks also declined to reveal the price paid for the naming rights.

 “They didn’t purchase them from us,” he said. “They could have gotten $10,000 to $1 million.”  

    County Administrator Tom Meaux said he didn’t know how much was paid for the naming rights.

    Officials allowed the association sell the naming rights because they realized it would be easier for another entity to do that, Meaux said. The income the association realizes can then be used to pay the group’s share of the building costs.

    The group has already made a $1 million down payment on the building Meaux said, as well as a $200,000 payment that was due Oct. 1.

    The association has agreed to pay the county $50,000 annually for the next 20 years to lease the building, he said, and about the same amount annually for 30 years after that to pay for improvements to the fairgrounds.

    Ozaukee County built the Columbia St. Mary’s Center and is leasing it to the curling club for six months of the year. The county will use the facility for the remainder of the year.

    The finishing touches are being put on the building, and the curling club expects to begin moving in this week, Barnes said.

    The club has started making the first layer of ice in the center, she said, and will hold an open house at the end of October.

    Club members will start curling at the center Nov. 1, she said, adding they will also schedule learn-to-curl classes.