Milwaukee County officials told the Parks and Culture Committee on May 6 they will seek public input and possible private partners for Trimborne Farm, the county‑owned historic farmstead in Greendale that includes nine period structures and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

"The County is facing really difficult fiscal pressures," Celia Benton, director of Economic Development in the Department of Administrative Services, said as she summarized the county's approach. Benton said the county must consider strategies to reduce long‑term capital obligations and that historic assets such as Trimborne Farm are part of that review.

County staff and partners described the site: Trimborne is zoned parkland in a residential neighborhood, includes a stone barn, a Cream City brick farmhouse, a granary bunkhouse and other outbuildings, and has been on the National Register since 1980. Milwaukee County Historical Society has managed public programming there for about two decades and provides a caretaker; the society contributes roughly $6,500 annually to maintenance, staff said.

Economic Development staff said they plan a near‑term expenditure of roughly $220,000 in capital funds for planning and stabilization work on the granary bunkhouse to assess necessary repairs. Benton said suspected repairs to the bunkhouse could exceed $1 million. County staff said Trimborne's current operating costs borne by Parks are roughly $15,000 per year.

Officials outlined a public engagement and procurement timetable: staff will meet with the Village of Greendale Board of Trustees on May 20, hold a public town hall on Thursday, June 5 (6:30–8:00 p.m., Highland View Elementary), and issue a request for proposals beginning in June that will remain open for about three months. The county aims to return with a recommended public‑private partnership proposal to the County Board in December 2025.

"We've appreciated the partnership with the Milwaukee County Historical Society," Benton said; staff added the society indicated it may not be able to continue covering long‑term capital obligations and is open to other stewardship solutions.

Supervisors representing nearby districts asked that the county robustly engage neighbors and Greendale civic groups given the site's residential location. County staff said outreach to local stakeholders, including Greendale historic‑preservation groups and village leaders, is already underway and will continue through the RFP process.

Benton and project staff said Trimborne's future could include preservation with a partner, a new management model to reduce county operating and capital costs, or other options shaped by community input and competitive proposals. No final decision was made at the committee meeting; staff said next steps are public outreach, the RFP and review of proposals.