A Country Escape on Geneva Lake

We are under contract to purchase the George Williams College campus from Aurora University. The property is about 137 acres in size.

Our plan is to honor the history and character of the property while giving it a new purpose that both locals and visitors can enjoy.

• Our plan includes the following components: 
• A 90-acre nature preserve that’s open to the public but maintained by Topography. 
• A new amphitheater and retreat center that will host a range of private and public events.
• A luxurious, small country inn with two restaurants and bars, a spa and racquet courts.

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• Starting in the 1880s, the property served as a YMCA camp.
• Since 1890, it was the home of George Williams College. Aurora University acquired George Williams College in 2000.
• From 1951 to 1969, and then again from 2001 to 2023, George Williams College hosted Music by the Lake, annual summer music festival.
• In 2022, Aurora made the difficult decision to shut down George Williams College and sell the property due to the college’s financial challenges. The college has been vacant since December 2023.
• Prior to signing a contract with Topography, Aurora contacted over 150 colleges and nonprofits to see if they would be interested in buying the property. All of them declined because they couldn’t justify the financial commitment

• Topography will create a 90-acre nature preserve on the land that was previously a golf course and farm land by Route 67. The nature preserve will be “re-wilded” with native species consistent with meadows that were once common in the Midwest and will include grass-cut paths that meander through the nature preserve.
• The nature preserve will be maintained by Topography, but it will be open to the public with a path that connects the nature preserve to the Geneva Lakeshore Path.

• The inn will have a total of 68 accommodations, including rooms, suites, and cabins, positioning it as a small, charming alternative to large resorts like the Grand Geneva (358 rooms) and The Abbey (334 rooms).
• Amenities will include two restaurants and bars, a spa, a pool, racquet courts, and water activities.

• The inn is primarily for our overnight guests. Anyone can reserve one of our rooms, suites or cabins.
• Additionally, we will have a club membership for people who want to enjoy the amenities at our country inn but are not overnight guests. This membership is mainly for people who have a home in the area. Our club membership initiation fee and annual dues will be in line with other leading country clubs in the Midwest.
• Finally, as a gesture to our neighbors, Williams Bay residents will be welcome to have dinner at our two restaurants on off-peak nights when we have the capacity to accommodate them. Williams Bay residents will not need to be an overnight guest or club member to have dinner at The Preserve.

We will prioritize maintaining an open, natural lake front with a limited number of piers.

• In speaking with residents of Williams Bay and the broader Geneva Lake community, there is clear support for continuing Music by the Lake and attracting a broader audience with higher-caliber performers.
• According to Aurora University, one challenge has been the venue's size; Music by The Lake historically accommodated up to 2,600 people—1,000 in the Pavilion and 1,600 on the lawn.
• To ensure Music by The Lake’s long-term sustainability, we propose a new amphitheater with a natural aesthetic and lake views, seating 2,500, plus lawn seating for 1,000, totaling 3,500. This will enhance talent attraction and improve accessibility compared to the Ferro Pavilion. We plan to host approximately 8-10 performances each summer.

Research of comparable amphitheaters, and our studies of Vision Hill, parking and traffic, indicate the site can accommodate 5,000 people. However, community concerns about traffic and parking led us to reduce the proposed capacity to 3,500. This adjustment aims to mitigate impacts while still creating a successful venue, and it aligns more closely with the former MBTL capacity.

• The retreat center will be located by the amphitheater on Vision Hill, overlooking Geneva Lake.
• The retreat center’s main event space will host up to approximately 125 people. Additionally, the retreat center will have two breakout rooms for smaller meetings or events.
• Our plan is to host a range of private and public events at the retreat center. Examples include board retreats, nonprofit fundraisers, and educational and cultural events.

Yes, The Preserve will pay room tax, sales tax and property tax.

Historically, George Williams College did not pay any taxes because it is a nonprofit organization.

By Year 3 of operations (2029), The Preserve is projected to pay a total of $3.26 million in local, county and state taxes. As for Williams Bay in particular, The Preserve is projected to contribute $1.5 million annually to the Village by 2029 via the room tax and property tax. Please see below for more information.

• Room tax: This is a 5% tax on all overnight room revenue that The Preserve will generate. We are projecting that our total room revenue will be $20 million by Year 3 of operation (2029). Five percent of $20 million equals $1 million dollars in tax revenue that goes directly to Williams Bay (not the county or state). The Williams Bay room tax gets allocated to support local tourism (70% of tax proceeds) and the Village’s general fund (30% of tax proceeds). This is the tax that will have the single biggest impact on the Village. For context, in 2023, Williams Bay collected a total of $72,000 from room tax.‍
• Sales tax: The Preserve will pay a 5.5% sales tax on all revenue, with 5% going to the State of Wisconsin, and 0.5% going to Walworth County. We are projecting that we will generate $32 million in total revenue by Year 3 of operations. That translates to $1.76 million in annual sales tax, with $1.6 million going to the State of Wisconsin and $160,000 to Walworth County.‍
• Property tax: The Village of Williams Bay’s financial advisor projects that The Preserve will pay approximately $500,000 annually in property tax by 2029. The Village of Williams Bay created a tax increment district (TID) for the George Williams College property. The net effect of the TID is that all of the property tax dollars collected from The Preserve over the next twenty years will go to public infrastructure improvements near the Preserve property. Examples include replacing the nearly 100-year-old public water and sewer mains that serve the properties by George Williams College. The advantage to Williams Bay is that it gets to use 100% of the property tax dollars during the life of the TID to improve its local infrastructure. Then, after the TID is closed, the funds will split between Walworth County, the Village of Williams Bay, the Williams Bay School District and Gateway Technical College.

• Yes! The Preserve will support local businesses in several ways.
• First, Topography is committed to sourcing from local suppliers and farmers and contracting with local trades.
• Second, Topography will support the Williams Bay Business Association (WBBA) through the room tax. In fact, The Preserve will likely be the largest supporter of the WBBA once it is up and running.
• Third, The Preserve will promote Williams Bay’s restaurants, shops, and attractions with our guests.

• The inn will minimally impact traffic, with an estimated 25 additional car trips per day during peak season—about one extra trip per hour—compared to when George Williams College was operating. Ample parking will be provided for guests, members, and employees.
• A traffic study for Music by the Lake recommends constructing a dedicated right-turn lane on Route 67 onto N. Lakeshore Drive, and traffic control officers will be deployed during events, both at Topography’s expense. Parking will be available on-site and at the adjacent high school lot.

New buildings and parking areas will be positioned within existing structures and between trees, based on a prior tree survey. This design minimizes tree impact, and new landscaping will result in a net gain of trees.

• The Williams Bay Comprehensive Plan requires an amendment to allow for our intended use.
• A Planned DevelopmentOverlay (PDO) is also needed, consisting of four steps: Concept Plan (CP), General Development Plan (GDP), Final Development Plan (FDP), and Development Agreement (DA).