There are a couple of things that set Lakeshore State Park in Milwaukee apart from its peers: First, it’s free; Second, it’s the only urban park in the system. Bookended by Summerfest and Discovery World, the park is just steps away from the city itself, but when you walk in you enter another world of birdwatching, fishing, beaches and hiking trails.
But it’s also a world without plumbing or shelter from Wisconsin’s weather.
“Most teachers are a little skeptical to dedicate both time and money to a field trip where it could get canceled at the last minute because of an incoming storm or adverse cold or heat,” says Mary Jo Layden, who has been on the Friends of Lakeshore State Park board for more than 10 years.
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The group is behind a renewed effort to build a $5 million visitor center at the park, currently in the fundraising phase. The timeline for building the future visitor center depends on the capital campaign, but Friends already has a vision and designs in hand thanks in part to grants from the city of Milwaukee.
Education, accessibility and expanding the seasonality of the park were top of mind when designing the center, which is planned to be 2,500 square feet and to include educational resources, workspace for staff, big windows to look at the scenery and, of course, running water. Designers also prioritized making the future center blend in with the scenery and not obstruct the natural beauty of the park.
“The idea was always to make sure that we have a light footprint on the park itself … It’s just a speck if you look at it from a bird’s eye view,” says Bill Schmitt, who is heading the building committee. “People [value] the fact that we can escape from the chaos and the craziness of our regular lives and so quickly, right at the heart of Downtown, walk over a bridge and be in a space where it feels like you’re going to be able to disconnect and enjoy what is a really unique environmental and natural landscape.”
Lakeshore State Park is valued as an oasis for relaxation and athletic activities, but it is also an important freshwater resource. It was designed as a space to store rainwater, which helps prevent flooding. The educational materials on display at the visitor center will highlight the importance of freshwater resources like Lake Michigan.
“Our park is not only giving our city a place, but also a purpose to keep our water clean,” says Sue Frautschi, who is the fund development committee chair.
A visitor center was always part of the plan for Lakeshore State Park, but before the park opened to the public in June of 2007, the Great Recession forced the board to scrap the original plans. The complications of building in the sensitive location have kept new designs from getting off the ground since. The single largest expenditure is connecting to the city’s water and sewer services, which are located across from the park’s showpiece lagoon.
But completing the original vision has remained a consistent goal for the members of the Friends board, who have been pursuing both private and public fundraising opportunities.
“When [my husband and I] moved Downtown, I joined the Friends board because I love green spaces,” says Layden. “Now that the lakefront is my green space, I feel it is important to help care for the park and make sure that we steward this forward for future generations.”
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Find out more about the visitor center and how to donate, volunteer or get involved at friendslsp.org.
