Milwaukee’s Riverwalk Park in the Third Ward is going to look a lot different in about a month.
For the past two years, the parcel that sits at 407 N. Water St. – directly across from the Milwaukee Public Market – has undergone some utility construction work, but nothing major.
But something major has been developing during the past few years, as Milwaukee Public Market and Business Improvement District #2 developed a partnership with MMSD (Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District) that qualified them for an infrastructure grant program that could essentially do three things: Replace the existing concrete asphalt at the park with permeable pavers, improve stormwater management and add more green space in the area to make it more of a gathering space.
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This iteration of construction for the park began in June, and is expected to continue up until Labor Day.
“With this being one of the only public green spaces along the [Milwaukee River] and the Third Ward, we felt it was a good opportunity for us to make some necessary improvements to enhance the space,” Paul Schwartz, executive director of both the Milwaukee Public Market and the Business Improvement District in the Third Ward, said.
Alongside the already listed improvements, Schwartz says that the plan after the construction is completed is to add more public art to the space. The space already features swallows that were a partnership with Sculpture Milwaukee and Joy Engine, and some additional public art and other planting features will be added once construction is finished to help “tell a story,” according to Schwartz.
The site that the park sits on is about a half acre in size, and the way it was previously built, most of the stormwater would just run off into the river. Now that the concrete and asphalt are being replaced with new permeable pavers, the district has been able to carve out different sections to put plantings in. In some areas, Schwartz says there will be crushed granite that will help soften up the space some and help better mediate that stormwater management.
On top of all that, the benches that you will see at Riverwalk Park this fall will all be new, and will be made of reclaimed wood from fallen trees in the City of Milwaukee.
“It’s not just going to improve the biodiversity, but it’s going to encourage more public gathering,” Schwartz said.
“I think this all boils down to quality of life. We’re seeing an uptick in residents down here, there’s a lot of additional traffic along the Riverwalk. The stretch between Clybourn down to the Water Street Bridge on the east side of the river probably sees more pedestrian traffic sometimes than a Water Street sidewalk does.
“When you travel the city, especially through the greater downtown area, through on a boat or a kayak, it’s really a unique experience that not a lot of other cities have. So, if we can enhance that and add to that experience by providing these public spaces where people can enjoy these great amenities, I think it’s a win-win.”
The construction is not set to interfere with the two pickleball courts which always remain available for public use, or the Riverwalk Commons concert series, which happens every other Tuesday in the summer.
