Washington Park money survives!

Nov. 29, 2004 - The $50,000 in county funding for renovation of the Washington Park bandshell made it through the budget process, according to Sandy Folaron, who is involved in efforts to revitalize the park. The money will be matched by a private donor.

Washington Park funding advances
Online petition available

Nov. 11 -- A proposal to spend $50,000 on renovating the Washington Park bandshell was adopted by the County Board as part of the 2005 county budget.

If it survives County Executive Scott Walker's veto pen, a private donor will kick in another $50,000.

Supporters of the project are optimistic, but are asking people to sign an online petition established by Neighbors United for Washington Park. To see or sign the petition, click here.

The petition site protects the privacy and e-mail addresses of those who use it, said Katherine Keller, who created the petition.

"I think we have been successful so far," said Sandy Folaron, who is active in the restoration effort. "The ongoing petition will help build strength in county wide support for this ongoing project. I see this continuing for three years to address all the renovation needed. But I know it will happen."

Successful concert series helps spark Washington Park interest
Somewhere, Frederick Olmstead is smiling

A Friends of Washington Park group has started up, said west side activist Sandy Folaron. "We are seriously lobbying and working to see some improvements in this park," she said.

So many people crowded into a neighborhood parks meeting that extra chairs had to be brought in to accommodate everyone, Folaron said.

  
Folaron    

"The majority of the attendees were committed to Washington Park and its future," she said.

"The two things that seemed to be the priority for Washington Park were the
the bandshell renovation and safety issues," she said.

The Washington Park Bandshell

County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin, who represents the Washington Park area, said the summer's series of four concerts, sponsored by WJZI-FM (93.3 Smooth Jazz), brought hundreds of people to the park for each event.

"The last concert had 650 people," she said last week, referring to the July 24 show. "The first two had 400, 450."

The crowds were diverse by ethnicity and age, she said.

"This Washington Park jazz series has just ignited what must have been a pent up desire and demand to start reclaiming" the park, she said.

The July 24 Washington Park
jazz concert.

The Sheriff's Department sent a SWAT team to the first concert, but it wasn't needed, DeBruin said. There were no problems at any of the concerts, she said.

The 113-year-old park received its share of tough publicity this summer, partly because of three robberies within its borders -- suspects have been arrested -- and partly because of the drowning last month of a 13-year-old who snuck into the park's pool when it was closed.

Washington Park was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Olmstead, who also designed Central Park in New York and, closer to home, Lake Park on Milwaukee's east side. Washington Park was the home of the Milwaukee County Zoo for more than 60 years, until it was moved to make way for the construction of the U.S. 41 Stadium Freeway, according to the Washington Park neighborhood web site.

Now there is support to reclaim the historic integrity of the Olmstead vision, DeBruin said, but it will not be possible to do so entirely.

"There's no way you can go back to the original Frederick Olmstead design," DeBruin said. "It's too built out."

Revitalization has been discussed before, but the concert series, the establishment of the Friends' group, and strong interest in the park's renewal by WJZI, the Washington Heights Neighborhood Association, and the Lisbon Avenue Neighborhood Development Corp. makes it more likely that a successful public-private venture can be established, DeBruin said.

There's talk already of major donations of statues, she said, and "there's major interest in that bandshell."

"It's just really exciting," she said.