Updates on the Greenway Gateway
Demolition at the Wheelhouse has Begun!!!
DAY 1 (11/03/2010)
Demolition of the Wheelhouse has finally started and, WOW, are we excited! Over the next 2 weeks you'll see the building and parking lots slowly disappear in order to get the space ready for transformation to a new park. Stay tuned for daily posts on our Facebook page! Thanks to everyone who has helped us get to this point in the project! And if you want to help RRF complete the restoration please consider a donation to help with seeding, plants, and trail work.
Day 2 of Demolition
DAY 2 (11/4/2010)
It's amazing how little time it takes to dismantle a building. By noon yesterday the demolition crew had almost the entire building down, and you could easily visualize the greenspace that will soon replace this paved parking lot. Parking lots come out tomorrow. Stay tuned!
DAY 3 (11/5/2010)
...Well, not quite greenspace yet. But it will be! The Wheelhouse building and parking lots are officially gone. The 2.8 acre parcel will be graded and seeded with a winter cover crop until we can get in there this spring to start restoration work. If you have a chance stop by the site and check out the new, unobstructed view of the Milwaukee River.
What's Next?
Thanks to a DNR Capacity Grant, RRF is in the process of completing site plans for the restoration of the wheelhouse into the "Greenway Gateway". In December of 2010, RRF hosted the first of three stakeholder meetings to present preliminary conceptual designs to local neighbors, businesses, and agency employees. The meeting was a great success, and we are working to incorporate the feedback we received from the meeting.
Press Coverage:
- 12/18/2009 - Business Journal of Milwaukee: Wheelhouse Restaurant Property Sold to Land Trust
- 12/18/2009 - JSOnline:Abandoned Wheelhouse Property to Become Riverfront Park
- 9/27/2009 - JSOnline: Funding Sought to turn Melanec's Wheelhouse Site into Riverfront Park
Property Map
August, 26th, 2011---A huge THANK YOU goes out to the MillerCoors volunteers who came out not once, but TWICE, to help RRF staff install a pollinator garden on the Greenway Gateway Property earlier this week!
It was a beautiful fall afternoon to plant some native flowers, grasses, and trees in the Greenway Gateway. Site prep, materials, and plants were paid for using the funds we received as part of the MillerCoors River Network grant. The garden will help reduce stormwater run-off, improve soil conditions, and improve the aesthetics of the area. Check out more pics from the afternoon below.......
TA-DA!!!!
