County Executive Chris Abele
Press Release

Independent Engineering Firm Releases Report That Confirms Initial Cost Estimates for Domes Repairs

Estimates to repair the Domes range from $14 million to $64 million.

By - Dec 2nd, 2016 02:31 pm
The Domes. Photo by Dave Reid.

The Domes. Photo by Dave Reid.

MILWAUKEE – Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele today released a report prepared by GRAEF Consulting, the independent engineering firm contracted by the County to manage the community engagement process for the Domes, which confirms initial cost estimates for a variety of repair options at the Domes.

Based on figures from a 2008 assessment of the Domes, the County earlier this year initially estimated that the cost to totally repair or replace the Domes on their existing foundation – in other words, safely rebuilding the Domes exactly as they are — could cost between $50-$70 million. GRAEF’s report confirms that the estimated cost of this option, the most expensive option, would be $64 million.

Estimates for other options range from $14 million to $54 million, with varying building lifespans. The varying levels of investment also come with highly variable projections on lifespan of repairs and costs of operating; the lowest cost option would have a useful life of only 5-10 years and would require expensive maintenance, other options could last as long as 50 years and have minimal annual maintenance costs. Recommendations for the lesser repair options would also require, for safety purposes, that the mesh netting installed this year remain in place and be maintained.

While these costs are purely for planning purposes and are not budgetary, this information is an important part of the planning process as the community gives its input on the future of Mitchell Park.

This report has been shared with the Domes Task Force and the County Board, and will likely be reviewed in detail at future Task Force meetings.

“We have a once in a generation opportunity to dream big and envision what is possible for Mitchell Park and the Domes as Milwaukee County partners with the community,” Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele said. “I’m grateful to the many people who have contributed to helping us safely reopen the Domes on time and on budget, and to our community partners who are helping to guide this process and engage the community in a meaningful and fully informed way.”

View the report in its entirety here.

The Domes

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

Mentioned in This Press Release

People:
Organizations:

Recent Press Releases by County Executive Chris Abele

Milwaukee County Passes Ordinance to Advance Racial Equity and Improve Health Outcomes

Milwaukee County leaders commit to eliminating institutional racism by addressing County polices, practices and power structures through a racial equity lens

Milwaukee County Officials Order All Municipal Polling Places Closed

County Officials Implement Gov's Order to Protect Public Health

Leave a Reply

You must be an Urban Milwaukee member to leave a comment. Membership, which includes a host of perks, including an ad-free website, tickets to marquee events like Summerfest, the Wisconsin State Fair and the Florentine Opera, a better photo browser and access to members-only, behind-the-scenes tours, starts at $9/month. Learn more.

Join now and cancel anytime.

If you are an existing member, sign-in to leave a comment.

Have questions? Need to report an error? Contact Us