Could Domes Get National Historic Designation?

Advocates for the preservation of the Mitchell Park Domes, along with several Milwaukee County Supervisors, are attempting to nudge the county toward concrete action to save the domes.

A resolution calling on county officials to pursue listing on the National and State Register of Historic Places has been sponsored by Supervisors Juan Miguel Martinez, Dyango Zerpa and Ryan Clancy; Martinez represents the district that contains Mitchell Park.

The domes were designed by local architect Donald Grieb and built in 1959, replacing a Victorian horticultural conservatory built during the 19th century. In 2017, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, a private non-profit, named the domes a “National Treasure.”

Jeremy Ebersole, executive director of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, told Urban Milwaukee that state and national listing does not come with legal protections, like a local historic designation, that could prevent the structure from being demolished. “The listing is purely honorific,” he said.

What it would do, Ebersole explained, is complete the first step needed to access historic preservation tax credits; the next step being the creation of a non-governmental entity that can apply for those credits on the domes behalf. He also said applying for historic designation would be a “relatively easy and low risk way” for the county to take some action on its stated policy to repair and preserve the domes.

In 2013, small concrete chips began to fall from the domes’ structures. The county had an emergency mesh installed to catch the falling debris. In 2016, a task force was created to explore options for repairing the domes and maintaining them into the future. In 2019, a consultant, Arts Market LLC., produced a complicated $66 million plan for redeveloping the domes, and Mitchell Park, into a a new cultural destination and venue for urban agriculture and workforce development. It involved the county creating a number of legal entities to pursue a multi-layered stack of financing for the project including Historic Preservation Tax Credits, New Market Tax Credits, PACE financing and Opportunity Zone Tax Credits.

In June, an analysis of the plan conducted by the accounting firm Baker Tilly and the law firm Husch Blackwell came before the board. The report stated that the plan in totality was unfeasible, but that some pieces of the plan could work.

In December 2018, the National Trust for Historic Preservation reported to the county that that it had hired a law firm with extensive experience in tax credit financing to determine whether it was feasible for the domes to access federal historic tax credits. The short answer, according to the law firm of Nixon Peabody LLP, is yes. The firm also noted that there are examples around the country of government-owned properties using historic tax credits for rehabilitation projects, but it would likely require the county to lease the domes to a for-profit entity; though that entity could be a subsidiary of a non-profit. “Whether the County itself (versus other nonprofits) could form such a subsidiary is a question that requires further research,” the report stated.

There’s a good chance the domes would receive historic designation if applied for. More than seven years ago, the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance filled out a National Register Questionnaire on behalf of the domes. In April 2016, Peggy Veregin, the State and National register Coordinator for the Wisconsin Historical Society, responded with a letter stating “Based on the information provided, we believe the property may be eligible for listing in the state and national register of historic places.”

This was only a preliminary assessment, Veregin noted, adding “If you decide to proceed with a nomination, substantially more research and documentation will be needed.” The good news, Ebersole told Urban Milwaukee, is that in 2019 a consultant contracted by the county already began working on a nomination and it’s approximately 90% complete.

The supervisors’ resolution notes that listing on Registry of Historic Places could put the domes in the running for funding. They also note that such a designation “could potentially lead to, preservation assistance, increased tourism, formation of public and private partnerships, and attract new donors.”

The county has yet to make a clear decision regarding what it will do with the domes, beyond a general policy committing to their repair and preservation. “This is a way to take action and do something to move the needle forward,” Ebersole said. It would also be a very strong signal to potential partners and donors because it is unlikely that the county would go through with getting the domes listed only to let them be demolished, he said.

The supervisors resolution, should it be passed by the full board, calls on Milwaukee County Parks to work with the Office of Strategy, Budget, and Performance and the Office of Corporation Counsel to nominate the the domes.