Skate Park Planned for Bay View
Bay View Neighborhood Association closing in on fundraising goal for new wheel park.
Beulah Brinton Wheel Park. MKE REC.
Beulah Brinton Park in Bay View could soon house a skate park.
The Bay View Neighborhood Association is closing in on its fundraising goal for a new “wheel park” in the Beulah Brinton Playfield. The plan involves building out a 5,000-square-foot skate park with a number of “wheel-sport elements” adjacent to the basketball courts, according to the association. It’s being designed for skateboards, BMX, scooters and skates, thus it’s being called a “wheel park.”
“We are thrilled to finally have a location for this much-needed recreation activity in our neighborhood,” said Nichole Williams, former BVNA President, in a statement released by the neighborhood association. “This is a great place for our young people to skate, meet new people, and have fun.”
The neighborhood association has been working to bring a skate park to Bay View for a decade. “The construction of the new wheel park will be a major victory for both the BVNA and the community,” the association said.
The group previously advocated for a wheel park at Emigh Playfield in Tippecanoe.
BVNA is still $75,000 short of its fundraising goal. The neighborhood association is planning a fundraiser on National Go Skateboarding Day, June 21. A full cost was not disclosed.
The park, 2555 S. Bay St., is owned and maintained by Milwaukee Recreation, a division of Milwaukee Public Schools that maintains and programs parks and playfields throughout the city. Beulah Brinton Park is also home to the Beulah Brinton Community Center.
“The Bay View Neighborhood Association is to be commended for the fundraising done to date and staying the course to bring this project to reality,” stated Lynn Greb, director of Milwaukee Recreation. “The plan to bring a wheel park to the Beulah Brinton Playfield was also the catalyst for Milwaukee Recreation to initiate upgrades to the basketball courts.”
The wheel area would be located on the eastern side of the lot, south of the existing volleyball courts and just west of the playground. New basketball courts are also included in the plan.
The Bay View Neighborhood Association was founded in 2004. It’s a membership-driven organization that uses the funds it raises through dues to fund improvements at neighborhood parks and new amenities. The organization launched the popular Chill on the Hill and Bay View Bash festivities and counted the late activist and Bay View resident Bill Sell among its founding members.
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It’s great to know that this skate park is in the works. They are important recreational resources.