The Transformation of Cass Street Playground

The new Cass Street Playground. Photo courtesy of Reflo.

About 30 years ago, Frank Alioto and Rachelle Alioto got tired of hauling their kids around town to play when there was a large and underutilized schoolyard just a block from their Astor Street home.

Sadly, there was little to spark joy in the nearby Cass Street Playground, then 93,442 square feet of treeless asphalt. It covers the entire city block bounded by N. Cass, N. Marshall, E. Pleasant and E. Kewaunee streets. Equipped only with a baseball diamond, basketball hoops, a tennis court, some swing sets and parking for the teachers, it was bleak, a blighting influence in an increasingly desirable near-downtown neighborhood. The school was built in 1906; as late as 1910 the property was crowded with homes and a contractor’s yard. These were cleared by 1937 to provide recreational space for the children.

Cass Street Playground before the update. Photo courtesy of Reflo.

True to his profession, Alioto, then a Milwaukee Fire Department lieutenant, was not one to make a desultory response to an urgent need when the civic good was at stake. He jumped into action, creating an informal group with the goal of carving out a shady children’s area in the southwest corner of the park. The highlight was a fanciful entry arch and accompanying sculpted serpents, colorful and kid-scaled, designed by local artist Marina Lee. Neighbors raised a third of the $150,000 budget in an early example of a public-private partnership. Children and families have enjoyed the space since it opened in 1998, while the rest remained dispiriting.

The Department of Public Works maintains 164 playgrounds throughout the city. In 2013 it undertook a survey of all the facilities. Most were asphalt patches. Following the lead of then-Ald. Michael Murphy, the city and allied groups created a formal mechanism to expedite rehabilitation of playgrounds, selecting five per year in cohorts.

In 2024 Cass Street was added to the eighth cohort. As its plan documents note:

Schools surrounded by seas of splintering asphalt offer opportunities to replace imperviousness with beautiful, nature-inspired landscapes that increase urban biodiversity, educate, and inspire.

Fundraising for the $1,864,000 project took place in 2025, construction this summer, and a grand rededication celebration with food, music and activities for the kids is to be held Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

This sounds worthy of a mayoral appearance. Spokesperson Jeff Fleming responded to my inquiry: “Yep. He’s scheduled to speak at 5:30 p.m.” See you there.

Soccer Atop a Cistern

Early this year I noticed banners on the fence announcing changes that were to take place over the summer. Before long, 27,900 square feet of asphalt had been scraped from the surface. The soil beneath was excavated to create a cistern capable of managing 200,055 gallons of water per rain event on-site that otherwise would have flowed into the combined sewer system. With that work done, a soccer pitch with porous synthetic turf was placed atop. Other surfaces requiring a level playing field, like the tennis court in the southeast corner and the basketball hoops, were redone. The remainder of what had been a flat terrain now features winding paths, gardens and bioswales with native plantings, ready to capture water during storms and out-of-bounds soccer balls. This green infrastructure represented $1,270,000 of the project budget. Seventy-six saplings dot the landscape, joining the dozen trees planted 30 years ago, now mature. Benches designed for outdoor learning are free-form slabs of natural wood, with boulders arrayed behind for bigger kids. They contrast with the colorful play equipment and bold graphics throughout. The Marina Lee sculptures from 1998 have been refinished by the artist herself. On Aug. 6, I saw her at work, high above the street, perched on a ladder. The monumental arch she was working on now welcomes us to “Cass Street Playfield.” It used to say “Playground.” Things change.

Original Organizer Reminisces

Frank Alioto, now a retired Battalion Chief, still lives in his Astor Street home with Rachelle. He will be among those making a presentation Thursday. I asked him about his memories from thirty years ago when the first steps were made to improve the site:

“When Rachelle and I had Sam and Ally we grew tired of driving to distant tot lots. We contacted then-alderman Mike D’Amato and asked for improvements at Cass. He said we could get the standard city investment in a small tot lot or, if we wanted we could fund raise and invest in further improvements. This created a monster! Young families came out of the woodwork. We met folks in the neighborhood that we never knew existed who we are friends with to this day. Our kids all grew up together and are now standing up in each others’ weddings etc !! This is about changing the world at the most grass roots local level as possible. I will try to work that in to my 2 minute allotted speech and express hope for future Brady Street area residents of all ages races and ethnicities.

Frank and his wife and all the other people involved in the original ‘community’ transformation of Cass Street Park were and are inspirational. I learned so much about the special power of an involved community. It was my first public art project which came with lots of lessons and crazy ambition. My favorite aspect of this project is that the community has taken ownership thru generations. As one neighbor said to me while working on the cat entrance piece-‘it’s our icon’. As flattering as that was to me, I was so proud of the big cat, I painted a diamond on her head.

Thanks for giving the neighborhood some accolades for their spirit. The people and the children are wonderful. The contractors working on the park were exceptional as well. It seems this special place attracts the best in humans   It has been an honor to be a part.

The Program

Thursday, October 8th
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
At Cass Street Schoolyard/Park
1620 N. Cass St., Milwaukee
4:30 p.m. Activities for all ages, including games, art making, environmental education, project photos and maps, a Cass Street design tour, historic photos, partner exhibits, and music.
5:30 p.m. Remarks and ribbon cutting followed by celebratory snacks (while supplies last) and additional activities.

New Cass Street Playground

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