Wisconsin Avenue Park May Be Renamed

Site plan for upgrades to Wisconsin Avenue Park.

Wisconsin Avenue Park may be renamed as part of a project to redevelop it into the first park in Southeastern Wisconsin specifically designed for people of all abilities.

The Ability Center is working with Milwaukee County Parks on the project, currently called “universal park.” The plan is to redesign every facet of the park, at 10300 W. Wisconsin Ave., from the playground equipment to the trails so that they are accessible to people with disabilities.

The Ability Center is a non-profit that focuses on accessibility projects in public spaces around Milwaukee. It has previously worked with the county to install mats at Bradford Beach and provide wheelchairs that can roll on top of the sand, accessible ice skating sleds at Red Arrow Park and hand cycles in Veterans Park. “Our mission is to provide people impacted by disabilities with daily opportunities to be fit, active, healthy and play,” said Damian Buchman, founder and CEO of the ability center.

While the new “universal park” would be built in a county-owned park, funding for the project is being raised by private donors and foundations at no cost to the taxpayer.

Wisconsin Avenue Park is named for the street it sits on and the project leaders are interested in renaming the park “to reflect the universal nature of the park and exceptional contributions to the project,” according to a new report by Milwaukee County Parks. Under the county’s ordinance for re-naming parks, “documented support for the community including, but not limited to, petitions and support letters,” must be part of an application for a name change.

Public meetings are being scheduled in April for community outreach, and to generate buy-in for the project, according to information from The Ability Center headed for the county board.

The project, which has an estimated total cost of $7 million, has been successful thus far in fundraising. It kicked off in late 2022 with a commitment from the YMCA of the Metropolitan Milwaukee to fundraise $500,000. Since then, the project recently received a $2.5 million donation from the George F. Moss Charitable Foundation and $100,000 from the Daniel M. Soref Charitable Trust.

The parks department expects that fundraising will continue apace, telling the board in a recent report that it expects to bring something before the board for “action” in the coming months. The project will have a ceremonial groundbreaking on July 23, which is the date of the signing of the federal Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

The project will be developed in two phases. The first will redevelop the 1960s-era clubhouse, updating the restrooms and adding new technology like charging stations for mobility and communication devices. The universal field, with surfacing for wheelchair baseball and softball, will be built. The playground will be rebuilt so that children of all abilities can play side by side, according to parks. The second phase will build a half-mile accessible path through the hardwood forest, and add fitness stations, an inclusive challenge course and sensory destinations.

UPDATE: This story was updated to reflect that the YMCA has committed $500,000 to the project, which it affirmed to Urban Milwaukee. An earlier report from Milwaukee County Parks indicated the YMCA had committed $1 million, and the latest report included both figures.