Sherman Park Construction Will Begin This Spring

Map and rendering of Sherman Park Improvements. Milwaukee County Parks.

Construction will begin this spring on the first phase of improvements to Sherman Park.

The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee has been planning a $2.5 million overhaul of the park which it calls “Reimagining Sherman Park.” To date, the club has raised more than $2 million, having received a nearly $1 million grant from Milwaukee County in 2023.

The plan calls for more than a dozen improvements to various areas and amenities in the park, 3000 N. Sherman Blvd. The organization has operated the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Clubhouse in the park for 30 years.

“We think it’s an ideal spot,” said David Knutson, the club’s vice president of government affairs, in 2023 “We’re there for the long term.”

The first phase of the project is shovel ready, and will begin with the start of the construction season this year. The second phase is being planned for construction in 2025.

During Phase 1, the wading pool will be converted to a splash pad, old pathways will be removed and new ones built, new lighting will be installed, a new bike loop will be constructed and staff parking will be expanded.

Milwaukee County Parks has been converting wading pools to splash pads all across the parks system in recent years. Splash pads require minimal or no staff to operate, and the system has struggled to recruit enough lifeguards and seasonal workers to open all its aquatic facilities. Improved lighting in the park was also the number one request from nearby residents, according to Parks.

The second phase may include a new concessions area, outdoor picnic space, an amphitheater, new trees and landscaping and a new community room in the Mary Ryan Boys & Girls Club.

The Boys & Girls Club is advancing the project with two high-level goals in mind. The first is to advance racial equity by improving the amenities in the park which is surrounded by the predominantly Black neighborhood which shares the same name. The second is to develop long-term, low-cost stormwater management infrastructure in the park.

The project has received enthusiastic support from both the parks department and the Milwaukee County Board. “I look forward to the newly reimagined Sherman Park being a positive force in our county for years to come!” said Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson in a statement after the funding was approved last year.