Parks Removing Berm in King Park

King Park Berm. Photo by Milwaukee County Parks.

Milwaukee County Parks is having the large berm running along the boundary of King Park removed.

The berm, which runs parallel to N. 17th Street along the western edge of the park, was part of the original design, according to the department. However, it blocks views of the interior of the park from the street, which is viewed as a negative for safety within the park.

When the project was advertised for potential contractors in 2024, it was described as “crime prevention through environmental design.”

The plan is to excavate and remove the mounded earth berm, leveling the boundary of the park to a grade more in line with some of the nearby amenities, like the basketball courts or the football and rugby field. None of these amenities will be affected by the work, according to parks.

The work will begin near the W. McKinley Avenue pedestrian crossing and extend 275 feet to the south, according to parks. Once the berm is excavated the site will be restored.

The county recently invested $3 million in the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in the park. The funding was used to make repairs to the community center building, replacing the roof and fixing the facade. The project will be finished in 2025 with new doors and windows, landscaping and the addition of new murals. Funding for the project was connected to the county’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) housing project in the neighborhood.

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