A Lakefront Vision for the Future

Looking to the future of Milwaukee’s downtown lakefront, Preserve Our Parks commissioned Mark and Linda Keane, prominent Milwaukee architects and designers, to create a vision of how the area that’s going to be redeveloped could be converted into a dynamic Grand Gateway to Milwaukee’s “front yard”.

The exciting concept would include a sweeping traffic circle at the busy intersection of Michigan St. and Lincoln Memorial Dr., with lots of green space and activity centers around it. They would include areas emphasizing the importance of our great natural resource, water:  water filtering wetlands featuring plants native to the lakefront, water play areas featuring seasonal activities such as fishing, ice skating and play among water jets. Recognition of the Native-American tribes that inhabited Milwaukee would also be included.

It plan would expand the area’s park-like qualities and make it a focal point for fun, inviting development that would add to the city’s tax base. It would ease traffic flow through a point of congestion, and by moving the Couture site to nearby land that will be freed by planned relocation of freeway ramps, the 44-story tower will not dominate the “front yard”. It also will be in compliance with the Public Trust Doctrine in the Wisconsin Constitution that prohibits commercial development on land-filled lakebed.