A group of Milwaukee County supervisors were rendered nearly speechless Tuesday after listening to a parks department report.
Deputy Director Jim Tarantino laid out what it would cost to tend to the Mitchell Parks Domes.
The three glass-faceted structures are like giant greenhouses, except they’re over 50 years old and haven’t been methodically maintained.
Tarantino described four scenarios, including complete demolition that would cost between $4.7 and $6.4 million. As for rebuilding the bee-hived shaped glass structures — that price tag is $67 to $91 million.
"How do you get to $67 or $91 million in these options? It’s two things really, it’s a lot of things that are noted in the report but it’s the cost to do anything else and it’s the cost of building a building of this nature. … All of that is broken out within the report and broken out line by line," Tarantino said
Committee member Juan Miguel Martinez who attended the meeting remotely found the estimates both staggering and upsetting.
He represents the neighborhood closest to the Domes and his been advocating for their restoration as well as much-needed improvements to Mitchell Park in which the structures stand.
"We were told there were going to improvements for Mitchell Park and none of that’s in there. We’re going to have a public input session with parks in October and we’re going to present to them these four options that they … what are they going to say, nobody wants to see them demolished," Martinez said.
Jim Tarantino said his department is committed to improving Mitchell Park but wasn’t tasked with laying out those proposals. Nor was he asked to estimate potential revenue streams that might support the park’s and Domes’ improvement, he said.
"For this exercise, we looked at what was asked of us, the costs of the various construction options," Tarantino shared.
Emma Rudd, with Milwaukee Restoration Alliance, said the issue before the parks committee is bigger than the historical significance of the Domes.
"Until plans and funding sources are clearly stated, any promise of improvement remains an empty promise and we’ll be left with a disinvestment in the neighborhood and the historic fabric of Milwaukee. I hope from today forward you as a committee will dig deeper into all sides of the story … and that no matter the results and no matter what is decided, that the county is committed to investing in its assets and its citizen and [to] finding a sustainable solution the entire community can rally behind," Rudd said.
Chair Sheldon Wasserman said the committee’s next step will be hearing directly from Mitchell Park neighbors.
"Supervisor Martinez, I hope you’re listening to me, we’d like to come to your district and have a have a public hearing in your community. How does that sound to you?" Wasserman said.
Supervisor Martinez had already set that plan in motion.
Editor's note: Since the story aired, WUWM learned a public hearing will take place Thursday, October 19, 5 - 8 pm, at the Mitchell Park pavilion.
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