Transformation in the Heart of the City
by Beth Heller, former Senior Director of Education and Strategic Planning at Urban Ecology Center
Standing in the heart of the city, images from 10 years ago popped into my mind. Back then this was a place with dilapidated buildings void of people, trees and flowers. Access to residential neighborhoods to the north and south was severed by grinding traffic on the highway and an inaccessible Menomonee River. Remnants of a bridge and a boarded-up tunnel blended into the wasteland. But where some see desolation, others see untapped opportunity.
As a native Milwaukeean, I’ve witnessed first hand the amazing transformation happening in the Menomonee Valley. What you find in the same place today is quite the opposite of the bleak location I remember. I experienced a vivid reminder of this transformation on “Community Planting Day” this past May.
It was a sunny, breezy day, with temperatures a bit above average. A group of 30 people gathered carrying shovels, trowels, buckets and wheel barrows between three large, new manufacturing businesses: Ingeteam, Charter Wire and Palermos. The group included families with children, neighbors from both sides of the Valley and members of the businesses and organizations that have been committed to the Valley’s transformation. Bicyclists passed by every few minutes, pausing with curiosity to watch our work. Neighbors walked over to help and walked home when they were done, some over the new “Valley Passage” where there is still evidence of the old bridge and tunnel. Birds were singing along the river, there were shade trees when we needed relief. Rainwater collected in the new catchment system was used to water our native plantings. It was sign of new life.
This amazing transformation is there, right now, in the Valley, ready for you to explore. Take the Hank Aaron State Trail, it runs right through the middle of it. People are just beginning to explore the new life in the Valley.
While the City, State, Menomonee Valley Partners, Inc., businesses, and neighbors have been leading the charge for over a decade, a new chapter in this story is just beginning. The Urban Ecology Center will open its doors on September 8th, ready to bring students to this developing outdoor classroom. Our goal is to bring students and neighbors to this tender land to revel and aid in its recovery.
The Center has joined partners to transform a 24-acre vacant rail yard into an outdoor classroom and segment of the Hank Aaron State Trail to link area residents to Valley jobs and recreation. Construction will begin this summer and continue through 2013. The park will include a mile of trails, two bike/pedestrian bridges, community gardens, water quality improvements, native landscapes, and habitat for fish, birds, and other animals. The park will be planted over many seasons and with many hands.
Schools are already lined up and excited to participate in our Neighborhood Environmental Education Project. Families at planting day expressed interest in volunteering, summer camps and our weekend programs. We have been warmly welcomed by our soon to be new neighbors and invite you to celebrate with us too.
Come see collective impact of government, businesses, not-for-profits and community members all working to revitalize the heart of the city. Please join us at our new Menomonee Valley branch at 3700 W. Pierce Street from noon-4 pm on Saturday, September 8th to participate in an amazing transformation.