Photo: Visit Milwaukee
Desert Dome at Mitchell Park Domes
The Desert Dome at the Mitchell Park Domes
A public hearing will be held in the lobby of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, known as the Domes, on Thursday, October 19t from 5-8 p.m. The Domes are at 524 S. Layton Boulevard.
Milwaukee County Parks announced on their Facebook page, “Come share your opinions and hear updates. Join us for a public input meeting regarding the future of The Domes. County Supervisors, Parks leadership, and Friends of the Domes leadership will be in attendance to showcase options and answer questions.”
Supervisors Juan-Miguel Martinez and Sheldon Wasserman are listed as hosts, along with Guy Smith and James Tarantino of Milwaukee County Parks. A representative of Via Community Development Corporation (formerly Layton Boulevard West Neighbors) will moderate the hearing. Attendees will be allowed to speak for up to three minutes per person.
The Domes Task Force had previously provided avenues for community involvement and input about the future of the Domes. Their work concluded in 2019 with a recommendation that the Domes be maintained and restored and that Mitchell Park be vitalized. In a presentation to the Domes Task Force, Wiss Jenney, Eltsner Associates (wje.com) spelled out a detailed restoration plan to solve the Domes’ leaks and other challenges. Wiss Jenney is a global firm that employs engineers, architects and materials scientists.
Last summer County Parks launched a website focused on “The Future of Mitchell Park,” asking for county residents’ input for “reimagining” the park and perhaps how to “leave our own stamp on history by developing a new facility and legacy…”
Four short videos featuring interviews with numerous Milwaukee County Parks executives and others were recently posted on the website.
As reported in a recent Shepherd Express article about “The Hidden Costs of Demolishing the Domes,” some county officials, including parks executives, are intensifying their drumbeat to consider demolition as a feasible option.
A recent assertion by County Parks officials is that the Domes are “iconic but not historic.” The Domes have long been designated as a “Milwaukee County Historic Landmark.” The National Trust for Historic Preservation has also named the Domes a “National Treasure.”
