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It’s safe to say that Milwaukeeans were shocked and dismayed to find out that the Mitchell Park Domes would be closed for the foreseeable future because of safety concerns and that renovations could cost up to $75 million.
The Domes have been inspected and repaired consistently through the years, and up until last week no one thought they were at the end of their lifespan. In fact, recently the Domes have undergone a renaissance, with new LED lighting, a slew of innovative events and the addition of a greenhouse annex.
That’s why the reports of the alleged death of the 50-year-old Domes and the $75 million price tag for repairs should be examined very carefully.
The engineering consulting firm Graef USA has inspected the Domes often, and the letter it released last Monday indicated that the Domes need a long-term plan, as the firm had cautioned previously.
“The Domes are old structures that are showing the effects of their age,” the Feb. 8 letter concludes. “They will continue to deteriorate unless major renovations are completed.”
And the $75 million price tag?
“The $75 million would be to completely rebuild all three Domes, which could be required,” emailed Abele’s spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff. “But until the engineers have completed their full assessment it’s not known if that is what is required, or if there are other less costly repair/upgrade options that would ensure the safety and sustainability of the Domes.”
Baldauff admitted the $75 million is just a ballpark estimate based on a 2008 study, not an official estimate from the engineers.
“This was done using the 2008 report’s cost estimates, adjusting to 2019 costs (theoretical construction mid-point) and expanding to three domes,” emailed Baldauff. “We were also able to compare the costs of other similar structures to make sure we were in the right ballpark.”
The reports of the $75 million price tag even surprised Domes Director Sandy Folaron, who told the Shepherd that immediate repairs would cost $250,000 to $900,000 for protective netting and other measures. Forthcoming studies would then offer up repair or replacement options and estimates.
“These inspections have been going on for years,” Folaron said. “This is not an ‘oh my gosh’ moment. We’ve had inspections every year. When the inspections show we need remediation, as they did in 2013, the team comes in and looks at what’s been chipped away and what can be sealed with an epoxy kind of paint that they used last time. We won’t know until the inspection team comes and does their evaluation.”
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Folaron said the $50 million to $75 million figure thrown out last week “was just a projection of replacement. The fix-it could be $250,000 to $900,000. But that depends on what they will find when they get up there and take a look at what truly needs to be addressed. No one in their right might should spend $50 million or $75 million on a fix.”
Walker and Abele Austerity Budgets
If the Domes are doomed by anything, it’s the austerity budgets of Milwaukee County executives Scott Walker and Chris Abele and their opposition to finding dedicated funding for the parks. (See sidebar for details.)
The decades-long battle to address the $200 million-plus of deferred maintenance in the parks continues to this day, with Abele vetoing long-term plans for parks funding and the County Board allocating funds for parks projects.
The drama played out early in Abele’s tenure, when in 2012 he vetoed then-Parks Director Sue Black’s five-year, $75 million capital plan to address the county’s backlog of deferred maintenance. The board failed to find enough votes to override Abele’s veto and Abele fired Black soon thereafter without an explanation.
Most recently, Abele vetoed in July 2015 a $5 million appropriation for parks repairs, which the board overrode. When Abele refused to act on the board’s resolution, the county’s attorney released a memo saying that Abele was required to implement policies approved by the board. Abele did—but with no enthusiasm. Parks Director John Dargle submitted a list of projects to utilize the $5 million, which included $500,000 for Domes repairs. The board approved Dargle’s projects, but Abele refused to sign it and allowed it to go into effect without his support.
Abele’s spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff said the county executive wasn’t interested in pointing fingers about who was responsible for the Domes’ current state of disrepair.
“The county executive is less concerned with blaming his predecessors or prior county supervisors than he is with having a transparent and collaborative discussion with the community on what they would like to see at the Domes,” she emailed.
Despite Abele’s spokesperson’s comments, Abele has no plans to hold a listening session on the Domes.
The County Board will hold a listening session at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 24, at the greenhouse annex at the Domes, 524 S. Layton Blvd.
Abele has not committed to attending the board’s session.
