Harley’s exciting new Davidson Park on the West Side

On a beautiful sunny early summer morning, hundreds gathered at Harley-Davidson to officially cut the ribbon on the new 11-acre Davidson Park, located at 3700 W. Juneau Ave. (although it is best accessed from Highland Boulevard).

The accessible park, a project of the Harley-Davidson Foundation, turns a stretch of parking lot into perhaps the most unique public gathering space in the city.

The park was designed by London’s Heatherwick Studios – which also designed New York’s popular Vessel and the stunning redevelopment of London’s former industrial Coal Drops Yard into a mixed-use development – together with Milwaukee’ HGA. The park includes trails, playgrounds, performance and event space, a beer garden, contemplative space, lawns, hills and more.

Three years ago, the foundation worked with a number of local residents, businesses and others to help envision the space for what was once the motorcycle manufacturer’s main factory – and also its birthplace.

That sprawling complex is no longer a factory, but in recent years has served as offices, service and dealer training facilities and other Harley departments. Harley plans to give the complex a new purpose.

The announcement of the park was the first phase of that initiative.

“Davidson Park is a testament to the power of collaboration and listening,” said Peter Balistrieri, director of HGA and national leader in the corporate market sector. “Voices from across the Near West Side – from Potawatomi leaders to local students and community groups – played a vital role throughout the process. This is truly a park for the community, by the community.”

The park manages to feel grand and intimate at the same time. It covers a large area and is based on a large circular central space with concentric paths with seating for events. But there are also roadsides intersected with short paths that offer interesting views.

There are also designated areas, such as a large playground, a market/beer garden in one corner and small contemplative areas with plantings that help create the feeling of being nestled in the park.

There are trees, 120 native special plants and 100 perennials, including species sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi, whose Wgema Campus is nearby and for which Greenfire Management Services was the general contractor on the project.

Not just a massive upgrade from a vast sea of asphalt parking lots, Davidson Park — which sits across a driveway from a simpler green space called Harley Park — is beautiful, useful, progressive and could be a game changer for the Near West Side. , which will cut the ribbon on the Concordia 27 mixed-use project tomorrow.

Other exciting possibilities in the area include a new state office building at 27th and Wisconsin that could hopefully be a mixed-use facility, the conversion of the former Wisconsin Avenue School into a hotel, the conversion of a former medical building across from Concordia 27. in senior housing and the ongoing efforts to renovate and reopen the old State Theater, where a new cafe is expected to open soon.

“Davidson Park has been an extraordinary collaboration between the studio and local partners, schools, artists and the Forest County Potawatomi community, to transform an uninspiring concrete parking lot into a new public park and event amphitheater for Milwaukee,” said the internationally respected architect Thomas Heatherwick. , the founder and director of the studios that bear his name.

“Created for the local community, with the cooperation and assistance of the community, it is a place where people can come together with friends and family to enjoy the wildness of Wisconsin’s incredible nature, listen to the state’s best music listen or experience the energy of a motorcycle rally.

“Harley-Davidson has been a part of Near West Side history for more than 120 years and the park is a natural next chapter in their shared story. As the plants grow and mature, the idea is for the space to increasingly honor Harley-Davidson’s heritage and give residents something to not only enjoy, but be proud of.”

Here are some features of the new park:

The hub and the foundation stone

The Hub is the central feature of the park, a multi-functional event space for concerts and other performances and gatherings. The sunken amphitheater is approximately 250 feet wide and features tiered seating with the historic Harley buildings in the background on two sides.

On the other sides you will see greener spaces with trees and plantings, which form part of the park’s green infrastructure, using bioswales, permeable sidewalks and reservoirs to manage rainwater. The park is one of the first SITES-certified green projects in the state.

The sidewalks are made of 10 types of locally sourced brick, weathered steel and natural wood.

The four-foot-tall Foundation Stone in the center of The Hub was designed by local artist Megan Huss, a MIAD student.

main Street

This is the main walkway through the site and connects all the main park elements. It’s wide enough to accommodate food trucks and events like craft fairs and farmers markets. It is decorated with string lights that can change color to create a festive atmosphere in the evening.

Union Plaza

The main pedestrian entrance on the southeast corner of the park from Highland Boulevard is the approximately 11,000-square-foot Union Plaza that connects to both Main Street and The Hub. This is also a flex space that is suitable for various purposes.

There’s a 10-foot-tall weathered steel sculpture with Harley’s logo, as well as a container bar called the 1903 Tavern, a reference to the year Harley was founded in a barn across the street. The tavern, which serves springs, seltzers and non-alcoholic drinks, is a partnership with Molson Coors, whose offices are across Highland Boulevard. Proceeds benefit the park.

North and South lawns

There are two lawns: the approximately 7,600 square meter North Lawn and the South Lawn, also called the Picnic Knoll, with picnic benches, is approximately 5,750 square meters.

Little Legends Playground

Along the Highland Boulevard side of the park is the 6,000-square-foot Legends Play Area, featuring wooden climbers, stepping stones, hill climbing and other amenities. It is designed for children aged 1-12 years.

View hills

There are three hilltop views along the south side, overlooking The Hub, each approximately 2,300 square meters. They offer great views of events, but can also serve as relaxing places to chill out.

Potawatomi Serenity Garden

The result of a collaboration between Forest County Potawatomi and the Harley-Davidson Foundation, the Serenity Garden is based on the geometry of the medicine wheel, an important symbol for many Native American tribes.

A central grandfather stone is located and surrounded by four quadrants of medicinal plants: tobacco to the east, cedar to the south, sage to the west and sweetgrass to the north. Visitors are encouraged to use the garden for contemplation, reflection and meditation.

I have now had the opportunity to experience the park in both rainy and sunny weather and it was striking and interesting on both occasions. It reminds me of the incredible parks that have helped revitalize downtown Chicago and I hope it will do the same for the Near West Side neighborhoods like Concordia, Martin Drive and Avenues West.