MILWAUKEE – A $134 million initiative to ‘reimagine’ the Mitchell Park Domes will move forward following the Milwaukee County Board’s unanimous approval to commit $30 million to the project. The board voted on a budget amendment on Thursday morning.
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The non-profit, Friends of the Domes, intends to restore the horticultural conservatory, while also adding many new amenities including a children’s garden, a cafe, an expanded gift shop and nature learning center.
“Modern conservatories have complex business models that bring in revenue from all different sources, which allows them to have sustainable business models,” executive director Christa Beall Diefenbach told WTMJ’s Wis. Morning News on Thursday. “Because (the facility) was built in the 1960’s, we don’t have a lot of those amenities that drive revenue. With this new plan, we will.”
Once approved by County Executive David Crowley, the amendment will then authorize the Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture to develop an agreement with Friends of the Domes for the implementation of the ‘Domes Reimagined’ plan, subject to County Board review and approval.
“We now have a path forward,” Beall Diefenbach said.
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