MILWAUKEE— The future of Dyer Field remains in ongoing discussion after community members, city officials, and Pius XI Catholic High School met this week to address concerns about long-term access to the longtime shared athletic space.
For more than 50 years, Pius XI, the City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee Recreation have jointly used Dyer Field, a key green space within the Honey Creek Parkway neighborhood. But as the school begins a multi-year campus planning effort, residents are pressing for clarity on whether the field will remain open to the community.
In a statement, Pius XI Catholic High School said it “remains grateful” for decades of collaboration and emphasized that its current planning priorities center on students safety, well-being, and the daily learning environment. The school added that it is open to continued conversations with the city, Milwaukee Recreation, and elected officials about the field’s future.
Community members at the community meeting on November 18th, voiced concerns about potentially losing access to a space they say have served families and youth programs for generations. One speaker stressed the community’s stake in any decision involving the parkland.
“I don’t want to be too pejorative, but it’s a land grab,” Warren Jones, a local neighbor said. “This is a non-taxed entity that wants to use non-taxed property. If it’s restricted in use and not put to solid public use, it no longer is an amenity. It becomes a public nuisance. When there’s not programs going on there that Pius monitors, what’s it going to be used for?”
Superintendent Dr. Brenda Cassellius also addressed the meeting, saying the district values transparency and partnership as discussions continue. Another speaker noted that any plan should honor the long history of collaboration around Dyer Field.
“I informed Alderwoman Moore and Pius, representatives that MPS would not consider a new lease agreement for Dyer Playfield,” Dr. Cassellius said at the meeting. “I further went on to explain that the district’s Long Range Facilities Master Plan was underway and that the Long Range Facilities Master Plan is designed to guide strategic decisions regarding MPS school buildings and outdoor spaces, and its findings must inform any future land use commitments.”
The President of Pius XI High School, Jack Herbert, also expressed welcomes the idea of the conversations continuing for Dyer Field with the City.
“I want to be unmistakably clear this evening that this commitment is unwavering,” President Herbert said. ”Our vision of Dyer Field has always and will always place community access at the forefront. Any path forward will prioritize an upgraded, welcoming recreation space that our neighbors, our students and the broader community can continue to enjoy for generations to come.”
City leaders, including Alderwoman Sharlen Moore, who represent the district, are expected to continue meeting with residents and school officials as planning moves forward.
For now, all parties say they remain committed to a community-centered solution.
Statement from Pius XI High sent to WTMJ:
Pius XI Catholic High School remains grateful for more than five decades of collaboration with the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Recreation regarding shared use of Dyer Field. As an invested member of the Honey Creek Parkway neighborhood, we continue to value the relationships that have supported Pius XI student athletics and community access for so many years.
At this time, the school is embarking on a years-long campus planning effort, the priorities of which are focused on objectives that directly support the safety, wellbeing, and day-to-day learning environment of our students. We remain open to continued conversations with the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee Recreation, and our elected representatives regarding the future of Dyer Field.
We will continue to advocate for collaborative, community-centered solutions and look forward to remaining a responsible partner in any future dialogue.
