Overview
- A county parks committee approved accepting a roughly $753,000 DNR grant on Tuesday and the Milwaukee Parks Foundation pledged a one-to-one match that brings project funding to about $1.5 million.
- Planners say the site will be reworked as a mini water park with features such as slides, tipping buckets, water cannons and other splash-pad elements.
- Milwaukee Parks will hold community engagement this summer, with officials targeting a preliminary start of construction in summer 2027 subject to full county board approval and final design.
- The change responds to long-term maintenance issues and a regional lifeguard shortfall that leaves about 140 lifeguards for a system that needs roughly 300, and officials say a splash pad is cheaper to run and easier to staff than a full pool.
- Local visitors say the splash pad could restore neighborhood gathering space and provide cooling for children while other county pools remain closed this summer, and the project could shift how residents use outdoor recreation in the area.