You may recall, as part of the 2011 Lake Bluff settlement, the city was given lakefront acreage to maintain for public use going forward — the former Northwest Barrel Superfund site.
I must admit, I had kind of forgotten about that part of the deal, in part because I didn’t realize the full potential for that land. I do now … and I’m excited about what might happen on that site.
What’s changed? A new $59,000 federal matching grant — $29,500 from the city and $29,500 from the federal government — the city just received through the state to study that property’s future, perhaps as a public park.
The funding was officially announced this week as part of $1.4 million in total grants through the Department of Administration “to protect or restore our valuable water and coastal resources.”
The property (pictured above) is 18.5 acres with approximately 400 square feet of Lake Michigan frontage, located just south of the Wastewater Treatment Facility and north of a former marina. The views are magnificent, and the walk down to the shoreline is remarkably easy, as many of the steep cliffs were removed during the cleanup process. The beach also has potential.
The grant will include site planning, as well as planning for protection and restoration of coastal wetlands and ravine stabilization and protection. Here is the resolution the South Milwaukee City Council passed on this in May.
I’m glad we’re undertaking the study because of the huge potential of this land. How often does 18.5 acres of lakefront property come open for a project like this? In a county where most lakefront land is spoken for with development or existing park land, not often.
That’s why it’s important we don’t squander this opportunity, this chance to figure out a way forward for a property that can be a real community asset for current and prospective residents and visitors.
I encourage to swing by the property and check it out. You can access it off Marina Road, heading into the Lake Bluff Apartments, east off 5th Avenue. Let me know what you think.
South Milwaukee Blog 
Why would we want to put a park there? We already have Grant Park that takes up half of our shoreline already. We nee some kind of development that can reduce the tax burden of property owners in the city. We keep complaining about nothing happening in this city with more businesses leaving than coming in. We need something to draw people here. Some kind of mixed use commercial and higher-end residential solution needs to be considered.
I’m not complaining but most of the lakefront will be parkland between Grant and Bender parks with the exception of the the few factories and wastewater plants. Hopefully there will be a lakefront bike trail that connects it all. Oak creek is also developing a large greenspace north of bender park.
It’s nice to see the crappy old factories finally torn down and the land cleaned up and used for something other than teen drinking/party hangouts.
What are the rules and regulations attached to this federal grant money being used on local land development?
Hi Erik,
First of all, thank you for the blog. I’ve subscribed to it since nearly its beginning, and have appreciated all the effort it must take to keep it up. This particular issue is one I have followed closely, as I live on 5th Ave right across from the condos and occasionally walk to the bluff just to watch the lake on windy days when the water is churning. In fact, my wife and I were just discussing whether to contact city officials to see if there has been any progress in its development. My opinion is that the land should be used as some sort of public space. A small park would be awesome for nearby families. I have a young child (with another on the way) and the only playgrounds in the 2nd District are at Lakeview Elementary, which are often used by schoolchildren during the day. Another neat idea (though I’m not sure how viable it is) is to have a simple, small seating area to allow for summertime concerts… maybe something like the “Music by the Lake” series at George Williams College or the ones done in the County parks. I’m not too keen on commercial development because though 5th avenue gets a fair amount of traffic it’s still “off the beaten path” for most people and I don’t see businesses thriving, unless it’s somehow related to the water. Residential could work well, but it doesn’t make sense to me to develop apartments/condos there when the reason the City has this land in the first place is because of the adjacent apartments.
I look forward to seeing what the study reveals. My sense is that this land could be turned into a real gem without much effort or cost on the part of the City. Please keep us informed. Thanks!
Hi Erik
We could really use a park with a play ground and splash pad. There are a lot of children in this neighborhood and the only playground in walking distance is at the Elementary School. (if you live south of Columbia the elementary school is even a bit far if you have small children) It would be nice to have a place to go that would not require a car ride. If you want to attract young families to an area, make it a place with amenities that compliment their lifestyle. It could be a beautiful park.
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