Saturday, March 14, 2020
By Claire McHugh, Marketing Supervisor
Milwaukee is one of 18 economically disadvantaged urbanized areas in 16 states to benefit from Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program grants that will be put to use to improve parks and other outdoor recreation opportunities in the communities. The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has issued grants for the following Wisconsin projects:
Modrzejewski Playfield Redevelopment – $750,000
Milwaukee Recreation, a department of MPS, plans to renovate Modrzejewski Playfield (pictured), 1020 W. Cleveland Ave. Planned improvements include conversion of a wading pool to a splash pad, adding bike and pedestrian access to the Kinnickinnic River, and additional improvements such as new playground equipment, a multi-use lawn area, an asphalt play court, new park entrances, a shade structure, fieldhouse updates, and green infrastructure elements.
“We are extremely grateful to the LWCF for contributing to our plans to rebuild and revitalize Modrzejewski Playfield,” Milwaukee Recreation Senior Director Lynn A. Greb said. “Modrzejewski has the greatest need for renovation of all the 52 playfields we manage. We are committed to ensuring everyone in our city has a safe place to recreate, and the support from LWCF is what’s needed to truly level the playing field in our city.”
Galena Park Development – $372,050
The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works plans to develop 1.2 acres of a former brownfield site at 31st and Galena into a new recreation area known as Galena Park. Development will include playground equipment, an adult fitness space, walking/biking paths, multi-use athletic courts (for Tuj Lub, volleyball, badminton, pickleball, and cane ball), social gathering areas, natural play elements, native landscaping, bioswale, sledding hill, and a pump track for bikes, inline skates, scooters, or skateboards.
“Grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund are making access to recreational opportunities possible across the country,” Secretary of Interior David L. Bernhardt said. “We look forward to working with our state and local partners to increase the considerable benefits derived from our local parks and outdoor recreation areas.”
Grants will be awarded through the ORLP program, which grew out of a 2014 Congressional directive to create a nationally competitive grant program to complement the 54-year old Land and Water Conservation Fund State Assistance Program. Both programs are administered by the National Park Service.
For more than 50 years, the LWCF has invested revenue derived from federal offshore oil and gas royalties into more than 40,000 outdoor recreation projects in every State. The ORLP program aims to expand outdoor recreation opportunities in areas lacking sufficient close-to-home parks, as well as promote the development of new or enhanced partnerships to support outdoor recreation in densely populated cities (jurisdictions with at least 50,000 people) across the nation. The grants must be matched at a minimum one to one with state, local, and private dollars, at least doubling the impact of the Federal investment in these communities.