Monday, May 16, 2022
Milwaukee Public Schools’ North Division High School Schoolyard Redevelopment & Milwaukee Recreation’s Franklin Square Playfield Renovation have received a 2022 Mayor’s Design Award. Since 1997, the Mayor’s Design Awards have recognized design excellence throughout the city of Milwaukee. Projects are selected for adding value to their neighborhoods by contributing to the urban fabric and the character of their surroundings.
North Division High School participated in a three-year process to transform their campus through the Green Schools Consortium of Milwaukee (GSCM) competitive green schoolyard redevelopment program. The project features two new outdoor classrooms, impervious surface removal, green infrastructure including cisterns, bioswales, native plantings, new trees, as well as a mural, track resurfacing, and additional spectator bleachers.
Franklin Square Playfield is one of Milwaukee Recreation’s oldest playfields and was originally constructed in the 1920s. The site had not seen a major upgrade in many years. The revamped Franklin Square Playfield responded to public needs by expanding the playground, including the addition of modern equipment and poured-in-place rubber surfacing, renovated basketball courts, new seating configurations, splash pad, obstacle course, shade structures, kickball space, and naturalized prairie grass areas. Its fieldhouse is currently being renovated, and will be completed this summer. Since reopening in July 2021, the site is bustling with activity.
“We feel extremely fortunate to be recognized for this award alongside so many other wonderful projects throughout the city,” Lynn Greb, Milwaukee Recreation's senior director, said. “The students and community members were instrumental in guiding the design of the schoolyard and playfield projects. This input was imperative in ensuring the final product reflects the needs and interests of the users.”
The winners of the Mayor’s Design Awards will be recognized during a ceremony on Wednesday, May 18 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Previously, Milwaukee Recreation also earned Mayor's Design Awards for its renovations at Southgate Playfield in 2021 and Columbia Playfield in 2020.
See photos of the new renovations below:
Franklin Square Playfield
North Division High School
