Our partners at the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance have an urgent update about the Mitchell Park Domes:

The Domes need you NOW! The 9:00am December 6 meeting of the Milwaukee County Committee on Parks & Culture will include a new resolution that would rescind the County Board's established policy of pursuing repair of the Domes. It will also direct the County to explore options with costs for the future of Mitchell Park and the Domes including demolition, addressing deferred maintenance, full restoration, and implementation of the Domes Task Force Plan and present a report by mid-2023. See the proposed resolution here. While we support exploring paths forward, rescinding the County's established policy of preservation is a dangerous and unfounded step and is not necessary to explore all options. Further, the resolution as written does not require the expertise of any engineers familiar with older buildings nor any participation from the County Board or public.

We believe the public's consistent support of preservation, numerous studies showing the long term viability of preservation, and cost-reducing opportunities like Historic Tax Credits and partnership-based conservancy models must be thoughtfully considered while developing options for a way forward. A more thoughtful approach would be to hold this resolution until it can be crafted to include additional provisions that provide for the information the Board needs to make informed decisions without rescinding current policy unnecessarily.

Head over the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance website for ways you can take action to support the preservation of the the Domes.