Downtown Milwaukee is a destination for workers and entertainment seekers, but it’s also the neighborhood of many families. However, parents with young children don’t have a lot of options when it comes to playgrounds within walking distance.
Thus, when the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors allocated $185,000 for new playground equipment at Cathedral Square Park it was great news for those raising metropolitan kids.
The new playground is nearly completed, but construction is currently on hold until the spring when weather conditions improve. The playground is projected to be completed by mid-May, at which time a ribbon cutting will take place.
"The Cathedral Square playground is the only playground in downtown Milwaukee, with the exception of the playground on the Summerfest grounds," says East Town’s Emily McElwee.
The recently removed playground in Cathedral Square was the oldest in the Milwaukee County Parks System. This play set was scheduled for replacement and removed from the county parks budget several times over the last decade for various reasons.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Marcelia Nicholson proposed spending a portion of the proceeds from municipal bonds issued by the county on the new playground equipment.
"I hope that Milwaukee County's investment in Cathedral Square Park can be a catalyst that brings more dollars and improvements to what I and many others consider our town square," says Nicholson.
The new playground will feature interactive play equipment for younger and older kids, including new swings, padded base material (in place of sand) and musical features like a xylophone and drum to represent the park’s popular outdoor concert series, Jazz in the Park.
"Certainly, the events hosted at Cathedral Square draw families with children of all ages, but even on the quietest days of the off-summer months, it’s rare that a day goes by without children and families utilizing the Cathedral Square playground," says McElwee. "Cathedral Square is a showcase of our downtown, how lucky we are to have such a beautiful playground to share with our neighbors this summer."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
