A new plan for the Mitchell Park Domes would not only rehabilitate the existing Domes, but also create a courtyard and a new building addition and after an initial matching contribution would ease cost of the Domes for Milwaukee County.
The Domes Reimagined plan – a partnership between the Friends of the Domes, Milwaukee County Parks and Madison-based real estate developer The Alexander Company – was presented to the Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture Tuesday morning as an informational item.
"The Domes Reimagined project is visionary, but it also fiscally responsible," said Friends of the Domes Executive Director Christa Beall Diefenbach. "It removes the Domes as a liability from the County's ledger and places Friends of the Domes in charge of operations. The result is a sustainable business model with limited ongoing support necessary from the County. It is truly a win-win-win for our community.
"There are no vanity projects in this plan. Every aspect achieves two goals: improved visitor experience and greater revenue."
No action was requested, nor was any expected to be taken by the committee on the potential plan, which was presented as an informational item. Public comment was to be heard at the meeting.
The Domes – designed by architect Donald Grieb and constructed in stages in the 1960s – were closed briefly in 2016 after a piece of concrete fell from the ceiling of one of them. Discussion of their fate has not abated in the years since.
Read more about the condition problems facing the Domes in this article.
“Milwaukee County Parks has worked collaboratively with the Friends of the Domes on a campaign to reimagine the Mitchell Park Domes,” notes an Aug. 16 memo from Parks Director Guy Smith to County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson. “This campaign has the potential to fix the Domes and make them sustainable.
“It is based upon a historic rehabilitation of the Domes that would be funded with a capital campaign that significantly leverages a County capital funding commitment with private philanthropy and tax credit financing. The project introduces new uses to the Domes while, in its initial phase, expanding services within the existing building footprint and growing the facility in a future second phase.”
The plan aims to improve the interpretation of the gardens and enhance accessibility, add more nature-based programming and education and support the County’s climate action plan and wellness goals.
The plan would reglaze the Domes and repair their concrete structures, as well as modernize the mechanicals and reduce energy inefficiencies through modeling and audits in partnership with We Energies and Johnson Controls.
In addition, it would use events, retail sales, admissions, programming and a cafe to boost revenues, bolster the impact of the education mission of the Domes and help to address safety concerns in Mitchell Park through increased activation.
Under the new plan, the gift shop would be doubled in size by expanding it into adjacent office space; a children’s garden called the Little Sprouts Dome would be created in the fourth dome, which currently serves as a greenhouse; a new cafe would be added; and in phase two, a new addition would house education and event space and staff offices and would add a public garden based on a Wisconsin ecosystem.
The County would be expected to match philanthropic funding up to $30 million and maintain its commitment to funding horticultural staff (roughly $400,000-$500,000 annually).
It would also agree to add the Domes to the National Register of Historic Places; and offer a long-term lease that transitions ownership to the Friends of the Domes to operate the facility, both of which are key to receiving tax credit.
Mitchell Park would remain the property of the County Parks.
The total cost of the first phase of the project is estimated at $107.4 million and includes everything except the new addition and courtyard.
The latter items are part of a $26 million second phase. The county is not expected to fund any of the second phase expenses, and the agreement stipulates that Friends of the Domes will not seek further funding from the County.
Funding for the first phase is expected to come from $35 million in private donations; $30 million from the County; $14.9 million in federal historic tax credits; $11.8 million from federal and state grants and funding; $11.6 million from state historic tax credits and $4.2 million from new market tax credits.
Reglazing the Domes and repairing the concrete is expected to eat up more than $73 million of the phase one budget.
The projected timeline suggests work could begin on the Show Dome, lobby, children’s garden and other aspects in 2026-7 after a capital campaign in 2024-5. The Desert Dome work would follow in 2028 and the Tropical Dome in ‘29. Phase two would be undertaken in 2030.
Founded in 1989, Friends of the Domes has 5,000 members, 250 volunteers and 25 paid staff who current manage about half of the operations at the Domes, working events, in the gift shop, in marketing, fundraising, educational programming and more.
The Alexander Company, which specializes in historic renovation projects, has undertaken numerous projects in the Milwaukee area, most notably the redevelopment of The Fortress and a number of buildings at the Old Soldiers’ Home, including Old Main, which reopened in 2021.
The company is currently working on three more buildings at that site, including the chapel, Governor’s Mansion and Ward Memorial Theater.
"The Domes Reimagined project is a testament to the power of public-private partnership and preservation," said Joe Alexander, president of The Alexander Company. "Bringing our expertise in historic preservation and innovative financing to this iconic Milwaukee landmark is a meaningful opportunity to ensure it not only survives but thrives for generations to come."
According to Alexander, when there is no housing component on a project, the company typically serves as a consulting developer to assist with complex financial structuring and navigating the National Park Services approvals process.
The company has done this on other projects, including the Beloit Powerhouse.
"Our long background in historic preservation and complex partnerships has led to a deep well of expertise and we're happy to lend that expertise to others in need," said Alexander.
The Domes Reimagined team has already completed the initial design phase and cost estimates, hired fundraising counsel begun quietly campaigning for donations, as well as tapped a government relations firm to help access state and federal funds.
“I support the plan that is being put forward today because the park will be included and the community is very eager to see Mitchell Park and The Domes restored to the beauty they possessed in the 1960s,” said County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez.
“This will help elevate the self esteem of the neighborhood as well as be integral to public safety.”
Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, which has been an active advocate for saving the threatened Domes, has also expressed support.
“With its commitment to the restoration of the irreplaceable landmark that is our Mitchell Park Domes, Milwaukee Preservation Alliance is proud to support the 'Domes Reimagined' plan. We trust in the Friends of the Domes' vision and their commitment to preservation," said Executive Director Emma Rudd.
According to Friends of the Domes, demolition of the Domes is “an inevitability,” if action is not taken soon.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
