Just shy of two years after Milwaukee Recreation – a division of Milwaukee Public Schools – announced that it would make over a trio of its 52 neighborhood playfields, the last of the projects has been completed.
Southgate Playfield, 3350 S. 25th St., reopened in August. Columbia and Custer playfields were completed in 2019.
Because of COVID restrictions, the park was opened via a virtual ribbon cutting.
In addition to the removal of old asphalt and the installation of a new natural turf playfield, the renovation added shade trees, a walking loop, playground equipment, basketball hoops and a splash play area, along with upgraded benches, lighting and trash receptacles.
The Southgate fieldhouse will be upgraded next year.
MPS is also working on construction projects at Burnham, Clovernook, Ohio and Franklin Square playfields and is planning work for a Green Bay playfield overhaul.
The projects are part of Milwaukee Rec’s 2014 equity-based 10-year facilities plan, which you can read here.
This article about Enderis playfield explains a bit about the MPS/Milwaukee Rec playfields.
The current playfields system has more than 300 acres of programmed space. To learn more visit mkerec.net/PlayfieldRenovation.
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.
