The last gap of public access to the Milwaukee River is finally being closed and will make it possible to easily cross from the “RiverWalk” to the Milwaukee River Greenway. The River Revitalization Foundation has purchased the land and a ranch-style house that will serve as their new business office. This purchase of land along the Milwaukee River provides public recreation, helps to improve water quality, and revitalizes area neighborhoods.
By moving the office to the trail, the Foundation will be closer to the resource they’re working to protect as well as the people they’re hoping will use it. The new land allows the public to walk along the RiverWalk all the way up to the Beer Line Trail to take the pedestrian bridge to the East Bank Trail, then up to the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, Riverside Park and the Urban Ecology Center. Plans are already being envisioned for the ecology center which would organize group hiking and camping trips for Milwaukee children in the river corridor.
Once this area is combined with the Foundation’s three-acre Wheelhouse property next door, it will serve as an oasis within the bustle of Milwaukee and will help to create lasting experiences for residents in the area.
The Foundation received a loan from The Conservation Fund to acquire the riverfront property and is now seeking a reimbursement grant from the Knowles Nelson Stewardship Program to pay for the purchase. Learn more about this and the other exciting work that will connect Milwaukee adults and children with the river and nature in a recent article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
