Cathedral Square Friends

Cathedral Square Friends and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 are pleased to share that construction has officially commenced on a new streetscaping project to begin the revitalization of one of Milwaukee’s most iconic gathering places, Cathedral Square. Dubbed “Frame the Square,” the project is focused on the perimeter of the square and is the first phase in a long-term vision to breathe new life and vitality into this historic space.

The Frame the Square project includes:

• New curbs, curb ramps and tree wells
• New paver sidewalks that will extend fully to the curbs, eliminating the existing unsightly gravel and weeds
• The replacement of unhealthy perimeter trees and planting of additional new trees
• The addition of benches, waste containers, and bike racks
• Special landscape treatment in the two southern corners of the square, including low landscape walls, new plantings, and utility screening

Frame the Square is the culmination of months of design and input from a variety of stakeholders, including Milwaukee County Parks, the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, East Town Association and neighborhood residents and business owners. Funding for the project comes from approximately $1.85 million in tax incremental financing available through the City of Milwaukee for infrastructure upgrades within the public right-of-way.

[inarticlead]“This project represents the first in what we anticipate will be many steps as we work to revitalize this space and ensure it continues to be a tremendous asset for our community for generations to come,” said Dave Reid, President of Cathedral Square Friends.

Milwaukee-based JCP Construction is serving as the general contractor for the project, with Prism Technical Service overseeing SBE inclusion and RPP participation in the project’s construction. Initial design services were led by the infrastructure firm HNTB, along with the civil/landscape design firm Kapur & Associates. Integris serves as Cathedral Square Friends and Milwaukee Downtown’s project representative.

Construction of a new curb along the perimeter of the square is underway. Much of the project is slated for completion by the end of the year with a grand opening coming in spring 2022. The park will remain open and accessible throughout construction, though certain access points may be limited or unavailable as the construction team moves around the perimeter of the square. Wayfinding signage has been installed in and around the square to assist pedestrians and visitors in accessing the square and safely moving through the area.

Cathedral Square Friends continues to bring beautiful hanging flower baskets to the square each summer and has an ongoing fundraising campaign to bring them back once again in 2022.

Cathedral Square Friends and Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21 are pleased to announce, that after many months of design and input from a wide variety of stakeholders, the “Frame the Square” streetscaping project on the perimeter of Cathedral Square will begin in the upcoming weeks, with completion anticipated by the end of the year.

Further, our team is pleased to announce the selection of JCP Construction as the general contractor for the project. The firm boasts an impressive resume as well as a great track record of contributing to community growth and development.

Frame the Square is a streetscaping project that includes:

• New sidewalks surfaced with pavers, new curbs, and curb ramps will be installed.
• Unhealthy perimeter trees will be replaced and additional trees planted.
• Tree wells will surround trees, and pavers will extend between the sidewalk and curb, eliminating unsightly gravel and weeds.
• Benches, waste containers, and bike racks will be added.
• The corners on the south end will receive special landscape treatment, including low landscape walls, new plantings, and utility screening.

Like most streetscaping projects, the improvements are located in the city right-of-way. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements are fully integrated into the project. This phase of improvements is not intended to change the interior of the square as city funding limits the area of scope.

Access to the square will be available during the entire project duration, however access points will be limited and will vary during the construction.

JCP Construction joins the planning team to help make the streetscape improvement a reality. The design has been led by the infrastructure firm HNTB, along with the civil/landscape design firm Kapur & Associates. Prism Technical Service is monitoring Small Business Enterprise inclusion and Residents Preference Program participation in the project’s construction. Integris serves as the Cathedral Square Friends and Milwaukee Downtown’s project representative through the course of the construction and completion.

The Friends and its professional design team have worked in the past year with the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works, Milwaukee County Parks, and neighborhood stakeholders in the design process.

The project has been planned to easily and flexibly fit with various options in future phases inside the square. That effort will arise from community-based master planning, as well as meshing with other public projects in the area and existing uses of the square. Check cathedralsquarefriends.org for regular project updates and for additional opportunities to support our efforts to maintain and improve the square.

About Cathedral Square Friends, Inc.

The mission of Cathedral Square Friends is to support, maintain and enhance Cathedral Square as a historic public gathering place. Cathedral Square Friends, Inc. is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

About Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21

Milwaukee Downtown, Business Improvement District #21, is an organization established in 1998 to support the interests of the Downtown Milwaukee business community. Created through private sector leadership, Milwaukee Downtown is a management district organization that oversees 150 square blocks representing approximately 500 property owners in the center of Downtown Milwaukee. The organization funds specific initiatives aimed at creating a clean, safe and friendly Downtown. More info available at www.milwaukeedowntown.com.

Share a glass of wine, local craft beer, a specially designed “Featured Cocktail” or NA refresher with appetizers from Cubanitas. And a special selection of grooves from a favorite Milwaukee DJ.

The 10th floor Commission House condominium features wonderful views of The Historic Third Ward, the Hoan Bridge, and Lake Michigan. The space houses an eclectic and amazing collection of art, including old masters, pop art, contemporary art, photography, surrealism, and local art.

The event will be held on Wed, August 4 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 400 N. Broadway, 10th floor.

Tickets are $150. The funds raised will be used to fulfill our mission to support, maintain, and enhance Cathedral Square as a historic public gathering space.

Reserve your tickets here.

Any questions? Please contact: info@cathedralsquarefriends.org

Can’t make the event? But still want to donate to Cathedral Square Friends. You can make a donation here.

About Cathedral Square Friends, Inc.

The mission of Cathedral Square Friends is to support, maintain and enhance Cathedral Square as a historic public gathering place. Cathedral Square Friends, Inc. is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.

About the Cathedral Square Board of Directors
Cathedral Square Friends board is made up of the following members: Dave Reid (President); Edgar Sturkey (Vice President); Mariiana Tzotcheva (Secretary); Ellen Baehr (Treasurer); Kim Morris; Daniel Taylor; Cecilia Gilbert; Carl Baehr.

Join us on December 17th at 6 p.m. in a virtual meeting to learn about our Frame the Square project.

The project is focused on improving the perimeter of Cathedral Square. New walkways will replace the sidewalks and the dirt and weeds between the sidewalks and curbs.  Unhealthy trees will be replaced, and trees will be added. New benches, bicycle racks and trash containers will also be added.

To see the latest plans and get meeting details please visit: https://cathedralsquarefriends.org/FTS

#GivingTuesday is an opportunity for you to help improve your community by supporting local organizations and we hope that Cathedral Square Friends, Inc. will be on your list.

Thanks to our many supporters, Cathedral Square looks better than at any time in recent memory.

In 2018, through our Color the Square initiative, we hung flower baskets from eight poles in the square. Each pole was decorated with two baskets that throughout the summer were overflowing with colorful flowers and plants.

In 2019, we expanded the program to eleven light poles.

In 2020, we expanded the program to fifteen light poles.

This sponsor-funded project delights visitors to the Square every year.

In 2021, there will be major changes to the perimeter of the Square that will include a new sidewalk extending from the edges of the park to the curbs. New trees will be added, and in some cases, will replace unhealthy trees. New benches and bike racks will be installed, along with other enhancements.

To augment these wonderful changes, we are continuing our Color the Square initiative. With your help we can again bring these colorful flowers to the Square.

On this #GivingTuesday, will you make a small donation to support our efforts?

To donate to Color the Square, click here or mail a check payable to Cathedral Square Friends to:

Cathedral Square Friends
Attn: Ellen Baehr
626 E. Kilbourn Ave., #2002
Milwaukee, WI 53202

For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website (www.givingtuesday.org).

After months of planning, and with the coordinated efforts of dozens of people, the first physical evidence of the “Frame the Square” undertaking is underway. It is a small, but significant, step toward the complete improvement of the perimeter of Cathedral Square Park that will take place beginning next spring.

For the last year or so, there has been a safety cone on the sidewalk on N. Jefferson Street near E. Wells Street. The cone was placed over a broken grate on a crumbling utility vault to warn pedestrians of the danger of walking there. Now, through the efforts of We Energies, the cone is gone, and the vault is being rebuilt. A second vault along E. Wells Street will also be rebuilt .

Once these are complete, it will allow paving material to be installed flush with the new vaults from the grass at the edge of the park to the curb when work starts in the spring. New trees will be planted, some diseased trees will be replaced, new bike racks and benches will be installed, and other enhancements will take place.

It is exciting to see the first step being taken on the project that will beautify the border of the Square. We will continue to keep you updated as the work progresses.

In addition to moving ahead with “Frame the Square,” our colorful flower baskets will return in 2021. If you’d like to help bring the baskets back, you can make a donation here.

Thanks to the many supporters of Cathedral Square Friends, the Square looks better than at any time in recent memory. The lawn is green and lush. The new playground is well used. And this summer 15 poles held 30 baskets of beautiful flowers and vines, thanks to the sponsors of our Color the Square program. 

Due to the pandemic, there were different reasons for people to visit the park and appreciate the colorful flower baskets this year. Gone were the crowds for Jazz in the Park and Bastille Days. Instead there was a steady flow of people who came to the Square as a respite from the virus. They came to eat their lunches and enjoy a safe outdoor space. Visitors played games. Groups held rallies supporting their concerns across the philosophical spectrum, the kind of activity the Square has seen since the 1830s. 

In 2021, there will be major changes to the perimeter of the Square that will include a new sidewalk extending from the edges of the park to the curbs. New trees will be added, and in some cases, will replace unhealthy trees. New benches and bike racks will be installed, along with other enhancements. 

To augment these wonderful changes, we are continuing our Color the Square initiative. With your help we can again bring these colorful flowers to the Square.

Will you help us bring the baskets back in 2021?

To donate, click here or mail a check payable to Cathedral Square Friends to:

Cathedral Square Friends
Attn: Ellen Baehr
626 E. Kilbourn Avenue, #2002
Milwaukee, WI 53202

Cathedral Square Friends have been busy this summer and so has Cathedral Square itself. While there have not been the usual crowds for concerts, festivals, farmer markets, and other events, many people have used the square, which has been enhanced by thirty hanging baskets of beautiful flowers on poles in and around the park. The baskets are courtesy of businesses and individuals who have supported our “Color the Square” program.

With the pandemic spurring people to eat lunches outside rather than indoors, the square is the perfect place to dine. Picnic tables have been covered with material that is easy to disinfect and are cleaned throughout the day, thanks to Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21. That organization has also attached hand sanitizers to poles in the park and has increased its trash removal frequency.

Of course, the play set that was installed last summer is almost always filled with laughing children. The square has also hosted rallies that have represented viewpoints across the political spectrum, as it has since the park was established in the 1830s.

This summer the Friends have been working on our largest project to date – “Frame the Square.” The project is focused on the perimeter of the square, while future initiatives will seek to address elements within the park. Earlier this year, the Common Council allotted funds towards this effort. The Friends, in partnership with Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, brought on a design team made up of a lead civil engineering firm,  HNTB, and a landscape design firm, Kapur & Associates, to begin the design process in coordination with the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County Parks. Prism Technical Service will  monitor Small Business Enterprise inclusion and Residents Preference Program participation in the project’s construction. Soon we’ll be sharing the progress with the wider community.

New walkways will replace the sidewalks and the dirt and weeds between the sidewalks and curbs. Unhealthy trees will be replaced, and trees will be added. Other landscaping ideas are emerging as the design progresses. Benches for relaxing and appreciating the surroundings will be installed, as will new bicycle racks and new trash containers.

Watch for these and other enhancements in 2021. It will be an exciting year for everyone who enjoys Cathedral Square, as we try to make the park a more enjoyable and pleasant experience for all.

And of course we’ll be bringing our hanging flower baskets back in 2021, so as always a small donation to fund the watering and maintenance is appreciated. You can donate to “Color the Square” here.

And if you’re interested in becoming a member of Cathedral Square Friends, or just making a donation to help us with the general upkeep of the square (in the past we used donated funds to re-sod a portion of the park), you can become a member here.