In 1903, Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D) was founded in Milwaukee and 120 years later, they are looking to become more relevant than ever. On January 11, 2023, H-D announced plans for a community park with the focus on benefitting its employees and the community of Milwaukee. Harley-Davidson is partnering with Thomas Heatherwick, an internationally renowned designer from England, to construct a community park. Mr. Heatherwick is known for the following projects with the intention of his work enriching the lives of the people who use it:
- Google's Campus - Bay View, CA, US
- Olympic Velodrome - London, UK
- Lantern House - New York, US
- Little Island - New York, US (pictured below)
The initial community project will be overseen and funded by The Harley-Davidson Foundation with the opportunity for longer-term sponsorships and donor opportunities to further enhance the project. Over the past year and a half, Harley-Davidson Stakeholders were brought together with The Harley Davidson Foundation to set priorities and create a vision for the community. Once a key need for the community was identified, a greenspace, Harley-Davidson went forth and gifted a plot of land to the Harley Davidson Foundation. This land was previously being used as the Juneau Avenue Campus. To ensure the project reaches its full potential, Heatherwick will act as Design Guardian, collaborating with local Milwaukee firms, HGA and Greenfire Management Services.
The center of the park will consist of an 83-foot-wide sunken multi-use event space with tiered seating surrounded by plants and trees. The center is designed to be a "Hub", promoting togetherness. The circular layout will consist of motorcycle driveways, turning circles, parking bays, sidewalks, plants and seating areas. Locally sourced materials will be used to construct the Hub, ranging from brick, timber, and weathered steel. A 360-degree viewpoint will make it possible to view the brick buildings of the original home of Harley-Davidson and all 120 native plants in the park, including species sacred to the Forest County Potowatomi Community. Additional to the Hub, there are plans for a market space, contemplative garden and nature playground.
The park is set to break ground in spring of 2023 and be available for use by summer of 2024!
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