MPS breaks ground on green space renewal project
Playground pavement replaced with soccer field, gardens, trees
Very little tends to grow in a parking lot, but that’s about to change at four Milwaukee schools this year, thanks to a multimillion-dollar plan to reduce pavement and add green space.
One of the schools, H.W. Longfellow School, had a groundbreaking Tuesday to mark the start of the construction phase of the project. Other schools in the construction phase include Burdick Elementary, Hawley Environmental and Starms Early Childhood Community School.
At the end of this summer, Longfellow will have a new soccer field, outdoor classrooms, trees and gardens. The site will also feature bioswales, natural systems to manage rainwater.
“If you have a stereotype in your mind of a school playground, it’s going to be a blacktop playground and a chain-link fence,” Mayor Tom Barrett said at the groundbreaking. “We want to make sure we’re giving our kids the opportunity to enjoy green grass.”
The project is led by the Green Healthier Schools Program, which advocates for environmental education and sustainability. It aims to raise $3.4 million for future projects, with $1.7 million raised so far.
One reason MPS prioritizes creating green space is because access to nature increases academic performance, said Wendell Willis, executive director of MPS Foundation, one of the project’s funders.
“We know that when students can do hands-on learning, they are going to thrive in the classroom,” Willis said.
“The way you learn about plants, gardening and photosynthesis — it’s pretty cool,” said Jomar Matos, a recent graduate of Longfellow.
The redevelopment of green space will also allow new biodiversity.
Green spaces will be open to the community after school hours. Luz Robelo, a 2015 graduate of Longfellow, said it will become a safe space for children.
“Some kids don’t feel safe to go outside,” she said. “Having this here, it’s an amazing idea.”
Funds for the project were raised by multiple Milwaukee organizations, including MMSD, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Funds for Lake Michigan and The Founders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, among others.
The construction plan is led by Reflo, an organization creating green infrastructure. The group works with five different schools each academic year.
Justin Hegarty, executive director, said each project takes about three years to complete, from conceptual planning through fundraising, design, permitting, construction and maintenance.
Willis said this project helps put Milwaukee schools on a even playing field with schools in suburbs, which have more access to green space. “The long-term impact is that it provides equity,” he said.
Every year, Milwaukee schools are at different stages in the redevelopment process. Another five schools are currently in line at the fundraising stage, including Clement Avenue, Doerfler, Golda Meir, Vincent High School and Westside Academy.
Two schools have already gone through their own projects: Bradley Tech High School and Escuela Vieau.