Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors unanimously approves funding for Mitchell Park Domes improvement plan
MILWAUKEE CBS 58 -- At a budget meeting Thursday, Nov. 7, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a budget amendment that would help provide financial support to the Mitchell Park Domes.
“The domes have been facing an existential crisis for years,” said Christa Beall Diefenbach, the executive director of Friends of the Domes. "We now have a path forward that ensures the domes remain a horticultural oasis for generations to come.”
The amendment was in support of the Domes Reimagined project, a $134 million initiative that Diefenbach says will not just restore Milwaukee’s only indoor horticultural conservatory, but also add many new amenities including a children’s garden, cafe, expanded gift shop, and nature learning center.
“Friends of the Domes applauds the county supervisors for their support of this initiative,” Diefenbach said. “Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez, in particular, has been a great partner. His commitment and passion for the south side are truly commendable.”
“Not only is the domes a cultural and historical mainstay of Milwaukee and a landmark, it’s also somewhere that me and my family have had our parties since I was a child," said Milwaukee County Supervisor Juan Miguel Martinez. "It’s also something that everyone in the community uses.”
Although the amendment does not include funds in the county’s 2025 budget, it does contain a financial commitment of $30 million paid over six years to start at a future date.
“The county investment is 22% of the overall project cost,” Diefenbach said. “This project offers a stellar return on investment by all counts.”
The amendment includes creation of a long-term lease that places Friends of the Domes in charge of operations of the facility, while Mitchell Park remains the property of the county parks department. The amendment also supports placing the Mitchell Park Domes on the National Register of Historic Places, a requirement to secure portions of the project’s funding stack such as historic tax credits.
Founded in 1989, Friends of the Domes is the nonprofit support organization that currently manages half of the operations of the Mitchell Park Domes; the other half is managed by the Milwaukee County Parks System.
Originally constructed in the early 1960s, the Mitchell Park Domes have had visitors walk through its greenhouses for decades.
“I love coming to the domes," said Sue Shimoyama-See, who says she's a member. She's happy that after decades of questions about the future of the domes, they have some answers of how they plan to fix the living plant museum.
"It’s wonderful to hear they are getting great funding," Shimoyama-See said.
Diefenbach said the proposal will need to be approved by Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley. A project update is expected to come from Milwaukee Parks and Friends of the Domes in May 2025.