Milwaukee’s long, dark, largely Dome-less night of the soul will soon be over: According to BizTimes, the two remaining Mitchell Park Domes are scheduled to reopen by the fall. The Tropical Dome is set for a September 24 reopening, while the Desert Dome is expected to reopen by the end of October. This comes from Friends of the Domes board member Sally Sullivan; a county representative wasn’t available for comment.
On January 29, 2016, a fallen chunk of concrete was discovered in one of the Mitchell Park Domes, thus kicking off a heated and increasingly confusing battle over the fate of the beloved-but-aging Milwaukee landmarks. Closed domes, GoFundMe campaigns, fake GoFundMe campaigns, steering committees, and competing steering committees have all been involved. Ditto for Shops of Grand Avenue toddler-distracting recommendations.
Crews have spent the past six months wrapping the Domes’ crumbling concrete joints in a netting system. The Show Dome—the dome least likely to fall apart at a moment’s notice—was reopened on April 29.