Located at 920 N. Water St. in the heart of Downtown Milwaukee, Red Arrow Park has been a low-key urban gem since 1970. It’s a meeting place. It’s a public square. It’s an ice skating rink. It’s a rollerskating rink. It has a coffee shop that’s currently closed but is supposed to be a Biggby Coffee…soon? And yes, it has seen its share of tragedy.
And now, Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, the City of Milwaukee, and Milwaukee County are looking for “qualified professional firms that specialize in urban space design, specifically firms with knowledge on landscape architecture, public park design, civil engineering, and complementary expertise in ice rinks and four-season activation” to redesign it. (Read more on Red Arrow Park’s unusual history HERE.)
A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) has been issued for the Red Arrow Park redesign job, inspired by the recently adopted Connec+ing MKE: Downtown Plan 2040. That plan calls for a host of improvements to the park, including making it more accessible and better connecting it to neighboring destinations like “the Riverwalk, City Hall Square, the North End neighborhood, [and] Wisconsin Avenue.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for the project team to work with qualified design professionals to develop alternatives that further enhance Red Arrow Park as one of the most important places in Downtown’s public realm,” says Matt Dorner, economic development director for Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, in a press release. “We look forward to the dynamic solutions that will be generated through a robust public engagement process.”
About that last bit: Will the Red Arrow Park redesign involve “extensive public engagement and stakeholder outreach”? Yes, yes it will. Details have yet to be released.
Qualified professional firms interested in the opportunity (we know you’re reading!) have until 11 a.m. on Friday, October 18 to submit their plan to [email protected]. The rest of us can read the full RFQ HERE.
Red Arrow Park during 2024 Republican National Convention
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