Heatherwick studio and Harley-Davidson, Inc. today formally unveiled the newly created community park, Davidson Park at its historic Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee.
The project, pioneered by the Harley-Davidson Foundation has been created in partnership with Heatherwick studio who conceived and oversaw an original design to transform the 4-acre parking lot just south of the Company’s 3700 W. Juneau Avenue building into a soulful green space that can be used by everyone who lives in and visits Milwaukee’s Near West Side. As part of the project team, HGA served as the architect and engineer of record and Greenfire Management Services as the construction partner, with both Milwaukee-based firms partnering with Heatherwick studio to bring the design vision to life.
Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director at Heatherwick studio said:
“Davidson Park has been an extraordinary collaboration between the studio and local partners, schools, artists and the Forest County Potawatomi community, to transform an uninspiring concrete parking lot into a new public park and events amphitheatre for Milwaukee. Created for the local community, with the community’s collaboration and help, it’s a place where people can come together with friends and family to enjoy some of the wildness of Wisconsin’s incredible nature, listen to the state’s best music, or experience the energy of a motorcycle rally. Harley-Davidson has been part of Near West Side’s history for over 120 years and the park is a natural next chapter in their joint story. As the plants grow and mature, the intention is that the space increasingly honours both the heritage of Harley-Davidson and gives the residents something to not just enjoy, but to feel proud of.”
“When we started this project, we did so with one main goal, and that was to further connect the Company with our hometown Milwaukee, a place that we’ve been proud to call home for over 120 years,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “No matter how fast you move forward, you can never forget where you’ve come from – this project both celebrates our heritage and reinforces the power of the Harley-Davidson brand to be a force for good within our communities.”
“On behalf of the Harley-Davidson Foundation, we are really excited to formally unveil Davidson Park – we believe that the Park will provide a much-needed greenspace in our local community – but importantly a space that can be shared by all,” said Tori Termaat, President, The Harley-Davidson Foundation.
An accessible and inclusive space, Davidson Park will be open and welcoming for all (residents, community members, and visitors) to enjoy, gather, and connect. Harley-Davidson foundation will continue to seek ongoing stakeholder feedback – incorporating and encouraging community and visitor voices to inform future enhancements and changing interests.
