A plan to repair Milwaukee’s Mitchell Park Domes received a key funding commitment from Milwaukee County.
On Thursday, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved spending $5 million a year for the next six years to help pay for a $133 million renovation plan spearheaded by the Milwaukee Domes Alliance, the nonprofit that manages the facility.
The domes, which opened in 1965, have been in disrepair for years.
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Christa Beall Diefenbach, CEO of the Milwaukee Domes Alliance, said the renovation plan would have been “grounded to a halt” if the county didn’t approve that funding.
“This plan works because all of these different entities are coming together to be part of a solution,” Beall Diefenbach said. “And so if one were to remove itself from the equation, then that really would have kept the project from being able to move forward.”
The domes have been closed to visitors on and off over the past decade to address repairs and maintenance issues. In 2016, the facility shut down temporarily after a chunk of concrete fell from the ceiling.
There have been discussions for years about the future of the site. In 2022, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to consider repairing, renovating, demolishing or creating a new project on the grounds of the conservatory.
Last year, the Milwaukee Domes Alliance, formerly the Friends of the Domes, presented a plan to fix the facility. In November, the County Board approved a budget amendment to allocate $30 million for that plan.
Funding for the plan includes $35 million from private donations, nearly $35 million in tax credits and money secured from federal and state grants. Beall Diefenbach said Thursday’s approval from the county means $5 million for the project will be included in the Milwaukee County Parks budget request for 2026.
“It’s a momentous occasion,” Beall Diefenbach said.
The county’s funding is contingent on the approval of a lease and development agreement that would transfer ownership and operation of the domes to the Milwaukee Domes Alliance. That agreement will likely come before the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors this fall for a vote.
The domes are currently owned by Milwaukee County Parks. The Milwaukee Domes Alliance has managed the gift shop, retail sales, fundraising, marketing and public events since 1989.
“The Milwaukee Domes Alliance will assume the responsibility of fundraising for and managing the construction of the historic rehabilitation of the Mitchell Park Domes,” a county fiscal note about the agreement states.
A Thursday amendment from Milwaukee County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman said ownership of the domes will return to the county if the Milwaukee Domes Alliance is “unable or unwilling” to uphold the the development and lease agreement. That amendment was unanimously approved.
“So if something happens, we’re not just putting in an investment and not getting a return in it,” Wasserman said during Thursday’s meeting. “So, we’ll always have eventual and continued control if something happens to the (Milwaukee) Domes Alliance.”
The first phase of the project would start in 2027. It includes repairing the domes and replacing 6,500 panes of glass. Plans for the first phase also include adding a new cafe, adding an outdoor garden for children and expanding the gift shop.
Milwaukee County executive is ‘reviewing the resolution’
Milwaukee County is facing a budget gap of $46.7 million in 2026, according to a five-year budget forecast. That was on Milwaukee County Supervisor Steve F. Taylor’s mind when he voted no on the resolution. He said the $5 million that will go toward the domes every year is money the county won’t be able to spend on other parks projects.
“I’m taking a stand, saying … you just understand you’re picking the domes over future projects because $5 million is not going to be there,” Taylor said.
Milwaukee County Supervisor Deanna Alexander also voted against the resolution.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said the county executive is “reviewing the resolution and will make a decision in the near future.”
The domes were included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2016 and designated as a National Treasure in 2017.
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