Lakefront Gateway Project will link Lake Mendota & campus
By Marie Renckens, membership marketing intern
Renovations at the Terrace aren’t the only lakefront improvements to look forward to in the coming years. Along with these improvements will come the new Alumni Park and Shoreline Rehabilitation Project– all together named the Lakefront Gateway Project.
In 2005, the University took a renewed look at the Campus Master Plan and decided to move forward to fully embrace the university’s setting on Lake Mendota by opening up the view from the south end of campus to the lake. This East Campus Mall project includes the creation University Square and the adjacent mall, Chazen Museum renovations, and finally, the Lakefont Gateway Project. The Memorial Union Reinvestment, Alumni Park, and Shoreline Restoration Project will serve as the capstone pieces to this long-awaited vision.
Memorial Union Reinvestment
The Memorial Union Reinvestment (MUR) makes up the first tier of the Lakefront Gateway Project. Split into two construction phases, MUR plans will renovate and preserve the Memorial Union.
Along the lakeshore side of Memorial Union, patrons can expect to see a number of improvements to the outdoor Terrace. First, new tree plantings will ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the Terrace tree canopy. Second, new underground expansions for Hoofers will create additional Terrace seating. Third, a new student/Theater lounge addition on the northwest part of the building will create a new public deck with beautiful views of the lake and Terrace stage.
On a more practical level, renovations to the Terrace will greatly improve accessibility and bring the Terrace up to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Now settled slightly below Park Street, the west section of the Terrace will be raised to the same level as the street to allow for easier access. Ramps will be added between levels on the Terrace and between the Terrace and the main building so that persons with limited mobility can easily navigate Memorial Union’s outdoor spaces.
The first phase of the Memorial Union Reinvestment is scheduled to begin in mid-2012 and finish up by summer 2014.
Alumni Park
Adjacent to Memorial Union will be the new Alumni Park, a gift from the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) as a part of their 150th birthday celebration. It will replace the current parking lot between the Memorial Union and the Red Gym and create an open pathway from the lake into campus. Alumni Park will be more than a simple park, however.
“The really exciting part is that the WAA will make it not just a green space but turn it into a commemorative park really honoring the history and all the accomplishments and achievements of alumni and the university over the last 150 years,” said Kelly De Haven, University of Wisconsin Foundation’s director of development for the Wisconsin Alumni Association.
Alumni Park will feature installations honoring the great discoveries, Nobel laureates and distinguished alumni that have come from the University. “It will be a transformative space for visitors, alumni and current students to really get a sense of the legacy they’re part of at the UW,” said Kelly. The park will also extend the Lakeshore path and offer a new outdoor classroom space, boat dock and pavilion.
This project will overlap with Memorial Union renovations and is expected to be completed in summer 2016.
Shoreline Rehabilitation Project
Finally, the Shoreline Rehabilitation Project will improve the cosmetic appeal of the lake shore while also improving water quality along the lake. Funded by the city, this project will replace the current concrete breakwater with about 800 feet of new seawall and decorative sidewalk between North Park Street and North Lake Street. This part of the Lakefront Gateway Project is currently scheduled to be completed in spring 2014.
When completed, the Lakefront Gateway Project will finally fulfill decades of plans to connect the campus to Lake Mendota in an accessible and meaningful way.
For more images of the renovations, visit the Lakefront Gateway Project’s gallery. Follow@MUReinvestment on Twitter to stay updated on MUR projects.
