Milwaukee World Festival, the operator of Summerfest, has issued an RFP seeking ideas for future programming and improvements to Henry Maier Festival Park.
In 2021, BizTimes Milwaukee celebrated its 25th anniversary and invited 25 local leaders to pitch their “big ideas” for Milwaukee’s future. One of those ideas came from architect Matt Rinka, founder and partner of Milwaukee-based architectural firm Rinka. He proposed converting the 75-acre Maier Festival Park into a mixed-use neighborhood that would still host Summerfest, ethnic festivals, concerts and other events.
“This would be accomplished by providing unrestricted water access to the public via boardwalks and piers, denser residential developments offering a range of dwelling options, hotels, destination retail and restaurants, and civic structures and attractions that can continue to host the festivals that we all love,” Rinka wrote in 2021. “The combination of festivals occurring within a neighborhood that can generate excitement and activity year-round will transform our lakefront into a new, engaging heart of our city while connecting local commerce, recreation and tourism. If done right, this could become a regional example of conscientious coastal waterway development. Again, to be clear, this is not a proposal that Summerfest and subsequent annual festivals should cease to occur, rather creatively develop the festival grounds to support more than an annual event that requires an admission fee.”
I contacted Rinka recently and he says he still stands by this idea. He said he would love to submit a proposal to Milwaukee World Festival, but the RFP was sent to selected consulting firms, and his firm was not one of them. MWF said one requirement of the RFP will be to include the participation of a local firm.
The idea of turning Maier Festival Park into a neighborhood may seem crazy to some. Who would want to live there, especially during Summerfest? Well, some people live in the French Quarter, on or near Bourbon Street in New Orleans, so while not for everyone, living within Maier Festival Park could appeal to some. A 261-unit apartment complex is currently under construction across the street from the Summerfest grounds.
Maier Festival Park hosted more than 1.2 million people for events there in 2023. But while extremely busy during the summer, the 75-acre lakefront festival grounds is quiet most of the year with no events scheduled between early October and early May.
Maier Festival Park should host more events in spring and fall. A winter festival there with ice skating and other cold-weather activities, plus music, food and drink would also be great.
It will be very interesting to see the responses to the Maier Festival Park RFP. It’s another opportunity for Milwaukee to think big.
