County Board votes to repair O’Donnell Park structure

The Milwaukee County Board late Monday approved its 2011 budget, subject to vetoes by County Executive Scott Walker.
The budget adopted by the County Board includes $6.5 million for the repair of the O’Donnell Park parking structure along the lakefront in downtown Milwaukee.
Earlier this year a concrete panel fell off of the parking structure, killing a 15-year-old boy on his way to Summerfest. The parking structure has been closed ever since then.
Some county supervisors said the structure should be sold to a private developer instead of being repaired. Some felt the site along the downtown lakefront could be put to a higher and better use by a private developer.
The O’Donnell Park property could still be sold to a developer, but the sale and redevelopment process could take years and county board supervisors do not want to see the structure sit unused for an extended period of time, said Supervisor Lynne De Bruin.
The parking spaces at O’Donnell Park are vital for nearby businesses and attractions, she said. County officials hope to have the structure repaired and reopened by the middle of next year.
In September Walker also made a recommendation that the O’Donnell Park parking structure be repaired.
“As of right now it looks like both the county executive and the board want to repair it,” said Milwaukee County Board spokesman Harold Mester. “The board went along with the county executive’s budget, which included repairing the facility.”
The $6.5 million to repair the parking structure was previously allocated to build indoor aquatic centers at the Pulaski and Noyes pools. Those funds, budgeted last year, will be shifted to the O’Donnell Park repair project, Mester said.
The funding is subject to County Board approval of the specific repair plans, Mester said.
While the immediate priority is getting the parking structure repaired and put back to use, the long range future of the property is yet to be determined and it could still be sold to a developer, De Bruin said.