The nonprofit group Friends of the Domes on Tuesday unveiled a proposed $134 million renovation plan to ensure the future sustainability for the Mitchell Park Domes.
After years of uncertainty about the Domes’ future, Friends of the Domes executive director Christa Beall Diefenbach outlined a “Plan to Revitalize the Domes” at the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors Committee on Parks and Culture meeting on Tuesday. The plan would be implemented in two phases and would address deferred maintenance at the conservatory, build new structures and amenities on the site and implement a sustainable business plan.
FOD was founded in 1989 and manages half of the Domes’ operations, including public events and fundraising.
The revitalization plan would restore the conservatory, which has a number of maintenance issues that have long been unaddressed. Beall Diefenbach said 6,500 panes of glass across the dome structures would be replaced, as many are fractured. The plan would also repair concrete around the site. Netting was previously installed along the interior walls of the Domes after pieces of concrete started falling in 2016.
The plan also aims to address energy inefficiencies by modernizing its 1960s systems. The Domes would also be renovated to meet ADA compliance.
FOD would build a “nature learning center” for more education and event space. Beall Diefenbach said the Domes has reached its capacity for student visits, with about 5,000 children coming through each year. She said the goal would be to enter a contract with Milwaukee Public Schools so that every first- or second-grader can have a school field trip to the Domes.
Under this plan, the education center would become the expanded new home of the Domes gift shop. The fourth Dome would become a children’s garden called the “Little Sprouts Dome.” FOD would also add a café on site.
These items would provide greater opportunities for learning and keep people in the facility longer, Beall Diefenbach said. This can allow the Domes to increase admission prices, since people would be staying longer, she said.
The project includes investments in Mitchell Park. “Activating” Mitchell Park will also address safety concerns, according to Beall’s presentation.
Bringing the project to life
The first phase of the project would cost an estimated $107.4 million, while the second phase would cost $26 million. The first phase includes all repairs and renovations except for the new building and courtyard, which would be completed in the second phase.
Beall Diefenbach outlined a plan for financing the project. According to Beall Diefenbach’s presentation, the cost of the first phase would be covered by:
- $35 million from private philanthropy
- $30 million from Milwaukee County over six years
- $14.8 million from federal historic tax credits
- $11.8 million from federal and state grants
- $11.6 million from state historic tax credit
- $4.2 million from new market tax credits
In addition to the $30 million investment from the county, FOD proposed that the county continue to support the Domes’ horticultural staff, which is an estimated expense of $400,000 to $500,000 per year. The plan does not ask for any county investment for the second phase of the project.
Under this plan, the county would transfer ownership and operations of the Mitchell Park Domes to Friends of the Domes, while Mitchell Park itself would continue to be a county park property. FOD proposed this change of ownership, along with consent for the Domes to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, so that the organization can be eligible for the tax credits required to fund the project.
“(The proposal) looks to the county for less than 30% of the plan’s cost, it removes the challenge permanently from the county’s list of obligations and it is a win in terms of the county’s goal to become the healthiest county in the state,” Beall Diefenbach said.
FOD would begin construction on the Show Dome, lobby, greenhouse, Little Sprouts Dome and any “back of house” items during 2026-2027, according to Beall Diefenbach’s presentation. Construction for the Desert Dome would begin in 2028 and for the Tropical Dome in 2029. Phase two would begin in 2030.
FOD has already completed initial designs and cost estimates for this project, Beall Diefenbach said. The organization has hired fundraising counsel, as well as a government relations firm to help secure state and federal funding. FOD also started the silent phase of the capital campaign last year.
The Alexander Company, a Madison-based development firm, will help FOD as a consulting developer for the project. FOD has also partnered with We Energies and Johnson Controls “so that we can become a much more green greenhouse,” Beall Diefenbach said.
