Just in time for its annual Homecoming celebration in July, Harley-Davidson has officially completed a $20 million project to convert one of the parking lots at its Milwaukee corporate headquarters campus into a new community gathering place called Davidson Park.
Located on the southeast part of the Harley headquarters campus at 3700 W. Juneau Ave. on Milwaukee’s west side, plans for the public park were first unveiled last January.
The project, spearheaded by the Harley-Davidson Foundation, has been created in partnership with London-based architecture firm Heatherwick Studio. The firm created an original design to transform the four-acre parking lot into a green space. As part of the project team, HGA served as the architect and engineer of record and Greenfire Management Services as the construction partner, with both Milwaukee-based firms partnering with Heatherwick Studio.
“This park is about emotion and that was in our hearts when we were trying to think about how we could create a place that’s romantic, or a place where you can just think something through,” said Thomas Heatherwick, founder and design director at Heatherwick Studio.
It was pivotal to make the space accessible to both pedestrians and motorcycles, while recognizing the park as a hub for the iconic brand, Heatherwick explained.
There are 24 dedicated park spots surrounding the central hub where Harley riders will be able to gather. Each space has a unique design created by students at Story Elementary School.
“Maybe, once a month, the park could have a bike life, hence this bowl, which is super 3D,” said Heatherwick. “There’s a theater to having all these layers like this.”
In 2021, the Harley-Davidson Foundation sponsored an Appreciative Inquiry Summit in partnership with Near West Side Partners. The summit brought together more than 200 Near West Side stakeholders, including residents, youth, and local businesses, to discuss their hopes for the neighborhood. Among the key community needs identified was a safe green space.
Davidson Park includes several community features: The Hub and Foundation Stone, Main Street, Union Plaza, North and South lawns, “Little Legends Playground,” viewing hills, Potawatomi Serenity Garden, and 1903 Tavern.
The Hub includes a sunken multi-use events space and an amphitheater with tiered seating. In one direction, The Hub provides views of the brick buildings at the Harley-Davidson headquarters. In the other direction, visitors will see a park sown with 120 native plant species.
The Foundation Stone, made of cast iron, is located at the center of The Hub and is 4 feet in diameter. MIAD student Megan Huss designed the artwork featured on the Foundation Stone.
Main Street is the main pedestrian thoroughfare, where farmer’s markets, craft fairs and food trucks will be stationed. The main pedestrian entrance to the park is Union Plaza, located off West Highland Boulevard. The plaza features a 10-foot-tall steel sculpture of the Harley-Davidson logo.
The 1903 Tavern provides a place for visitors to enjoy canned beverages like beer and seltzers while the Potawatomi Serenity Garden provides a calming green space constructed in partnership with Forest County Potawatomi leaders.
A grandfather stone is located at the center of four quadrants of medicine plants that mark the cardinal directions of the wheel. These plants include tobacco to the east, cedar to the south, sage to the west, and sweetgrass to the north.
“A lot has changed in 120 years but there’s one thing that won’t change ever. It’s that Juneau Avenue is our home,” said Jochen Zeitz, chief executive officer of Harley-Davidson. “Over the last four years, we’ve been thinking about how we can improve our home, not only for employees, but for the community.”
