The O’Donnell Park parking structure’s northern half has restrictions preserving it for parks use.
Sean Ryan
Reporter- Milwaukee Business Journal
After narrowly rejecting Northwestern Mutual’s offer to buy O’Donnell Park, Milwaukee County officials are debating whether to fix up the property or list it for sale.
The County Board in December voted 9-8 against selling the lakefront property and parking structure to Northwestern Mutual. Both sides of the debate said O’Donnell Park is underused and not well managed. Now that divided group is debating whether to try to sell it or to keep and improve the property.
Supervisor Patricia Jursik, who opposed the sale, wants to study repairs to the parking structure. while forming a task force of parks proponents to seek ways to improve its public plaza.
But other board members who supported the deal with Northwestern Mutual now want to sell the property for redevelopment through a competitive request for proposals.
“If we declare the land surplus and we don’t like the proposals we get, we don’t have to do anything,” said Supervisor Steve Taylor.
County Executive Chris Abele supports listing the land for sale, said spokesman Brendan Conway. He said ideas to improve O’Donnell with beer gardens or coffee shops will not solve the problem of the county’s long-term debt and deferred maintenance costs on the property.
“He believes it is a discussion that is worth having,” Conway said of trying to sell O’Donnell. “He certainly prefers that to the other option.”
Both approaches were debated and rejected by the County Board Parks, Energy and Environment Committee Tuesday.
Jursik’s plan, although voted down, goes to the full County Board for consideration on Feb. 5. It would hire a company to repair the leaking parking structure, and form a task force to recommend ways to enliven the public space atop O’Donnell Park.
Reporter Sean Ryan covers commercial and residential real estate for the Milwaukee Business Journal and through the Real Estate Roundup blog on the website. He also covers construction, highways and public transit.
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