Menomonee Valley Passage & Hank Aaron State Trail

The open space, urban revitalization project east of downtown Milwaukee served to restore the historic connection of the surrounding neighborhoods to the Menomonee Valley, provide a trail head for the Hank Aaron State Trail, and provide access to recreation amenities and natural resources along the Menomonee River. The project involved a pedestrian underpass below the Canadian Pacific Railroad tracks, a new pedestrian bridge over the Menomonee River, and a 2,000-foot long bicycle trail between the river and the railroad tracks. As a subconsultant, Marek Landscaping completed the riverbank vegetation inventory, cataloged and photographed the most valuable plants based on species, size, location, and overall condition, provided recommendations for tree protection and removals related to site grading, engineering, and landscape layout, identified opportunities to use regionally available and recycled materials in the project, assisted with identifying low-impact construction techniques, sited green stormwater infrastructure, assisted in developing stormwater management solutions, and prepared plans and specifications to WisDOT standards. Marek helped integrate the public in the design process through the use of Community Advisory Committee meetings and public informational meetings and provided renderings for meeting exhibits. This project was awarded the City of Milwaukee Mayor Design Award, the ACEC-WI State Finalist Award, and a Milwaukee Award for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI). Learn more at Menomonee Valley Partners.