Three Bridges Park & Hank Aaron State Trail Natural Area Project

This 24-acre, urban revitalization project that transformed a former vacant rail yard into a natural area, stabilizing the riverbank, managing site stormwater, improving water quality, creating native habitat, and providing fishing and canoeing access to the Menomonee River. Overall, the project provides a nearly 3-mile long extension of the Hank Aaron Trail and pedestrian bridges to connect the new trail with the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory and completed trail segments on the north side of the Menomonee River. New opportunities for recreational space include the Urban Ecology Center, community gardens, public art, and nature-based activities for the surrounding neighborhoods.

Marek Landscaping and a fluvial geomorphologist provided designs for more than 4,000 feet of riverbank restoration, including fabric encapsulated soil lifts at the riverbank. Our work also included:

• developing concepts and designing the vegetation restoration and landscape architecture plans for the entire 24 acre park and within the 100-year floodplain,
• developing and revising detailed enhancement zone plantings & rivercut plan sheets & details,
• refining the stormwater swale to include emergent aquatic habitat, ephemeral ponds, and water quality improvement measures,
• developing space saving concept of hydromulch for the asbestos containing material daily cover requirements,
• revising and authoring 18 special provisions, and
• assisted in developing construction/restoration phasing, and construction budgeting.

The project has received numerous awards, including:

• The Daily Reporter Top Project of 2013
• ACEC Engineering Excellence Award, 2014
• ACEC WI Best of State Engineering Award, 2014
• Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI) – Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award Winner, 2014
• City of Milwaukee Mayor’s Design Award, 2014
• Public Policy Forum, Public Private Cooperation Award, 2014
• Wisconsin Women Transportation Seminar, Project of the Year, 2013