Revitalization Plans Under Way for Doctors Park

Changes are coming this spring to in Fox Point.

Designs to repair the damage left behind from the flooding that occurred in July 2010 and years of wear and tear on the parking lot have been drawn up by the Milwaukee County Parks Department landscape architect Jim Ciha.

Concerns over the parks conditions arose when emergency crews had difficulty reaching a man who needed assistance in July 2011. Police and paramedics said the park's condition had started to turn it into a public safety hazard.

Guy Smith, chief of operations with county parks department, said the parking lot will be completely reconstructed.

“The trees in the islands of the existing parking lot will be preserved and incorporated in the new parking lot islands,” Smith said.

Improvements will be made to the accessibility on the east pathway that will comply with the federal American Disability Act.

“The mature trees, beautiful beach on Lake Michigan, sports fields and picnic areas make Doctors Park a true gem along Milwaukee's North Shore,” said Kim Caviggiola, one of the founders of the Doctors Park Friends group which formed in October. Caviggiola said the group has had the opportunity to look at the plans.

“While there are some minor concerns about the reduction in parking capacity, the Doctors Park Friends group is thrilled to see the Milwaukee County Parks Department making this investment to resurface the parking lot and do some landscape improvements to the tree islands in the lot,” Caviggiola said.

According to Smith, approximately 110 parking spots are planned in the improvement drawings.

Smith adds the parking lot project also includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency repairs for damage at the park.

Those repairs include:

• Removing a large downed tree;
• Restoring the eroded path by the beach;
• Reinforcing the channel leading to the lake in several locations;
• Repairing and reinforcing the abutments of a pedestrian bridge near the beach;
• Reinforcing an asphalt path; and
• Replacing a couple small sections of concrete curbing.

In July, Smith said the county will spend $480,000 for the parking lot improvements. There's no word on what the costs of the FEMA repairs will be. The plans were a bid and the project was recently awarded to Stark Asphalt.

For Caviggiola, her involvement in helping to keep Doctors Park enjoyable for others has special meaning for her. Her husband, John, grew up in Brown Deer and took her to Doctors Park when they first started to date. Now, as residents of Fox Point, she said it's important to help spruce up the public resource.

“I wanted to get involved with helping keep Doctors Park the true gem that it is and keep Dr. Schneider's vision of the land for all citizens and wildlife to enjoy, now and in the years to come,” She said.

According to the Doctors Park group, the approximately 49-acre park was established in 1928 after Dr. Joseph Schneider left the land as a gift to  Milwaukee in his will.

The Doctors Park Friends group is anticipating additional improvements to the park in the years to come. The group's next meeting is Feb. 16 at the . Community residents and business owners are welcomed to attend.