116th Street Park Master Plan

The City of Wauwatosa recognized the need for a public park in an area that was currently lacking this type of community amenity. In order to achieve this, the City aimed to repurpose the public works property located at the northeast corner of 116th St and Walnut Road. Eriksson Engineering Associates, Ltd. (EEA) was brought on as the civil engineering sub-consultant for a master planning project to help the City realize their goal of creating a recreation space for Wauwatosa residents to enjoy for years to come.

As part of the design process, EEA conducted a thorough site assessment to evaluate master grading, stormwater requirements, and land use allotment. Through careful planning, wetlands and mature tree groves were also preserved and enhanced in the master plan. The park design was developed with existing grading conditions in mind, and the project team utilized soil from the reconstruction of a nearby highway that had been sold to the City.

The final master plan design incorporated a sled hill, BMX dirt course, solar farm, nature play playground, and picnic shelter. In addition to the public park, the plan also provided required space for existing municipal uses, including firefighter training, public waste and recycling collection, composting, and mulching, a far cry from the landfill for which this property was originally intended.