Menomonee Valley Brownfields
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PUB-RR-802 January, 2009 Welcome to the Menomonee River Wisconsin Department of Natural Valley. Four miles long and one half Resources (DNR) Remediation & mile wide, the Menomonee Valley has Redevelopment (RR) Program Menomonee a rich history of native and European works with communities like settlement, community and industrial Milwaukee to help investigate, clean We abuse land because growth, economic hardship and up and eventually redevelop these “ eventual rejuvenation. For a glimpse former underutilized properties. we regard it as a commodity Valley of this rich history, take a Valley tour Milwaukee’s Menomonee River belonging to us. When we see of former brownfield properties along Valley was a prime example of a big the Hank Aaron State Trail! brownfield in need of some serious land as a community to which cleanup. Originally a shallow marsh, we belong, we may begin to use Brownfields Brownfield Backdrop the Menomonee River Valley was WDNR Southeast it with love and respect. Brownfields are abandoned or filled over time with a variety of ” Region Office underused properties with real or materials and adapted for industrial --- Aldo Leopold 2300 N. MLKing Jr. Dr. perceived contamination that can use. Throughout its history, the Milwaukee, WI 53212 Walking Tour hinder cleanup and redevelopment. 1500-acre Valley offered opportunities 414-263-8500 With more than 10,000 brownfields for a growing workforce. Shipping, dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/rr located throughout the state, the leather tanning, meat packing Wisconsin Ave. 43 photos courtesy of WDNR and Menomonee Valley Partners design by Lisa Schroeder Take a hike through N Clybourn 27th St. 794 41 94 Milwaukee’s revitalized St. Paul Ave. Menomonee River Menomonee River Valley to Oak Leaf Trail to Lakeshore State Park 3 4 5 6th Street 7 Canal St. Canal St. 2 6 Site 1: Miller Park 16th St. Wisconsin DNR’s Remediation 35th St. Site 2: Menomonee Valley Industrial Center Miller Site 3: Stormwater Retention Basin & Redevelopment Program Park 2 2 Site 4: MU Valley Soccer Fields 94 2 Site 5: The SIGMA Group Corporate Offices is a unique environmental 41 27th St. Site 6: Former Milwaukee Stockyards Site 7: Harley-Davidson Museum Complex = Hank Aaron State Trail cleanup program, designed 1 to assist in the investigation, and machine tooling became the public and private entities. Due to backbone of Milwaukee’s economy. itsNational central A location,ve. open land and cleanup and redevelopment At one time more than 50,000 people proximity to downtown, the Valley worked in the Valley. However, years offers tremendous redevelopment of contaminated properties. of industrial practices contributed to potential as well as providing urban the impairment of the Valley’s natural recreational opportunities through resources, and throughout the latter improved river access and the part of the 20th Century the idea of addition of the Hank Aaron State Trail. a contaminated Valley also blocked The purpose of the walking tour any real cleanup or redevelopment and brochure is to highlight the opportunities. many successes that have enhanced Today, the Menomonee River the redevelopment of Milwaukee’s Valley has become a natural resource Menomonee River Valley, which and economic gem once again, promises to be the center of urban thanks to the efforts of the City of revitalization for years to come. Milwaukee, local businesses, state agencies like the DNR and other This document contains information about certain state statutes and administrative rules but does not The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources provides equal opportunity in its employment, programs, necessarily include all of the details found in the statutes and rules. Readers should consult the actual language of services, and functions under an Affirmative Action Plan. If you have any questions, please write to Equal the statutes and rules to answer specific questions. Opportunity Office, Department of Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240. This publication is available in alternative format upon request. Please call 608-267-3542 for more information. site•1 site•2 site•3 Miller Park Menomonee Valley Industrial Center Stormwater Retention Basin Anchoring the west end of If you stood on this spot 100 years ago, you might have felt the rumble the Menomonee River Valley, of the mighty locomotives that crisscrossed the Valley during its industrial The vegetated basin you Miller Park with its retractable heyday. Since the bankruptcy of the Milwaukee Road in the 1980s, the see before you is the 25th roof is home to the Milwaukee former locomotive and railcar manufacturing and repair facility remained and Canal bioretention facility. Brewers Baseball Club. The vacant and idle for many years. At 140 acres, the old Milwaukee Road Bioretention is the use of 1.2 million square-foot, 43,000- site was the largest undeveloped single parcel in the Menomonee Valley. plants to remove pollutants from seat giant sits on 265-acres that In 2003, the city acquired the blighted property. In addition to its own stormwater runoff. This facility treats previously served as landfill. To deal with contributions, the city received state and federal grants to help with the stormwater from over 70 acres along any residual methane issues, city officials worked with the DNR to have cleanup and redevelopment, including a DNR Green Space and Public West Canal Street, between North 16th Street and North 25th Street. landfill materials removed and special barriers and a venting system Facilities Grant to help develop the innovative storm water park you see The site was a former City of Milwaukee public works yard. installed. Looking north you will see the stadium’s east parking areas, to the east. which are built on the former CMC railroad property. site•4 site•5 site•6 site•7 MU Valley Fields The SIGMA Group Former Milwaukee Harley-Davidson Corporate Offices Stockyards Museum Complex Built in the late 1980’s, Marquette University’s Valley Standing in front of the It’s hard to imagine live cows Can you hear the roar?! The Fields facility was one of Sigma Group’s corporate in the Valley as recently as Harley-Davidson Museum the first redevelopments to office complex, you might 2006. The 13-acre site of the Complex is an architectural occur in the Menomonee Valley. not realize you’re looking former Milwaukee Stockyards masterpiece located at the Formerly the site of a coal yard, at a “green” building, or that has been redeveloped and today eastern tip of the Valley along the Valley Fields now includes soccer this used to be home to a vacant is the current home to Proven Direct, Menomonee River as it flows toward fields, a practice facility, an eight-lane brownfield property. The Sigma Group, an a marketing and fulfillment company. Lake Michigan. The complex actually sits 400-meter running track, and an area for field events such as the long engineering and environmental consulting firm, had to address several Cleanup included the removal of underground petroleum storage tanks. on four parcels formerly owned by the city and the Morton Salt Company. jump, high jump, triple jump, pole vault, shot put, discus and javelin. If challenging conditions while planning and designing their new home, Additional redevelopment includes construction of a 144,000-square- Contamination included chloride from salt piles and petroleum from the there is a soccer game in play during your visit, be sure to cheer loudly including management of contaminated soils. Completed in November foot multi-tenant industrial building that could bring more than 100 new use as a city public works site. The Museum complex will attract many for the Golden Eagles! 2004, the building and surrounding property incorporate several Earth- jobs to the Valley. visitors to the Valley. friendly aspects..