Preservation group dubs Mitchell Park Domes a National Treasure
Add "National Treasure" to the list of names people can call the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory. Milwaukee's beloved Domes were named a National Treasure Wednesday by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The trust is a nonprofit that aims to save America's historic places. More than 80 sites are in its National Treasure program portfolio.
The Domes, comprising three beehive-shaped glass enclosures that house thousands of plant species, are in need of repair and restoration after decades of wear and tear. The National Treasure designation doesn't offer funds or protections, but the trust works with local and national partners to develop strategy and preservation solutions.
"We're shining a spotlight on the properties," said Jennifer Sandy, the trust's project manager for the Domes. The trust previously named the Domes to its 2016 list of America's 11 most endangered historic places.
RELATED: Mitchell Park Domes named one of America's most endangered places
The trust also released a new engineering report that recommends an $18.6 million option for repairs, prioritizing those that reduce water leakage into the domes. The Domes were closed for repairs in 2016 and reopened in October.
“Based on our observations and experience with similar structures, it is our opinion that the Domes can be preserved and restored,” the engineering report states. “The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory Domes are unique, architecturally significant structures that have performed well during their first fifty-eight years of service and can be preserved. The condition of the precast concrete framing and glass cladding are repairable, and replacement of these systems is not necessary at this time.”
The approach presented in the report, prepared by engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, identifies a rehabilitation option that would cost $18.6 million. It builds on studies and estimates made by GRAEF, which has provided architectural and engineering consulting on the Domes to Milwaukee County since 1993. WJE's rehabilitation option adapts the lowest-cost option of five possible options suggested by GRAEF. Other repair scenarios suggest that refurbishing the landmark could cost between $65 million and $75 million.
Milwaukee County is debating options for the future of the Domes ranging from demolition to full restoration. The new engineering report will be presented to the county's task force on the Domes at a meeting Wednesday night. No action is scheduled at the meeting. A request for proposalsof a future path and feasibility study for the Domes went out in February, with consultant proposals due March 20. The plan was to issue a contract in May for a report that would be due to Milwaukee County in spring 2018.
RELATED: Domes Task Force weighs options, costs
“Anyone who has visited the Milwaukee Domes can appreciate what a stunning and absolutely one-of-a-kind place they are,” Stephanie Meeks, president and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said in the release. “From our work at other icons of modern architecture, like Houston’s Astrodome or Philip Johnson’s Glass House, we also know that inspiring, innovative architecture often requires equally creative solutions. Rather than risk losing this iconic piece of Milwaukee’s heritage, we need a thoughtful, long-term preservation solution for the challenges facing the Domes.”
Dawn McCarthy, former president of the Milwaukee Preservation Alliance, hopes National Treasure status and the new report help move forward the conversation about preserving the Domes. McCarthy is also a member of the county's task force on the Domes.
"(The Domes) have been an iconic symbol of Milwaukee for my entire adult life," she said. "They were the symbol of Milwaukee until the Calatrava became the symbol of Milwaukee. I think that’s so much a part of who we have been. The architecture is fascinating. It’s unique."
The Milwaukee Preservation Alliance worked with the trust on rehabbing the Milwaukee Soldiers Home after it was named to the "11 Most Endangered" list in 2011. Five years after the designation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs selected a proposal to rehab and restore six of the buildings through a public-private partnership.
