The Milwaukee County Board unanimously approved funding Thursday for the third and final stage of a study to discover future options for the Mitchell Park Domes.

The third stage of the feasibility study will focus on estimating space needs and costs, programming costs and personnel requirements, according to The Milwaukee County Task Force on the Mitchell Park Conservatory Domes, or the Domes Task Force. This study would also focus on providing cost estimates for capital improvements for the Domes—some of which include the possibility of a restaurant, aquarium, live animals or even a canopy walk.

The third phase of the study would also consider future partners of the Domes—which could include the Milwaukee Public Museum, Boerner Botanical Gardens, the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Medical Center, the University of Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital—to name a few. Domes Task Force chairman William Lynch said he was encouraged by the show of support for the work of the task force, as all 18 of the County Board Supervisors approved the funding. “It’s important to move this along so that any implementation can be considered by the County,” he said.

The funds approved totaled $120,000—which will be transferred to the task force so they can hire a consultant. The task force will now focus on putting out an RFP for consultants to complete the work so the task force can provide a recommendation to the County Board regarding next steps. There will be a minimum of three task force meetings and one Parks Committee meeting regarding the work of the study during the whole process of the third stage.

The 11-member Domes Task Force, which was created by the County Board in 2016, approved a three-phase feasibility study, beginning in August 2017. The study included gathering information and acquiring public feedback. Out of the first two phases, two main options for the Domes were conceived—the two options that consultants will be researching.

According to Lynch, the consultants should be hired within approximately six weeks. They will then finish the work this summer—meaning the task force could be able to present its final recommendations to the board by September. Lynch said it’s important that they finish before the 2020 Milwaukee County budget is being considered.

The delay for the approval of the funds was concerning to some County Board supervisors, as the task force was waiting for a study to be done on the infrastructure of the Domes themselves. “This has taken far too long. And I recognize many task force members are frustrated as well,” said Milwaukee County Board Chairman Theodore Lipscomb Sr., who suspended the rules in order to approve the transfer of funds.

Friends of the Shepherd Help support Milwaukee's locally owned free weekly newspaper. LEARN MORE

“There is a sense of urgency that this task force needs to continue their work,” said Supervisor Sylvia Ortiz-Velez.

Supervisor Jason Haas, chairman of the Parks, Energy and Environment Committee and also a member of the task force, also expressed concern over the future of the Domes. “There’s been a lot of stalling frankly… we need this work done,” said Haas, regarding another part of the study that will move along a glazing and concrete study on the domes themselves.

Phase three will also include an analysis of how much the consultants believe can be raised by grants and donations for the improvements to the Domes. Approximately $25 million will be needed to address deferred maintenance of the Domes, according to the task force. Consultants also estimate that both of the two options being considered for the Domes will total more than $20 million.

Supervisor John Weishan Jr. expressed the desire for the Domes to stay in the hands of the County at the meeting as well. “It’s a Milwaukee County asset,” he said. “It’s run by employees of Milwaukee County. And that’s the way it should stay.”