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Mitchell Park Domes' future: All options on the table

Committee on Parks and Culture wants to explore and vet all options before deciding the best plan of action for The Domes

Mitchell Park Domes' future: All options on the table

Committee on Parks and Culture wants to explore and vet all options before deciding the best plan of action for The Domes

REPORTER: THE SAFETY ISSUES FIRST CAME TO A HEAD IN 2016 WHEN CONCRETE PIECES OF THE CEILING STARTED FALLING. A CLEAR INDICATION AND NEEDED REPAIRS. THE QUESTION REMAINS, WAS THE BEST PLAN OF ACTION MOVING FORWARD? REPORTER: TUCKED AWAY OFF LAYTON BOULEVARD A STAPLE SIGHT IN MILWAUKEE. >> THE ART, CULTURE, BOTANICALS IT IS A YEAR-ROUND GARDEN. REPORTER: THREE MASSIVE DOMES, HOUSING DESERT, TROPICAL AND EXOTIC PLANTS IN THE HEART OF THE CITY, BELOVED BY MANY, BUT ITS FUTURE HANGS IN THE BALANCE. >> I WOULD HATE TO SEE THE DOMES NO LONGER BE PART OF THE MILWAUKEE LANDSCAPE. REPORTER: IN 2019 A TASK FORCE ESTIMATED THE DOMES WOULD NEED ABOUT 66 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF REPAIRS- THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND CULTURE NOW WANTS TO EXPAND A POLICY TO ALLOW THEM TO KEEP ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE MOVING FORWARD. SPANNING FROM RENOVATION, TO DEMOLITION. >> WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE SO WE CAN GET ALL THE ACTUAL COSTS. REPORTER: TUESDAY MORNING THE COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A MOTION TO RECOMMEND ADOPTING A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD ORDER THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TO DEVELOP A PLAN AND PRICE TAG FOR ALL OPTIONS PERTAINING TO THE DOME’S FUTURE. >> ONE WAY OR ANOTHER WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD AND TIME IS REALLY BECOMING OF THE ESSENCE ON IT. WE ARE LETTING THIS THING FALL APART BY BENIGN NEGLECT AND IT’S TIME FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD. REPORTER: IN MILWAUKEE COURTNEY SISK WISN 12 NEWS. PATRICK: THE RESOLUTION WILL N
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Mitchell Park Domes' future: All options on the table

Committee on Parks and Culture wants to explore and vet all options before deciding the best plan of action for The Domes

The future of Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Domes is uncertain.The Domes' structural issues came to a head in 2016 when concrete pieces started falling from the ceiling.A net is now in place for the safety of visitors inside. The Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture wants to expand a policy to allow them to keep all options on the table when deciding the future of The Domes.On Tuesday morning the Committee voted unanimously to push forward a resolution to adopt a policy to keep options open.Now it will go in front of the entire board next week.The committee wants to ask the parks department to develop a plan and price tag for all options, ranging from renovation to demolition. "There are people in this community that think that the plan is to go straight for demolition, and I said numerous times it's not something I want to see happen," committee supervisor Steve Taylor said. "Yet, we need to have all options on the table so we can get all the actual costs. We need to know exactly what it would cost to demo because that could lead to using those dollars to preserve it or even tax credit."Committee Chair Sheldon Wasserman said it's critical to push the policy through next week to get those developed plans by the July cycle, just before the fall budget."One way or another we have to move forward, and time is really becoming of the essence on it," Wasserman said. "We are letting this thing fall apart by benign neglect and it's time for us to move forward."

The future of Milwaukee's Mitchell Park Domes is uncertain.

The Domes' structural issues came to a head in 2016 when concrete pieces started falling from the ceiling.

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A net is now in place for the safety of visitors inside.

The Milwaukee County Committee on Parks and Culture wants to expand a policy to allow them to keep all options on the table when deciding the future of The Domes.

On Tuesday morning the Committee voted unanimously to push forward a resolution to adopt a policy to keep options open.

Now it will go in front of the entire board next week.

The committee wants to ask the parks department to develop a plan and price tag for all options, ranging from renovation to demolition.

"There are people in this community that think that the plan is to go straight for demolition, and I said numerous times it's not something I want to see happen," committee supervisor Steve Taylor said. "Yet, we need to have all options on the table so we can get all the actual costs. We need to know exactly what it would cost to demo because that could lead to using those dollars to preserve it or even tax credit."

Committee Chair Sheldon Wasserman said it's critical to push the policy through next week to get those developed plans by the July cycle, just before the fall budget.

"One way or another we have to move forward, and time is really becoming of the essence on it," Wasserman said. "We are letting this thing fall apart by benign neglect and it's time for us to move forward."