MILWAUKEE — A new public gathering space is now open along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk, connecting several of downtown’s busiest entertainment districts while honoring one of the developers credited with helping shape the city’s riverfront.
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City leaders on Monday celebrated the grand opening of the Gary P. Grunau Memorial Plaza near Highland Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive after nearly a year of construction.
The plaza, named after late Milwaukee developer Gary P. Grunau, sits next to the Highland Avenue pedestrian bridge and is designed to create a stronger east-west connection between the Deer District, Water Street and N. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson said the project strengthens downtown connectivity while building on Milwaukee’s Riverwalk network.
“This plaza creates a welcoming new connection along the Milwaukee River between both the east and west sides of downtown,” Johnson said during Monday’s ribbon cutting. “It strengthens our incredible Riverwalk, improves the pedestrian experience, and gives people another reason to spend time along one of the most beautiful assets we have in the city of Milwaukee.”
Grunau played a major role in Milwaukee riverfront development and was involved in projects including Discovery World, the Hyatt Regency, the convention center and the Harbor District.
“If we can have a Juneau Park, a Kilbourn Avenue, and a Walker’s Point… then we can certainly have a Grunau Plaza,” said Bruce Block with Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.
The city approved up to $5 million for the project through tax incremental financing, including improvements to the pedestrian bridge connected to the plaza.
For downtown residents like Nicole Santos, the new space offers another way to enjoy Milwaukee’s riverfront.
“I’m going to have to drag my kids over here,” Santos said. “We got a new little park in downtown. This is great.”
Santos said she hopes the plaza eventually becomes more than just a walkway.
“Some nice little food trucks… maybe a café with some coffee would be fantastic down here,” she said. “Just to be able to take a minute to breathe and mingle with the other people here in downtown.”
City leaders say the project is part of Milwaukee’s broader effort to continue expanding and improving the Riverwalk system, which has helped drive billions of dollars in development along the Milwaukee River over the past three decades.
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