Milwaukee, WI
Harley-Davidson Unveils Davidson Park, a New Community Park at Iconic Milwaukee Headquarters
Press Release | June 24, 2024
Harley-Davidson today formally unveiled the newly created community park, Davidson Park, at its iconic Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, WI (June 24, 2024) – Harley-Davidson today formally unveiled the newly created community park, Davidson Park, at its iconic Juneau Avenue campus in Milwaukee.
The project, pioneered by the Harley-Davidson Foundation (“the Foundation”), has been created in partnership with internationally acclaimed designers, Heatherwick Studio who conceived and oversaw an original design to transform the 4-acre parking lot just south of the Company’s 3700 W. Juneau Avenue building into a soulful green space that can be used by everyone who lives in and visits Milwaukee’s Near West Side (“NWS”). As part of the project team, HGA served as the architect and engineer of record and Greenfire Management Services as the construction partner, with both Milwaukee-based firms partnering with Heatherwick Studio to bring the design vision to life.
“When we started this project, we did so with one main goal, and that was to further connect the Company with our hometown Milwaukee, a place that we’ve been proud to call home for over 120 years,” said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman, President and CEO, Harley-Davidson. “No matter how fast you move forward, you can never forget where you’ve come from – this project both celebrates our heritage and reinforces the power of the Harley-Davidson brand to be a force for good within our communities.”
“Davidson Park has been an extraordinary collaboration between the studio and local partners, schools, artists and the Forest County Potawatomi community, to transform an uninspiring concrete parking lot into a new public park and events amphitheatre for Milwaukee. Created for the local community, with the community’s collaboration and help, it’s a place where people can come together with friends and family to enjoy some of the wildness of Wisconsin’s incredible nature, listen to the state’s best music, or experience the energy of a motorcycle rally. Harley-Davidson has been part of Near West Side’s history for over 120 years and the park is a natural next chapter in their joint story. As the plants grow and mature, the intention is that the space increasingly honours both the heritage of Harley-Davidson and gives the residents something to not just enjoy, but to feel proud of,” said Thomas Heatherwick, Founder and Director, Heatherwick Studios.
“On behalf of the Harley-Davidson Foundation, we are really excited to formally unveil Davidson Park – we believe that the Park will provide a much-needed greenspace in our local community – but importantly a space that can be shared by all,” said Tori Termaat, President, The Harley-Davidson Foundation.
History and Concept
In 2021, the Foundation sponsored an Appreciative Inquiry Summit in partnership with Near West Side Partners, a non-profit founded to make the NWS a great place to live, work, play and stay by revitalizing and sustaining thriving business and residential corridors.
The Summit brought together over 200 NWS stakeholders, including residents, youth, and local businesses, to realize their hopes and dreams for the neighborhood. Among the key community needs identified was a safe green space that supports health, well-being, art and culture, and a place for youth to play. Input from the stakeholders served as the basis for Heatherwick Studio’s unique community park design.
From the start, the ambition for Davidson Park has been to create an inclusive place that everyone who lives or visits NWS can call their own – whether they use the park as a space to relax, to enjoy the local art and culture scene or attend an event.
“Davidson Park is a testament to the power of collaboration and listening,” says Peter Balistrieri, Principal and National Corporate Market Sector Leader at HGA. “Voices from all over the Near West Side—from Potawatomi leaders to local students and community groups—played a crucial role throughout the process. This is truly a park for the community, by the community.”
Davidson Park Features
The Hub and Foundation Stone
Celebrating togetherness and paying homage to history and community, at the heart of Davidson Park is “The Hub”, a sunken multi-use events space, an amphitheatre approximately 272 feet wide with tiered seating, set among lush plants and trees. The design promotes coming together with its circular layout defined by a combination of motorcycle driveways and turning circles, parking bays, sidewalks, plants, seats, and 360-degree viewpoints.
In one direction, “The Hub” will provide views of the brick buildings of the original home of Harley-Davidson. In the other, visitors will see a park sown with 120 native plant species, including 20 species of trees and 100 species of perennials, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi tribe, who have helped provide guidance throughout the process.
The Hub has been built with ten types of locally sourced brick, natural wany-edge timber, and weathered steel with a beautiful warm patina. In addition to tripling the green space such as lawns and plantings, the park integrates a dynamic system of green infrastructure, including native bioswales, permeable pavers and cisterns to capture hundreds of thousands of gallons of stormwater – a significant contribution to regional infrastructure and the environment. With a commitment to sustainability, the park’s design will be one of the first SITES—a rating system for sustainable land design and development—certified projects in Wisconsin.
The Foundation Stone is located at the center of the Hub (the event and gatherings amphitheater, recessed into the ground) and is four feet in diameter made from cast iron. The Foundation Stone has been designed by local artist, and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design student, Megan Huss, and celebrates the Near West Side and the creation of this new community park in Milwaukee.
“I am incredibly honored to be a part of the history of Harley-Davidson and I am able to showcase the sense of community in the Near West Side neighborhood through my work,” said Huss.
Main Street
Main Street is the main pedestrian thoroughfare through the Park, envisioned for use for events such as farmers’ markets, craft fairs & food trucks. The street also connects all major areas of the park including the Hub, playground, community lawn, picnic knoll, serenity garden, and viewing lawns, surrounded by native plants, including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees. People can walk across or around Main Street to access the Hub, making it a lively place for social interaction. At night, the street will have a festive ambiance with catenary lights above that change colors.
Union Plaza
The main pedestrian entrance to the park is Union Plaza, located off West Highland Boulevard. At approximately 11,000 square feet, the plaza leads to Main Street and the Hub and will be a destination in itself, with flexible space for temporary markets, food trucks, and events. Union Plaza will be made from concrete with varying textures. It is home to a 10-foot tall, weathered steel sculpture inspired by Harley Davidson’s iconic bar and shield.
North and South Lawn
Located off Main Street to the northeast is the community North Lawn. The Lawn is approximately 7,600 square feet in size and is surrounded by planting, which will provide shade and a beautiful setting for relaxation, play & community events.
The South Lawn picnic knoll is adjacent and east of Main Street and north of the Union Plaza. It is a place for people to gather on picnic benches, whether this be family lunch, dog walkers having a chat, or school children taking part in learning activities. The picnic knoll is approximately 5,750 square feet in size and is a wonderful place to be while surrounded by greenery.
Little Legends Playground
Located in the south portion of the park off Main Street, Legends Play Area was designed in collaboration with the NWS community to realize the vision of a nature play area. Elements include wooden log climbers, steppingstones, and hillside climbing. Little Legends Playground is 6,000 square feet of accessible elements for kids ages 1 to 12.
Viewing Hills
Three hillside Viewing Hills are adjacent to the southwest portion of the Hub. Each hill is approximately 2,300 square feet and provides views overlooking the Hub during special events such as movie nights, theatre events, or music performance events. The Hills also provide a place to relax surrounded by native plants, some of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi., including one hundred species of perennials and twenty species of trees.
1903 Tavern
In partnership with Molson Coors, 1903 Tavern brings together two iconic Near West Side anchor institutions to offer Davidson Park visitors a relaxed open-air environment to socialize while enjoying a cold beverage. 1903 Tavern will serve an assortment of canned beverages including beer, malt, seltzers and non-alcoholic beverages. A portion of the revenue from 1903 Tavern goes back into amplifying Davidson Park’s ambition.
Potawatomi Serenity Garden
The Serenity Garden is a result of a close collaboration between the Forest County Potawatomi leaders and the Harley-Davidson Foundation. The garden reflects the geometry of the medicine wheel, a symbol of significance for many Native American tribes including the Potawatomi. A grandfather stone is located at the center of four quadrants of medicine plants that mark the cardinal directions of the wheel. These plants include tobacco to the east, cedar to the south, sage to the west, and sweetgrass to the north. All are invited to use this garden as a place for contemplation, reflection, and meditation.
An accessible and inclusive space, Davidson Park will be open and welcoming for all (residents, community members, and visitors) to enjoy, gather, and connect. We will continue to seek ongoing stakeholder feedback – incorporating and encouraging community and visitor voices to inform future enhancements and changing interests.
Future Campus Development
Today’s opening marks the first phase of development at Juneau Avenue. The Company’s vision for the campus is to focus on multi-purpose development, ensuring that developments continue to celebrate Harley-Davidson and its history, while recognizing the need to evolve the space to be relevant not only for today, but for the future. And as the Company continues to explore opportunities for the wider campus, we remain committed to our mission and vision.
As part of the next phase of development, two exciting additions are coming to Juneau Ave – a STEAM Lab and the Harley-Davidson Factory Racing Headquarters.
Harley-Davidson recognizes the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) in education and the importance of helping build the next generation of skilled workers. The STEAM lab will enable H-D to further partner with local organizations and schools to provide students direct access to resources, receive mentoring from our talented employees, experience hands-on learning, and encourage career exploration in STEAM fields.
Racing has been part of H-D history for over 100 years and is a compelling way to bring its brand narrative to life for customers and fans. The H-D Factory Racing Team will move back to where it all began, giving visitors to the historic H-D headquarters an exciting and engaging behind-the-scenes look and enhancing customer-facing experiences in alignment with the Company’s campus strategy.
To learn more about Davidson Park, including upcoming events, visit h-d.com/davidsonpark.
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Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Catholic Home reborn as part of new management company, Trinity Senior Services
Since 1913, the Milwaukee Catholic Home has provided care for older adults. Still thriving, the retirement community is now part of a new management company known as Trinity Senior Services.
Trinity Senior Services oversees:
- Milwaukee Catholic Home, which provides a continuum of services, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, skilled nursing and rehabilitation;
- Trinity Woods, which provides care to older adults and retired School Sisters of Notre Dame;
- Clare Gardens, a sustainable farm operated in partnership with Catholic Ecology Center, which provides produce for Milwaukee Catholic Home, Trinity Woods and other senior living communities;
- Our Lady of the Angels Covenant, a 48-unit religious community in Greenfield, WI;
- Queen of Peace Friary; a Burlington, WI, senior housing community that is home to the retired Franciscan Friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe; and
- Trinity Senior Services Care Partner Program, which provides home- and community-based services.
Both Milwaukee Catholic Home and Trinity Woods have on-site day care that collectively serves 170 children.
“The launch of Trinity Senior Services is the continuation of an amazing history that reaches back more than a century in Milwaukee,” Trinity Senior Services CEO Dave Fulcher stated in a press release. “The community of care we’ve nurtured for generations continues only to grow and our team is inspired by the opportunities ahead.”
The Trinity Senior Services network is best known for the Milwaukee Catholic Home and Trinity Woods, according to the company, which added that “the Trinity Senior Services network is unlike any nationwide.”
“Its intergenerational impact reaches from the more than 800 older adults at one of its four senior communities to its 500-plus employees to the nearly 200 children attending day care located at its communities,” according to the company. “All services are now united under one management company and brand.”
Trinity Senior Services also offers a holistic program, A Life Engaged, that includes social, physical, nutritional, spiritual and cognitive components.
“Our philosophy, Life Engaged, means that we serve seniors by empowering them to live a full life,” Fulcher said. “We believe a full life happens in community, where a sense of purpose and belonging to something bigger than self gives meaning and creates opportunities for health, wellness, learning, joy and hope.
According to Trinity Senior Services, America’s aging population makes this the perfect time to establish the new organization, as more than 70 million baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, will be aged 65 or more years by 2030.
“We’re growing this community with intention so everyone involved feels a sense of purpose and feels they are a part of something larger than themselves,” Fulcher said. “Whether they’re a resident, a loved one, a team member or anybody else impacted by our services, we are here to help them to lead meaningful lives.”
MILWAUKEE — There is a new vendor at Summerfest that is quickly growing to be a huge brand not just in Milwaukee but across the country.
Unfinished Legacy is a Milwaukee fashion brand that has collaborated with Muhammad Ali’s estate, the Milverine, and the Milwaukee Bucks. The company is four years old, and opened its flagship location in the Third Ward in 2023.
This year at the Big Gig you can find the brand at the Shop Local Market between the Generac and Miller Lite stages. They also collaborated with Summerfest to create a special shirt for the festival.
The brand is quickly growing. Walk around Milwaukee and it’s not surprising to see people wearing a shirt that says Unfinished Legacy or features the brand’s iconic butterfly.
Unfinished Legacy is a rising fashion brand that is putting Milwaukee on the map. The brand’s success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and belief in their hometown. For that, they’ve been rewarded with collaboration opportunities with global brands. But this is just the beginning of their Unfinished Legacy.
Watch the video above to learn more about the brand and what it means to be at Summerfest.
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Lawsuit against Milwaukee Tool says the company had gloves made in a Chinese prison factory using forced labor, under brutal conditions which included torture and beatings.
Milwaukee Tool has been sued for allegedly having work gloves made by forced labor in a Chinese prison factory under deplorable conditions which included beatings and torture.
The lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Milwaukee claims the Brookfield-based company knew, or should have known, the gloves were made with forced labor, a violation of the U.S. Trafficking Victim Protection Act.
The plaintiff is only identified under the pseudonym Xu Lun, who in July 2021 was convicted of “subversion of state power,” a charge commonly used by the Chinese government to target activists and human rights campaigners. His real name was withheld from the lawsuit out of fears for his safety, according to the law firm Farra & Wang, of Washington, D.C., which brought the action.
For five months in 2022, Xu Lun was subject to forced labor in the prison factory which allegedly made work gloves bearing the “Milwaukee Tool” logo, according to the suit.
Xu Lun was assigned to sorting fabric, thread cutting, gluing, ironing and quality control, the suit noted. The workdays were up to 13 hours. Prisoners were only allowed a 10-minute break in the morning, a 25-minute break for lunch, and a 10-minute break in the afternoon. They were only permitted up to three days off per month.
“The factories had no air conditioning or heating, and the prisoners were subjected to severe weather conditions,” the suit claims. “The summer months were particularly brutal, with extreme heat and humidity, and poor ventilation. Many prisoners developed eczema and other skin ailments in the hot and humid factories.”
The factories were also laden with fabric dust so severe that prisoners were required to wash it off before they were allowed to take showers. The constant exposure to dust caused respiratory health issues for many of the prisoners, according to the suit.
The facilities were cramped, making it difficult for the prisoners to work comfortably or safely. Some developed health issues such hemorrhoids and prostatitis from long periods of sitting without breaks.
There were workplace injuries caused by the machinery, including fingers punctured by the embroidering machinery, the lawsuit claims.
Lawsuit: workers threatened, punished for not working hard enough
Xu Lun alleged he regularly witnessed fellow inmates being threatened and punished when they refused to work, didn’t work hard enough, or did not meet production quotas.
“Punishment included being forced to stand or squat for long periods of time, being banned from visitation with family, being banned from buying goods with their money, and being forbidden to use the bathroom,” the suit notes.
“More severe punishment included being sent to the high-security section of the prison, being placed in solitary confinement, being forced to walk while squatting, and being woken up every hour with a roll call. The most severe punishment included beatings and electric shocks with electric rods,” according to the suit. “The experience of being exploited and forced into grueling work was humiliating and dehumanizing,” it said.
The Milwaukee Tool products made in the prison were the “Demolition” gloves and “Winter Demolition” gloves, the “Performance” and “FreeFlex” gloves, according to the suit.
“When the gloves came on the market, Milwaukee Tool heavily touted the fact that, unlike other companies that might just use an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Milwaukee Tool was different. Rather than rely on others for design and manufacturing, Milwaukee Tool differentiated its glove offerings by touting Milwaukee Tool’s ownership of the design and manufacturing processes,” the suit claims.
Milwaukee Tool could not immediately be reached for a response to the allegations. But the company has publicly stated it has no tolerance for forced labor.
Congress held hearings about human rights in China
Last July, a congressional commission examining human rights issues in China turned its attention to the company’s reported connections to forced labor as it examined “corporate complicity” in abuses linked to the Chinese Communist Party. In a hearing, the wife of a man in a prison where the gloves reportedly were made, described the working conditions and railed against what she called Milwaukee Tool’s “disregard for human rights” and called on Congress to act.
Xu Lun worked for a non-governmental organization that advocated for the rights of vulnerable groups in China including persons with AIDs, hepatitis B, and people with disabilities. The suit doesn’t specify damages sought, but the Trafficking Victim Protection Act allows victims of forced labor to file a civil action against companies that knowingly benefited from the practice.
Milwaukee Tool is owned by Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries, which is also named in the suit.
Century-old Milwaukee Tool has been one of Wisconsin’s fastest-growing employers, with many of the new positions in technical roles in Menomonee Falls, Brookfield, Milwaukee, Mukwonago, Sun Prairie and West Bend.
The company has spent hundreds of millions of dollars expanding its U.S. operations in recent years. It has manufacturing plants in the United States, China, Mexico, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Previously known as Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., the company traces its history back to the 1920s when Henry Ford was looking for a compact hand drill.
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