Juneau Park Friends is a non-profit organization which promotes the preservation and renewal of Juneau Park. Formed in 2009, its latest efforts have revitalized a state statue that has been in effect since 1997, allowing them to create a Neighborhood Improvement District, or NID.
Lisa Hatch, president of Juneau Park Friends, says this NID would encompass the neighborhood from Juneau Park on the East, Ogden on the North, the Milwaukee River on the West and Clybourn on the South. Residential and commercial property owners within the NID would be responsible for electing a 9-person board that would then work with the city to plan and fund improvements in Juneau Park and Cathedral Square Park. This project is called 2Parks NID.
Plans for Juneau Park include restoring the eroding bluff and installing more lighting and seating. Its hope is that the improvements will bring more people into the park, night and day.
They would also clear out some of the old trees from the bluff that currently block the view of the lake, allowing a better look at the lakefront.
Plans for Cathedral Square Park include adding permanent bathroom structures, more seating, and a permanent band shell.
Sketches for proposed park improvements and more information on the 2PARKS NID can be found here.