Madison’s Parks Division is applying for a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support the first phase of the Lake Monona waterfront redevelopment, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The grant is available through a new federal program that funds bicycle and pedestrian network upgrades.
The first waterfront redevelopment phase, “The Community Causeway,” includes a path spanning the length of John Nolen Drive with facilities for people and bikes. Park officials should know whether the waterfront project will receive the grant by this fall.
The city project is the most ambitious since the Monona Terrace over 25 years ago, and due to city budget constraints, it will rely largely on alternate funding sources. Nonprofit Friends of Nolen Waterfront is undertaking its own fundraising push for the redevelopment.
The master plan features waterfront changes running from Olin Park to Williamson Street, including new pedestrian and bike paths, a plaza over John Nolen Drive, a stairway connecting East Wilson Street to a lakeside amphitheater, a large dock and overlook at Olin Park, and more — all key elements from Denver-based firm Sasaki’s “Voices of the Lake.”
