Milwaukee’s Washington Park is finally on track to trade its long-quiet swimming pool for a "super splash pad," a move neighbors hope will bring the West Side park buzzing back to life. The deep-well pool has been closed since 2019, and county officials and residents are already hashing out design ideas, price tags and community priorities as the project starts to take shape.
Funding approved, private match expected
At a recent Committee on Finance meeting, the parks director was authorized to accept a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund grant worth about $752,783, according to the Milwaukee County Committee on Finance. Reporting by TMJ4 says the Milwaukee Parks Foundation has pledged fundraising support that would bring total project funding to roughly $1.5 million.
Planning the new feature
Milwaukee County Parks has issued a request for proposals seeking a consultant to design a destination splash pad on the former pool footprint, with proposed elements such as multi-level play structures, slides, tipping buckets and spray features. The county’s project page lays out a two-stage engagement process — education and listening, then design and co-creation — with preliminary design review planned this summer and construction targeted for summer 2027, per Milwaukee County Parks.
Neighbors welcome the idea
Local visitors say the new amenity could draw families back to the park and restore some of the old energy. Kaylee Fletcher told TMJ4 the splash pad would "bring everybody together" and give kids a safe place to cool off, and a longtime neighbor described the old facility as "like a family pool."
Why a splash pad?
County leaders point to a recent Aquatics Facilities Study that recommended shifting away from aging deep-well pools to more flexible water-play amenities. Milwaukee County Parks says the Washington facility required major capital work before it closed and recorded one of the highest per-swimmer costs in the system, roughly $33.80, making a lower-staff splash pad a more sustainable option; the project page includes details on needed repairs and the engagement timeline.
Countywide context
Washington Park is not the only site affected: several other community pools have been shuttered in recent years as the parks system grapples with a deferred-maintenance backlog and staffing limits. Local coverage from CBS58 and other outlets notes closures at Grobschmidt, Jackson, Hales Corners and Holler parks and at McCarty Park in West Allis.
What’s next
The county plans a series of listening sessions and design reviews this spring and summer, where consultants will fold neighborhood input into final plans before construction bids are sought. Local coverage and the county’s press materials have the dates and next public meetings for people who want to weigh in, and project updates will be posted as design work advances.
Officials say that if neighbors want the park to feel alive again, showing up to engagement events will matter, since the final design will be driven by what residents ask for and what the budget allows. They expect the process to unfold over the next year, with construction targeted for summer 2027 if timelines and funding hold.
