Alumni Park: A gift to the heart of UW-Madison

A new promenade and green space called Alumni Park along the shore of Lake Mendota at the east end of the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus will soon be a vibrant area where students and alumni can enjoy their Wisconsin experience.

Alumni Park is a gift to the campus from the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) as a finale to the organization’s yearlong celebration of its 150th anniversary.

The park will create a promenade that connects UW–Madison’s most popular gathering places — the shore of Lake Mendota and Library Mall — in the corridor that runs between the Red Gym and the Memorial Union, from Lake Mendota to Langdon Street.

“This special place — the heart of the UW campus — is the backdrop for so many student and alumni memories that make us Badgers to the soul,” says Paula Bonner, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Alumni Association. “WAA is celebrating a century and a half of serving alumni and this great university, and Alumni Park will be a legacy that restores our beloved soul of campus and pays it forward for future generations of students, alumni and friends.”

Through landscaping, artwork and gathering spaces, Alumni Park will tell the story of how the contributions, discoveries and personalities of UW–Madison and its alumni have made an impact across the state and around the world.

Alumni Park will also expand public access to the lake, creating a seasonal boat dock and pavilion off the shore north of the Below Alumni Center, home of the Wisconsin Alumni Association offices on Lake Street.

Alumni Park will be paid for with private gift funds from the Wisconsin Alumni Association. The $8 million project, the capstone to UW–Madison’s East Campus Master Plan, is included in UW–Madison’s 2011-13 capital budget.

“We are grateful to WAA for this gift to realize a decades-long vision for a park in this space,” says Interim Chancellor David Ward. “Alumni Park will be a place where all are welcome to enjoy UW–Madison’s shoreline along Lake Mendota, and it is the right finishing touch for the East Campus Mall. It is a deserving tribute that the park will tell the story of the Wisconsin Idea and the great impact of our alumni.”

Creating Alumni Park also complements a separate UW–Madison capital project to rehabilitate the lakeshore near Memorial Union, bringing improvements in safety, accessibility and environmental impact.

“WAA’s partnership to create Alumni Park as part of the waterfront restoration near Lake Mendota means we can do even more to improve the ecology and environment of this area,” says Alan Fish, vice chancellor for Facilities, Planning and Management. “Thanks to campus partners and WAA’s visionary gift, this will be a cleaner, more welcoming space for all lake users and park visitors.”

Throughout 2011, WAA has celebrated its 150 years of service to UW and its graduates. Founded in 1861 by early alumni who wanted to support the future of their alma mater, WAA’s mission is to connect the university to its alumni, alumni back to the university and alumni to each other.

WAA’s 150th anniversary celebration featured commemorative programs and special events for students, alumni and friends, engaging alumni through chapters and contacts in approximately 100 cities around the world. The association celebrated its birthday in June by introducing a new Babcock Dairy ice cream flavor selected by alumni — Mad Grad Medley — and giving UW–Madison new street signs featuring the UW crest as its birthday gift back to campus.

The Red Tie Gala on Oct. 14 will be WAA’s premier anniversary celebration event, held at the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery Town Center during the 100th anniversary of Homecoming.

More information and architectural renderings of Alumni Park are available at http://www.uwalumni.com/alumnipark.