Residential Housing in Parks?

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In 2024, a proposal was introduced to allow Jewish Family Services (JFS) to build a multi-story senior housing complex on parkland within McGovern Park. The plan would have required a long-term lease of public land, displaced the thriving McGovern Park Senior Center, and set a dangerous precedent of turning parks into real estate for non-park development.

Preserve Our Parks strongly opposed this proposal, raising concerns that:

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• Housing and other private developments are incompatible with public parkland.
   

• The project offered no financial benefit to Milwaukee County Parks.
   

• The process lacked transparency and excluded public input.
   

• Ample vacant land across Milwaukee could have been used without sacrificing park space.
   

A Community Win

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Through community organizing, public awareness efforts, and effective advocacy, POP and our partners rallied neighbors, park users, and supporters from across the County to stand up for McGovern Park. On July 25, 2024, the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted 10–7 against the proposed development, affirming that parks must remain for public use.

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Why It Matters

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This was an important win for Preserve Our Parks and the Milwaukee community. It demonstrated that when residents raise their voices together, we can protect our shared green spaces from privatization. It also reaffirmed a core principle: parks are public treasures, not development opportunities.

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POP’s success at McGovern Park highlights our ability to:

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• Organize communities around issues that matter.
   

• Effectively advocate to decision-makers.
   

• Raise awareness to ensure transparency and accountability.
   

• Stand up for future generations by keeping parks public, accessible, and welcoming to all.