Hart Park football field ready for game time after 2025 floods

WAUWATOSA - Hart Park football field in Wauwatosa reopened a year after historic flooding caused major damage. 

Last night's win meant a lot more to Tosa East now that they are back playing on their home turf.

Parents like Liz Paulsen were excited to watch their sons play Friday night as Tosa East football kicked off its season at Hart Park.

"It was quite a journey last year, losing our field to the flood," said Paulsen, mother of a senior on the team. "And we've been anxiously waiting to get back on this field."

Last August, a historic flood caused extensive damage to the stadium, bleachers and field. 

"The field turf itself was completely destroyed; that had to be replaced," said Wauwatosa Mayor Dennis McBride. "Our real concern, more than a field, was the drainage system underneath. Fortunately, that didn't sustain significant damage."

McBride said the stadium alone sustained $1.5 million worth of damage. 

"The skirting on the bleachers, some of it was blown out on both sides," McBride said. "It was a river of wire that leaked over the banks of the Menomonee River and came through the stadium."

Repairs were made through the help of donations from groups including the Tosa Foundation, insurance payments and city cash reserves. 

"Being on the rival school's field just never felt comfortable," said Melodie Fox, another Tosa East parent.

McBride said the stadium, playgrounds and other sections of Hart Park have been repaired, but the soft field still needs attention.