Milwaukee Harbor District Riverwalk ribbon cutting; transforms inner harbor

MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee officials celebrated the opening of the Harbor District Riverwalk with a ribbon cutting on Wednesday morning, July 15.

Harbor District Riverwalk ribbon cutting

What we know:

The ribbon cutting marks the completion of Phase 1 of the Harbor District Riverwalk. 

A news release says Phase 1 delivers the foundation of what will become the city’s largest single Riverwalk expansion. Officials said it creates new public access along the Kinnickinnic River with a scenic multi-use pathway, native landscaping, seating areas, and enhanced connections for residents, employees, and visitors. 

What they're saying:

"This Riverwalk is part of a larger vision to reconnect Milwaukee with its waterways and create lasting public spaces, not just for now, but really for generations and generations to come," said Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson.

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"We believe today that being part of the community is more than just being here. It means contributing beyond the walls of our campus," said John Koetz, Komatsu Mining COO. "The Riverwalk reflects that commitment. It invites people to explore, to enjoy the waterfront of this good land, and to experience everything that makes the Harbor District unique along the way. As they come down here, they'll encounter two pieces of Komatsu mining equipment that have become iconic landmarks in the Harbor District our 830 mining shovel out front, and the 4100 mining shovel in the 830 mining truck. We hope that they spark curiosity, especially for our young people thinking about careers and engineering and manufacturing in mining, and also curiosity in the talented people who build these machines right here in Milwaukee."

"This space is an incredible resource for those residents to come down and have, connections with the industrial past and present of our future. the nature that we have little pockets of in this space and each other in the community that we are building together to make this city a better place together," said Tia Torhorst, Milwaukee Harbor District CEO. 

Officials noted the achievement reflects years of collaboration among public and private partners.

"My grandfather used to bring me down and around here to show me around when I was this tall, and this was all desolate and overgrown. This was a wasteland," said Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski. "And you just look around. Now it's bustling. There's noise in the air, there's things happening."

 

MilwaukeeNews