Top Projects of 2025: Urban Ecology Center – Prairie Springs on Park

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The renovation of this 100-plus-year-old, 11,361-square-foot building into an event hall for Urban Ecology presented significant complexity from the outset, ultimately reaching a project cost of $5.2 million. Once interior demolition began, the team encountered extensive challenges with Cream City brick — a notoriously soft and fragile material — requiring thorough tuckpointing, selective replacement and structural engineering review of compromised sections.

What distinguished this project was an uncompromising commitment to waste reduction. Demolished brick walls were dismantled, cleaned and palletized for reuse. Excavated soils were redistributed on-site, and removed concrete slabs were crushed and repurposed as subbase material, meaning virtually no materials left the site during demolition and excavation.

Innovative material choices reinforced the project’s sustainability goals. All wood and millwork were sourced locally from regionally harvested ash and birch, while the event hall’s wood cladding was fabricated entirely from reclaimed material. New bird-friendly glazing reduced the likelihood of bird strikes, and an acoustic roof deck enhanced sound quality throughout the event space.

Community connectivity was central to the site design. A new sidewalk linked the property to Riverside Park’s trail system, and two bio-retention ponds — one featuring a boardwalk — were installed to support stormwater management. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the City of Milwaukee were critical partners in achieving the project’s objectives.

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