Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman James Witkowiak led a ceremony today to dedicate a new public sculpture in the Lincoln Village Main Street District, celebrating the transformation of a traffic hazard into a neighborhood ‘plus.’

The City of Milwaukee worked with the Lincoln Village Main Street District and Tres Hermanos Restaurant to close S. 14th Street between W. Lincoln Avenue and W. Windlake due to traffic accidents and congestion.

Tres Hermanos acquired the land, built an elevated, ornate patio and parking lot, and included a public plaza & sculpture into the project. The City assisted the restaurant’s renovations/expansions with a $20,000 façade grant. Zimmerman Architecture Studio offered donated design services through the Main Street Milwaukee program.

After transformation

Before transformation

The new plaza is home to a specially-commissioned neighborhood sculpture, to represent the spirit of the diverse Lincoln Village. ‘Quartet’ by artist Celine Farrell is a 12-foot tree-shaped steel structure that features four seasons. Farrell says nature’s four seasons are a metaphor for a neighborhood where each generation adds its own voice to the harmonious whole of Lincoln Village. While the generations may change like the seasons, each one leaves its own invaluable mark on the neighborhood.

Main Street Milwaukee helped make possible the plaza and sculpture, through LISC and a grant from WE Energies.

Main Street Milwaukee has worked with more than 597 businesses to improve commercial properties, expand operations, leverage private investment and attract additional customers and new businesses to neighborhood main streets

Mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman James Witkowiak led the ceremony