Menomonee Valley
Menomonee Valley Riverwalk Designs Underway
Menomonee Valley Partners, working with the City of Milwaukee, has hired design firm HGA to prepare design guidelines for the recently proposed Menomonee Valley Riverwalk. This first big step in designing the Riverwalk system’s expansion to the Menomonee River comes just months after the Milwaukee Riverwalk became one of 13 development projects in North America, Europe, and Asia to win a Global Award of Excellence from the Urban Land Institute. The award is considered among the world’s highest honors from land use experts.
Upcoming Public Open House
Menomonee Valley Partners and the City of Milwaukee will host a public open house to gain community input on the proposed Menomonee Riverwalk Design Standards.
This is a unique opportunity to be a part of this exciting development as we work to expand access to the river, extend the Riverwalk to more parts of the City, and help shape Milwaukee’s scenery for years to come!
Tuesday, November 13
Open House: 4 - 6pm
Presentation: 4:30pm
Harley-Davidson Museum
The proposed Menomonee Valley Riverwalk Design Standards provide an overall aesthetic for the Menomonee River portion of the Riverwalk, including design concepts, native plantings, stormwater treatment, materials, and lighting. Learn more about the Menomonee Riverwalk Design Standards here. Please attend and share your thoughts on this exciting chapter in the Valley. If you cannot attend in person, you can also provide comments online by November 20th or by emailing gpatin@milwaukee.gov.
When completed, the Valley Riverwalk designs will be approved by the City of Milwaukee as standards for the Valley Riverwalk Overlay District that was established in 2017.
Menomonee Valley Sustainable Design Guidelines Updated
In 2004 the Menomonee Valley Partners and the City of Milwaukee established sustainable building design guidelines for new development projects in the Menomonee Valley. Intended primarily for the then newly-created Menomonee Valley Industrial Center , the Sustainable Design Guidelines for the Menomonee Valley were put in place to ensure high-quality redevelopment, environmental sensitivity and energy efficient construction in the Valley. Today, the Menomonee Valley Industrial Center is nearing full capacity and combined with the age of the original guidelines the need for updating them was clear. Approved by the Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM) at its September, 2017 meeting, the updated guidelines are applied Valley-wide and required for any new building development or major renovation project receiving financial or land sale assistance from the City of Milwaukee or RACM.
CLICK here for a copy of the Sustainable Design Guidelines and HERE for a Guidelines Evaluation Form for tracking compliance.
For more information about the Menomonee Valley Sustainable Design Guidelines, CLICK here.
Valley Riverwalk Overlay Approved
At its July 11th, 2017 meeting, the Common Council approved the Menomonee Valley Riverwalk Overlay which will use this new zoning designation to "bookmark" the rivers edge along the Menomonee River for a future Valley Riverwalk as redevelopment occurs. This overlay will mark the first expansion of the Milwaukee Riverwalk beyond its original course.
As part of the Valley Riverwalk, Design Standards have been created to guide development along the future Riverwalk system. CLICK here to learn more.
To learn more about the Milwaukee Riverwalk, CLICK here.

The Menomonee Valley 2.0 Plan was adopted by the Common Council on June 2, 2015.
Read the Menomonee Valley 2.0 Plan
Read the Executive Summary
Read the Market Analysis
