A project is underway to create a new green space, similar to the lawn of Bascom Hill, in the heart of the UW campus near the Memorial Union, by the shore of Lake Mendota.
Paid for with private donations from the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the four-year project known as ""Alumni Park"" will commemorate 150 years of service to UW and its graduates, according to WAA president and CEO Paula Bonner.
""We wanted to do something for the community and the campus and the alumni,"" Bonner said. ""We knew that this was one thing that needed to be completed.""
According to Bonner, Alumni Park will be a popular destination to bring students and alumni closer to the lake as well as enhance their activities at the Memorial Union and Terrace.
Some areas will have designated purposes, but Bonner said the most attractive section will be a large, public grassy field where people can relax and enjoy themselves.
""There will be an arbor with lots of new trees and shrubs. I can see music groups performing, I can see people proposing marriage, getting commencement shots there … listening to bands, watching the sunset, "" Bonner said.
Plans for Alumni Park feature a seasonal boat dock and pavilion, an outdoor classroom and aims to ultimately enhance access to the lake for the community.
It will also connect Library Mall to the edge of Lake Mendota and essentially complete the pedestrian pathway which extends to Ogg Hall.
The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin this summer and will be the finale to the WAA's yearlong anniversary celebration.
