Few Madison treasures bring Eastside, Westside and Downtown together like Tenney Park.
The park draws visitors across “geographic” boundaries to serve as a resource and landmark for the entire city. Each year over 60,000 people take advantage of the park’s ample offerings, including the Shelter. In just the last year 25,000 people came to skate on the pond and find warmth, comfort and good friends in the Shelter.
The Shelter is more than a winter refuge. Throughout the seasons, groups rent the Shelter for family and business outings, some 85 times a year. These groups epitomize Madison’s diversity.
From Cub Scout troops to elder care facilities, from Centro Hispano to the Urban League, from family reunions to corporate shindigs, from the YMCA to the UW, people from all walks of life rent the Shelter to take advantage of the park’s central location, its natural beauty and its open space.
The Shelter will enhance the park’s usability...it can become an iconic symbol for the park.
The current Shelter was built in 1958 and is in major need of renovation or replacement. Due to the cost and limitations of renovation, building a replacement made the most sense from a fiscal perspective.
The Shelter is a not just an Eastside treasure; it is used by the entire Madison community. Building a replacement Shelter only enhances the park’s usability for activities during all four seasons.
The new Shelter follows the trend of “green” and sustainable architecture being built in Madison. It will proudly and efficiently serve the community for many generations.
Because of its location on Johnson Street, Tenney Park is one of the gateway landmarks as you drive towards the Capitol building. Over 35,000 cars pass this way each day and the Shelter can become an iconic symbol for the park.
The new Shelter is in keeping with the heritage and historical design of Tenney Park, including its beloved “Currier and Ives” winter setting.
A new Shelter will entice more Fit City Madison families to enjoy the park and outdoor recreational activities.
Please contribute to the new Tenney Park Shelter and join
in a long tradition of giving to Madison parks, as inspired by similar successful citizen efforts at the beginning of this century.
In 1903, the Parkway was built almost entirely with private subscriptions; of the 482 subscribers, one-half gave $10 or less [$250 or less in 2008 dollars]. Along with land being donated by prominent citizens, 56 teamsters agreed to donate two loads each of crushed stones for fill.
In the spirit of civic pride, the railroad companies raised/built new bridges; and in 1904, Norwegian Consul Halle Steensland offered $10,000 to build a stone bridge over the Yahara River at East Washington Avenue.
In 1911, John Nolen revised the master plan for Tenney Park and the Yahara Parkway to accommodate the public desire for active recreation. John Nolen is known as one of the founders of city planning in America.
Ref: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/planning/yahara/history.pdf
From the Office of the Mayor,
and Parks Superintendent for the City of Madison..
Dear Tenney Park Shelter Supporter,
Tenney Park is one of our most historic and beloved city parks. From weddings to family reunions, from summer sports to winter ice skating, there is no doubt Tenney Park has always been a center of activity in our city and has left an indelible impact on our community. The current park Shelter, built in 1958, is heavily used by the community in all seasons and after 50 years of such active use, the Shelter is in need of replacement.
The City of Madison is excited to support the fundraising efforts for a new Tenney Park Shelter. Working collaboratively with city officials, the Tenney Park neighborhood and the greater community, the Tenney Park Shelter Group has designed a plan for a new Shelter
that would serve Madison for generations to come. We are eager to support their efforts to improve one of Madison’s most beloved parks and continue the longstanding use of the Tenney Park Shelter.
We hope you’ll join us in our enthusiastic support of this partnership, the new Shelter and our historic Tenney Park.
Sincerely,
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
Kevin Briski, Madison Parks Superintendent
Thank you to those who continue to work hard to build the new shelter; both as members of the Tenney Park Shelter Group, and as our Ambassadors.
• Bill Bauer, Madison Parks Staff
• Kevin Briski, Madison Parks Director
• Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, City of Madison
• David LeDuc, The Wisconsin Foundation
• Ed Jepsen, Friends of the Yahara River Parkway
• Rich Lepping, Tenney Shelter Fundraising
• Bridget Maniaci , Madison District 2 Alder
• Patrick McDonnell, Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association
• Tim Olsen, Tenney Shelter Web Site
• Michael Schumacher, Madison District 18 Alder
• Joe Shumow, Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association
• Peg Smelser, Friends of the Yahara River Parkway
• Michael Sobczak, Plunkett Raysich Architects, LLP
• Mary Lang Sollinger, Tenney Shelter Chair
• John Starkweather, Attorney
• Jim Sturm, Tenney-Lapham Neighborhood Association
• Terrence Wall, T Wall Properties
• Si Widstrand, (retired) Madison Parks Staff
As one of the nation’s first, large city parks designated for public use as a natural escape from everyday concerns, the land Tenney Park resides on was donated by Daniel K. Tenney, while the amenities were purchased with many small, individual donations from ordinary citizens.
“Other than the state capitol grounds, Tenney Park served as Madison’s first designed public space. In addition to its physical design attributes, provided by landscape architect O. C. Simonds, Tenney Park fulfilled an important social role in Madison at the turn of the century: situated on the eastern side of Madison, the park was readily accessible to the City’s working class population.
"Other than the state capitol grounds, Tenney Park served as Madison's first designed public space" --Professer Arnold R. Alanen, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In 1999, Tenney Park and the Yahara River Parkway were listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Designed Historic Landscape.
Ref: http://www.ci.madison.wi.us/planning/yahara/history.pdf
In 2007, a survey was sent out to the groups that rented the Shelter during the previous three years. The survey covered amenities, cleanliness, service, location and general impressions.
As with most surveys, the most powerful information came from the final two questions:
Would you rent the Shelter again for your next outing?
What improvements would you like to see?
• Stunning architecture in keeping with the Park’s National Historic Landscape
• New playground next to the Shelter
• Modern, accessible bathrooms
• Expanded grilling area
• Expanded kitchen and concession area
• Enhanced community meeting room
• More electrical outlets for bands, speakers and presentations
• Large fireplace
• Private bridal room
• New entryway doors
• Renovated, accessible pedestrian bridge
• Shaded verandas
• More benches
• Exterior lighting, with motion sensors
• Bike racks
• Eco-friendly green building design
• Shoreline improvements
• Folding tables and chairs onsite
• Storage for City Parks Maintenance
-- Countdown to OPEN for the 2011 winter skating season --
FUNDING SOURCES
City of Madison $ 500,000
To Be Raised $1,200,000
Total of Funding Sources $1,700,000
PROJECT EXPENSES
Enclosed Meeting Area $ 450,000
Concessions / Storage Areas $ 195,000
Entry Way/Main Hall $ 160,000
Women’s/Bride’s Room $ 100,000
Men’s Room $ 70,000
Fireplace $ 20,000
Enclosed Structure Sub-Total $ 995,000
Veranda $ 455,000
Playground $ 50,000
Landscaping $ 50,000
Bridge $ 50,000
Outdoor Construction Sub-Total $ 605,000
Total Campaign Investment $1,700,000