Lakefront Porch Park Grand Opening

A grand opening and ribbon cutting is set for the newest and one of the most unique spaces in the Madison Parks system – Lakefront Porch Park at 201 South Hancock Street. The community is invited to attend a short ceremony on Thursday, September 19 at 4:00 p.m., followed by food, drinks and music provided by the Lakefront Porch volunteer committee.

 The short presentation will include remarks from Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, Alder Mike Verveer, District 4, and Emily DeVore, Lakefront Porch project leader.

“This is another excellent example of how partnerships and volunteers make a significant impact on Madison Parks and our public spaces. Thanks to the collaboration of neighborhood leaders, volunteers, and City agencies, involving over 60 community members, the Lakefront Porch is now a reality, providing a unique space for relaxation and social connections,” shared CJ Ryan, Madison Parks Assistant Superintendent.

Lakefront Porch, at the intersection of East Wilson Street and John Nolen Drive, culminates nearly 15 years of work by neighborhood volunteers, City leaders, and professional organizations that donated their expertise. These efforts have transformed an underused concrete surface atop a Madison Water Utility reservoir into an appealing, comfortable public space with a view of Lake Monona. The Lakefront Porch, now a city-owned park, will complement the redevelopment of the Lake Monona waterfront and serve as a bridge from the First Settlement neighborhood to the waterfront.

“An act of community – volunteers who came together with a vision – brought the Lakefront Porch into existence,” said Emily DeVore, the volunteer project manager. “Now the Porch stands as a cheerful venue for the community. It wouldn’t exist without the generosity of those volunteers, donors, and city workers as well as Saiki Design, Findorff, and Operation Fresh Start.”

The First Settlement neighborhood first proposed a public space at the site in its 1995 master plan.  In 2010, with money from the Water Utility, some seating was installed and in 2014, raised planting beds were added. In the spring of 2020, Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. received a City Neighborhood Grant that kick-started a 4-year effort to make the space more inviting and usable. A group of 13 volunteers raised $460,000 to add a platform, tables, shade structures, new railings, and garden beds, and improve accessibility to the site.

“The Lakefront Porch is a vibrant, colorful, welcoming gathering place for Madison residents and visitors,” said District 4 Alder Mike Verveer. “With its view of Lake Monona and its location as a gateway to downtown, the space is now an important, appealing public space.”