One of Greenfire’s most unique, challenging and exciting projects celebrated a milestone event with a weekend of soft opening events and celebrations. The Door County Granary reached substantial completion of the second phase of construction at its home along the Southern waterfront between the Michigan and Oregon Street bridges in Sturgeon Bay.

Before The Granary was showcased to the public, the Sturgeon Bay Historical Society (SBHS) hosted a celebration for the project team, stakeholders and donors – to offer a firsthand glimpse into how far the project had come and reflect on the monumental achievement it was to make the current iteration of the project a reality.

As far back as 2020, SBHS began its efforts to convert the original 1901 Teweles and Brandeis granary into a public space as part of Sturgeon Bay’s efforts to redevelop the waterfront promenade. As one of the final two remaining granaries that once dotted the Great Lakes, the SBHS rescued The Granary from demolition at the eleventh hour by being able to grant the structure registration as a State and National Historic Place, thus beginning the journey of reimagining the structure to be put to use once again.

Greenfire has been involved with the project early on since setting new foundations and footings at its original location. Greenfire then began Phase II of the project, which focused on the restoration of the interior and exterior, the building of a catering kitchen and restrooms, finish landscaping and prepare the ground floor for occupancy. Many modern amenities have also been integrated into the project, such as heating and air conditioning for the kitchen addition, while the Granary itself will feature an in-floor heating system, maintaining its status as an unconditioned space without active heating. Greenfire’s involvement in the project has added value through buyout savings, enabling the inclusion of several additional design elements such as the in-floor heating and expansion of the exterior patio space.

By reaching the milestones of activating the ground level event space, the project team was able to celebrate the tireless efforts of the SBHS and their donors, as well as share their insight, challenges and triumphs of the project. LA DALLMAN Architects, Beane Engineering and Greenfire all represented at the event, and shared their aspirations for the space that we’re echoed by the determination of the SBHS to make this unique and historic structure come back to life.

The ribbon cutting for the much-anticipated Davidson Park marks an important moment for Harley-Davidson Foundation, Milwaukee’s Near West Side and the entire region.

The transformation of a mostly unused parking lot into a stunning topographical public space culminated into a celebration, recognizing the efforts of those who made it possible, and excitement for what the future holds for the park.

The day began with a ceremonial “capping” of the project. Greenfire’s construction team managed the entirety of the project, and that team was composed of Mike Smith, senior project manager, Rob Norris, project manager and Gene Widenski, superintendent. A milestone event of the project was to coordinate the placing of a Foundation Stone at “The Hub,” which is at the center of the park. The 600-pound Foundation Stone was designed by Megan Huss, a student at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, took an entire crew to place. Before it was placed, key members of the team took the opportunity to sign the Foundation Stone to mark the moment in time. Joyce Koker, a Director of The Harley-Davidson Foundation and key figure in the project’s creation, gave the thumbs-up of the Foundation Stone’s placement and the festivities were underway.

As part of the ideation of Davidson Park, an emphasis was placed on the sense of community – past, present, and future. Part of that past was the recognition of the people who came before. With that in mind, the designers of the park collaborated with the Forest County Potawatomi Community, which bore one of the park’s most notable features: the Potawatomi Serentiy Garden. This collaboration continued into the ribbon cutting ceremony, which kicked off with a ceremonial drum circle performance by Fire Nation of the Forest County Potawatomi Community.

Tori Termaat, President of The Harley-Davidson Foundation welcomed the crowd of over 300 people. Many of them sat on the reclaimed black locust wood benches, stood along the naturally weathered steel walls, or rested on the sculpted viewing hills. She thanked everyone involved that made Davidson Park possible – with a special shoutout to Greenfire’s project team and how the park would not have been possible without their efforts. She also expressed how the park will enact positive momentum for Milwaukee’s Near West Side and the surrounding neighborhoods. Tori then introduced Thomas Heatherwick of the world-renowned London-based architecture firm Heatherwick Studio, responsible for the concept of the park in collaboration with HGA. Thomas shared the idea of the park to create a public space where society can return to face-to-face interaction in the digital age. He described the unique features of the park, including the brick mosaic motorcycle parking stall designs that surround the bowl of the amphitheater. 24 of the spaces were designed by students at nearby Story School Elementary, and features Milwaukee-centric themes and designs. Thomas also expressed excitement for the idea that the park will be forever evolving, both in the sense of it is use and implementation, as well as the landscaping will evolve as plants mature and trees grow larger. Thomas also noted and praised Greenfire’s attention to detail and quality.

Piggybacking on this idea of change and revitalization and growth, Jochen Zeitz, CEO of Harley-Davidson Motor Company expressed his excitement for what the opening of Davidson Park means for the future of the company. He commended the design Heatherwick Studio presented and applauded the efforts of Greenfire to make it come to life – noting that it was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget. In addition to commemorating the opening of Davidson Park, Jochen formally announced future developments planned for the Juneau Avenue campus. The repurpose of campus buildings to create new coworking space for Harley-Davidson, a Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) lab for local organizations and students, as well as the new home for Harley-Davidson’s Livewire product line development, and the new home of Harley-Davidson’s Racing Division.

Jochen did the honor of the Davidson Park ribbon cutting, alongside key members of Harley-Davidson Foundation, Willie G. Davidson, Bill Davidson and members of the Davidson family, Heatherwick Studio, and Greenfire. Mayor Cavalier Johnson, City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development Lafayette Crump, and Milwaukee Alderman Russell Stamper were present.

The crowds dispersed into the park to enjoy the unique features including the playground with natural wood climbers, the main walkway adorned with weathered steel posts and decorative lighting, and the main plaza where refreshments are served from 1903, a permanent container bar sponsored by neighboring Molson Coors. Greenfire is proud of our efforts on Davidson Park. As neighbors of this new, urban, community space, we applaud the investment into the Juneau Avenue campus.

Lakeside Alliance Church celebrated the opening of services in their new space with an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony. The church leadership welcomed members of the congregation, newcomers and neighbors to their newly opened 6,000 SF worship space. Nestled centrally in the new Prairie’s Edge development, the new commercial building is one of the latest new construction projects from Greenfire. The church can now enjoy beautiful vista views of Lake Michigan with enough room in the main worship space for 165 members and visitors. Adjacent to the church’s space is an additional 1,500 SF for a future tenant. Alongside churchgoers were leadership from Black Cap Halcyon, the developers behind Prairie’s Edge. The day included cake, games for the kids, and tours of their newly opened space. Features of the newly constructed worship space include an impressive vaulted ceiling with timber beams. Adjacent to the worship space is a gathering space with a kitchenette and pastor’s office. There is a nursery/mother’s room, childcare space and a classroom that will be used by younger members of the church. Each room has a TV for viewing the service as it is broadcasted from the worship space. The finishes throughout the building reflect light, natural colors and a feel that is cohesive with the location on the water. The church’s central location within the Prairie’s Edge development will be an integral portion to the growing development.