March 11, 2006
Milwaukee, WI - Harley-Davidson today unveiled designs for the Harley-Davidson Museum development on 20 acres at the corner of Sixth and Canal Streets near downtown Milwaukee. “The design plan for the Harley-Davidson Museum and its site incorporates striking urban design elements and engages the surrounding water and green spaces,” said Museum Director Stacey Watson. “It also unites the city center with the Menomonee Valley and reflects the industrial heritage of the area and of Harley-Davidson.”
"The Harley-Davidson Museum will add yet another world-class attraction to Milwaukee and showcase our city's proud history with an industry icon known worldwide," said Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. "I am particularly proud of Harley-Davidson's use of green design elements to redevelop this site into a landmark that will further cement Milwaukee as a destination for visitors and Harley-Davidson enthusiasts from our region and beyond."
The Harley-Davidson Museum design has been in development for more than a year and included extensive input from Milwaukee city officials. “This has been an extremely collaborative process between Harley-Davidson and the City of Milwaukee,” said Robert Greenstreet, City Architect and Planner for the Milwaukee Department of City Development and Dean of the School of Architecture & Urban Planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “The result is an excellent building and site that the City and the Company can be proud of.”
“We appreciate the support of Mayor Barrett, the Milwaukee Common Council, the Milwaukee Department of City Development and everyone who had a hand in this process,” said Watson. “For 103 years our company has felt at home in Milwaukee, and the Museum development process has been no exception.”
With an anticipated opening date of 2008, the 130,000 sq. ft. Museum development will feature exhibit space as well as a restaurant, café, retail shop, meeting space, special event facilities and the Harley-Davidson corporate archives.
Harley-Davidson also announced the Museum development partners. The lead design architect is Pentagram, New York, whose expertise includes architecture, graphic design and exhibit design. Other key members of the development team include Hammel, Green and Abrahamson, Milwaukee, local architect of record; Oslund and Associates, Minneapolis, landscape architecture; M.A. Mortenson Company, Milwaukee, construction management; and SIGMA, Milwaukee, environmental consultant.
Harley-Davidson plans to break ground for the Museum later in the first half of 2006. When completed, the Museum is expected to attract an estimated 350,000 visitors each year from around the world.
