Parks and public spaces

A trail along the north shore of Lake Mendota had been discussed for decades; the route crosses four jurisdictions, which is a lot of coordination for any one of them to carry. The Foundation broke the route into pieces and took each piece to the partner who could build it. Dane County budgeted and built a mile-long boardwalk. The DNR built a path inside Governor Nelson State Park linking the county path to the state path, which reaches a tunnel under County Highway M. A preschool granted an easement across its land. From the tunnel the Foundation built and paid for the section running along its own property parallel to Highway M, and the Town of Westport built its stretch. The route is signed on the ground as the Terrence Wall Bike Path; the last link is a county park parcel. Dane County budgeted in 2025 for the engineering of that final link, and the trail is expected to be complete in 2027. The final link will connect the trail to the City of Middleton bike path, which the Foundation convinced the city to build. It has been a multi-year effort involving millions of dollars in construction, and the trail gives bicyclists a safe way to exercise around the north side of the lake.

The Foundation built and paid for the Highway M section itself and organized the public agencies that built the rest.

Middleton had no town square; when the city wanted a public event it closed streets. The Foundation bought the old houses on the block, cleared the site, and proposed a square with a band shell and room for food carts. It donated the land, and the City of Middleton funded the improvements. In summer the square now hosts multiple events every week.

The Foundation assembled and cleared the site, donated the land, and the city funded the improvements.

On Bishops Bay Parkway in Westport, Jacobson Park has a band shell, stone seating, tennis and pickleball courts, a creative playground and a network of trails. From the hilltop overlook there is a view of the state capitol across the lake.

Developed and donated by the Foundation.

High Crossing Park was the first park in the state with accessible playground equipment for disabled children. The Foundation donated the land for the park and funded that equipment so that children of every ability could use the same playground.

The Foundation donated the land and funded the playground equipment; it did not build the park.

Harvey John and Lucille Taylor left their entire estate to build a park for their community, and the park carries both of their names. The Foundation donated the land, the environmental cleanup and the grading, which attracted a large donation from Lucille Taylor, which in turn led the city to make the park a priority in its budget, resulting in two football fields, a park shelter, eight pickleball courts and children’s play equipment.

The Foundation donated the land, the environmental cleanup and the grading.

The land for Woodland Adventure Park was donated as part of the Bishops Bay development, keeping a stand of woods open to the public. Three Native American mounds were found on the site. The park was laid out around them, and an Eagle Scout candidate was enlisted to help preserve them in accordance with State Historical Society guidelines.

Land donated by the Foundation as part of the Bishops Bay development.

Patriot Park is open ground running from Congress Avenue through to City View Drive, created in the mid-1990s as part of a development.

Created as part of a development in the mid-1990s.