Harley-Davidson is popping a giant part of its headquarters in Milwaukee right into a public park for workers, for trustworthy riders and for nature-lovers alike. The storied motorbike firm, led by CEO Jochen Zeitz, says the new park will give the local people a much-needed “greenspace,” and can finally be expanded with a “market street, contemplative garden, and nature playground.”
I’m having hassle processing the idea of Harley-Davidson — with its loud “Screamin’ Eagle” exhausts and historic picture based mostly on its burly massive twin engines — with the idea of a peaceable, quiet park. But right here we’re: slightly over one yr away from the Harley-Davidson group park and backyard, because of open in the summertime of 2024.
The park received’t take over all 500,000 sq. ft of Harley HQ, however will flip “a central element” of the Juneau Avenue campus “into a civic and soulful green gathering space,” in keeping with the corporate. The park will likely be centered round “The Hub,” a 272-foot extensive amphitheater for bikes the place riders use round driveways to park their bikes, then sit to look at occasions.
The park surrounding this area will likely be sown with native plant species, and Harley plans to develop the park with a road for a farmer’s market or different native distributors. And because the firm says the group is in want of much more “greenspace,” a backyard and nature playground are within the works regardless of the mission not having damaged floor but.
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The Heatherwick Studio designed the park, and labored with the Harley-Davidson Foundation (which now owns the land) to attract up the plans. The studio is legendary for designing Google’s new campus in Bay View and the Little Island in New York City, amongst others. Local firms will even pitch in to construct the park, together with Milwaukee architectural agency, HGA, and Near West Side provider, Greenfire Management Services.
Harley-Davidson is popping 120 this yr, and but the outdated canine retains proving it might probably be taught new methods. The park announcement comes months after Harley-Davidson mentioned it deliberate to repurpose its Milwaukee HQ fairly than reopen it, and demand that staff return to the workplace. The campus had closed on the onset of the worldwide pandemic, and (like many main firms) staff stored working from house.
Zeitz later mentioned the campus wouldn’t totally reopen, and that the corporate would let staff do business from home on an prolonged foundation. Helping employees obtain the near-mythical work/life stability was a part of the deal, however Zeitz defined the coverage would assist Harley entice and retain new expertise, which the corporate will want because it embarks on the subsequent part with its EV model, LiveWire. Now, the corporate is including a neat park to its listing of perks on prime of its WFH coverage.
Source: jalopnik.com