Milwaukee Rec details Browning community center, deferred maintenance and program expansions

Milwaukee Recreation leaders gave the Board of School Directors' Family and Community Engagement Committee a multi-part update on the department's facilities and programs, including progress at the former Browning School site that will become the Milwaukee Recreation Community Center (MRCC).

"Demolition is complete and the foundations are mostly complete with concrete block walls starting," said Annie Kubis, senior director of recreation. She said the project will preserve part of the historic Browning building and add an attached facility with a track, gym, weight training equipment, a pool, office space and outdoor amenities including a splash pad and a pump track. Kubis said the district expects construction to be complete in April 2027 and will schedule a ribbon cutting once the site is finished.

Superintendent Brenda Castellia introduced the presentation and praised MKrec's century-plus of service in Milwaukee. Chief Brian Litzy said the department operates programs across more than 100 schools and community locations and emphasized community engagement around playfield and fieldhouse projects.

The presentation also covered deferred maintenance projects and a citywide effort Kubis described as a "dream build" model to upgrade about 52 playfields with equity-based prioritization. Kubis listed upcoming projects including field and facility renovations, HVAC work at the Oasis Senior Center and feasibility studies for additional community-center and maintenance facility options.

Officials reported program-level updates: MKrec now supports roughly 95 before/after-school sites and safe-place/CLC sites, and anticipates about 70 summer sites in 2026, an increase from the prior year. Kubis said the department completed a minimum-wage raise to $15 per hour for nearly 1,700 part-time staff effective Jan. 4, describing the change as an average hourly increase of about $1.97.

Board members asked about winter programming, portable ice rinks and senior swim options. Brian Litzy and Kubis described past portable-rink experiments, which struggled with weather variability and infrastructure costs (coils and maintenance). They said MKrec continues to run winter activities such as tobogganing, cross-country skiing and walking clubs and would pursue grants or partnerships for larger outdoor-ice projects.

Public commenters praised parent-engagement work and urged restored swimming access. Anita Garrett, a parent and community volunteer, commended the district's Good School Food parent outreach and encouraged more vendor participation at community events; Linda Reid asked the board to consider rebuilding or restoring community pool access, noting the pool's role in swim instruction and community healing.

Administration said feasibility studies and a maintenance-facility analysis are underway to determine whether to consolidate maintenance operations or upgrade multiple sites. Officials emphasized community engagement in project design and said they will continue to update the committee as designs and schedules are finalized.

The committee did not take formal action on the presentation; staff described these items as informational and for future planning and follow-up.