Natalia Hernandez: Connecting Local Residents to Our Public Harbor
Natalia Hernandez works with Harbor District, Inc.
Meet Natalia. Natalia is outreach specialist for Harbor District, Inc., a nonprofit headquartered in the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences building and which functions in concert with the local Business Improvement District, BID 51. Harbor District, Inc.’s vision is “a vibrant waterfront community where diverse businesses, people and ecologies thrive together.”
Natalia is proud that the keystone public amenity projects Harbor District has helmed into existence were driven by local resident feedback through the Water & Land Use Plan. “One of the aspects, when talking to neighbors, was that they wanted more green space in the city,” Natalia recalls. “If you look at a map, the inner city has less green space than a suburban city or suburban areas of Milwaukee County. That was one thing we thought we can do that right away. There was a plot of land just outside our offices that we were looking at all the time, and it’s kind of like, well, what can we do with that? Maybe that’s a possibility to make something happen. So, we got to work!”
The water features at Harbor View Plaza attract use at the September 2019 Harbor Fest.
The result, with a public grand opening in summer of 2019, was Harbor View Plaza. It’s a small park at the east end of Greenfield Avenue just beyond the roundabout rain garden, which Natalia describes as the first and only waterfront park in the Harbor District. Visitors may first notice the giant orange shipping container turned on its end and transformed into a curly slide. In the summer, youth of all ages enjoy removing their shoes to immerse feet and toes in the splash park consisting of water fountains, stone slabs, and hand pumps. Others enjoy the fishing opportunities, the free ADA-accessible canoe and kayak launch, or simply the insider’s view of Milwaukee’s working port—with historic Jones Island opposite.
Not only has Harbor View Plaza already become a magnet and meeting place for folks near and far, it’s also the attractive terminus for Harbor Fest, an annual street festival held each September to celebrate all things water and fish. The 2020 pandemic turned the event into a to-go bag, but the popular 2019 Harbor Fest—with the boat parade presented by Milwaukee Riverkeeper—attracted over 3,500 people.
Natalia notes that Harbor View Plaza promises to be a stepping stone leading to even greater public access and green space along the harbor. Planning by Harbor District, the City of Milwaukee, and other partners is in the works to expand the riverwalk along the Kinnickinnic River and inner harbor. In a few years, Harbor View Plaza is envisioned as just one node in an expanding necklace of pedestrian and multi-use trail that Natalia is excited to help local Milwaukee groups of diverse backgrounds to program with activities.
Natalia has been involved in inviting local groups and organizations in to program and use Harbor View Plaza for the summer. A short list of groups planning to use the space for what Natalia and Harbor District call Summer en la Plaza include BeNa RoJa, Latino Arts Strings Program, Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, TRUE Skool, Schlitz Audubon Nature Center, Fanana Banana, Heard Space, First Stage Children's Theatre, Bembé Drum and Dance, and Wisconsin Bike Fed.
If you live in or near the Harbor District and are interested in the Harbor District's Neighborhood Advisory Committee, Natalia invites you to contact her at natalia@harbordistrict.org or through voicemail at (414) 643-1266 x3.