The War Memorial Center, 750 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., is kicking off an $18 million campaign to help ensure the long-term future of the lakefront landmark designed by Finnish-born architect Eero Saarinen.
The Operation Advance: Preserving Our Future plan, which is based on raising $9 million in private donations and $9 million in public funds, would create a preservation endowment that would provide $800,000 a year to cover critical maintenance on the building, which was begun in 1955 and completed two years later.
So far, $2 million in donations have been raised and the latest state budget includes a $5 million matching grant administered by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.
With its stunning 1959 Edmund D. Lewandowski mosaic mural, the War Memorial Center, which houses a veterans’ memorial, offices, event spaces and part of the Milwaukee Art Museum – and an outdoor beer garden in recent years – is an architectural treasure, designed by the architect of iconic works like the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the TWA Terminal at New York’s JFK Airport.
“This is a tremendous show of support by the State of Wisconsin and a significant step forward in building our preservation fund,” said Chairman of the War Memorial Center Board Andy Gordon.
“Every personal gift to our campaign will now be doubled through a public match up to $5 million. This partnership is a powerful investment in our mission to honor Veterans and ensure the War Memorial Center remains a beacon of remembrance, education, and civic pride for generations to come.”
Gordon said the plan and the financial commitments are more important than ever.
”This funding comes at a critical time,” he said. “With Milwaukee County’s annual support being gradually phased out – reduced from $486,000 last year to zero by 2034 – the War Memorial Center must secure sustainable, independent funding.
“The preservation fund will support ongoing facility upkeep, stewardship of memorials, and the restoration of the Southeastern Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Memorial, originally built in 1991.”
If you’d like to make a contribution to the campaign, contact Vicki Chappell at (414) 273-5533 or Vchappell@WarMemorialCenter.org.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press. A fifth collects Urban Spelunking articles about breweries and maltsters.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has been heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.