Partnering with the Harley-Davidson
Foundation, acclaimed designer Thomas
Heatherwick and his studio will reimagine land on
Harley-Davidson's Juneau Avenue campus headquarters to benefit
employees, the people of Milwaukee
and visitors to the city
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 11,
2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Harley-Davidson, Inc.
("Harley-Davidson") (NYSE:HOG) today announces plans to transform a
central element of its Juneau Avenue campus headquarters into a
public park to benefit its employees and its hometown community, in
addition to attracting people to Milwaukee's Near West Side.
Overseeing the overall creative delivery of the project,
internationally acclaimed designers, Heatherwick Studio, have been
commissioned to conceive an original design that will transform the
concrete site into a civic and soulful green gathering space that
can be used by everyone, including employees and the local
community.
"Milwaukee is the place we have
proudly called home for 120 years. We want Harley-Davidson's
presence in Milwaukee to be more
relevant than ever before, for our community, employees and our
customers," said Jochen Zeitz,
Chairman, President and CEO of Harley-Davidson. "It's important to
us to protect and enhance this part of our heritage in a way that
is aligned to our strategy, ensuring that it will be relevant to
generations to come. Kicking the project off in our
120th year underscores both the importance of the
project and the commitment that we are making to Milwaukee. We are very proud by the work of
the Harley-Davidson Foundation in spearheading this project, which
builds on the $30 million donated by
the Motor Company to the Foundation since 2020."
The initial development will be overseen and funded by The
Harley-Davidson Foundation ("the Foundation"), with longer-term
sponsorship and donor opportunities, to further enhance the
project, being made available in the near future.
Over the past 18 months, the Foundation brought together a broad
set of stakeholders – including members of the community – to
expand a shared, long-term vision for the Near West Side and set
tangible priorities to accelerate progress for its neighborhood.
Among the key community needs identified was greenspace. To deliver
this reality, Harley-Davidson has gifted the land identified for
the project directly to the Foundation. In developing the project,
inputs from multiple stakeholders served as the basis for
Heatherwick Studio's unique community park design.
Celebrated for internationally acclaimed projects including
Little Island, a greenspace that sits above New York's Hudson
River, Heatherwick's approach leads from human experience,
with its projects specifically working to enrich the lives of the
people who use them.
At the heart of the park is "The Hub", a sunken multi-use events
space, 83 meters (approximately 272 feet) wide with tiered seating,
set among lush plants and trees. The design promotes the idea of
togetherness for the community, riders and employees alike.
Its circular layout is defined by a combination of motorcycle
driveways and turning circles, parking bays, sidewalks, plants and
seats, and 360-degree viewpoints. The Hub will be built with 10
types of locally sourced brick, natural wany-edge timber, and
weathered steel with a beautifully warm patina.
In one direction, the Hub will provide views of the handsome
brick buildings of the original home of Harley-Davidson. In the
other, visitors will see a park sown with 120 native plant species,
including 20 species of trees and 100 species of perennials, some
of which are sacred to the Forest County Potawatomi. There are also
plans for a market street, contemplative garden, and nature
playground.
"Our goal is to turn this historic factory land into a new
public park for the people of Milwaukee. We want to make an exciting
community space where people can come together with friends and
family and experience the wildness of nature alongside spaces for
food, performance and play. The ambition is to highlight and
celebrate renewed life in the Near West Side of this very special
city," said Thomas Heatherwick,
Founder and Director, Heatherwick Studios.
Throughout the project, Heatherwick will act as Design Guardian,
collaborating with local firms, HGA, a Milwaukee architectural firm, and Greenfire
Management Services, a Near West Side business and diverse
supplier, to ensure the project realizes its potential to become an
important part of the Milwaukee
landscape that reflects both Harley-Davidson's values and its
transformative aspirations for the community.
"This gift to the Foundation is the most recent demonstration of
the company's commitment to its enduring, active community presence
and Inclusive Stakeholder Management approach to business that
strives to positively impact people, planet and profit", said
Julie Anding, Vice President,
Inclusive Stakeholder Management, Harley-Davidson, and President,
Harley-Davidson Foundation. "The Harley-Davidson Foundation is
doubling down on our focus and investments to support the
neighborhood to make it a place all can be proud to live, work and
visit. It is our hope that this park will become the heart of the
community and catalyst for further revitalization efforts."
The community park development is set to break ground in spring
of 2023 with the park available for use by summer 2024.
About Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company of Harley-Davidson
Motor Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services. Our vision:
Building our legend and leading our industry through innovation,
evolution and emotion. Our mission: More than building machines, we
stand for the timeless pursuit of adventure. Freedom for the soul.
Since 1903, Harley-Davidson has defined motorcycle culture with an
expanding range of leading-edge, distinctive and customizable
motorcycles in addition to riding experiences and exceptional
motorcycle accessories, riding gear and apparel. Harley-Davidson
Financial Services provides financing, insurance and other programs
to help get Harley-Davidson riders on the road. Learn more at
www.harley-davidson.com.
About The Harley-Davidson
Foundation
The Harley-Davidson Foundation, established in 1993, is the
philanthropic arm of Harley-Davidson, Inc. The Foundation
cultivates social impact through employee volunteerism,
collaboration with other non-profit organizations and investments
in youth programs that foster STEAM innovation and programming. Our
Foundation priorities include a commitment to our home, the Near
West Side of Milwaukee, and the
communities where we live and work across the globe.
About Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio is a design team of 200 problem solvers
dedicated to making the physical world around us better for
everyone. Their recent work includes Google's new campus in Bay
View California, the multi-award winning Little Island in
New York, Coal Drops Yard in
King's Cross London, and the Zeitz
Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape
Town. Azabudai Hills, the studio's first major Japanese
project, is scheduled to open in 2023. www.heatherwick.com/
# # # (HOG-OTHER)
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SOURCE Harley-Davidson, Inc.