A decade of advocacy for Kenosha’s history and lakefront parks

Teamwork makes the dream work

Since 2014 SPA has worked with the City of Kenosha. We entered into a formal partnership
agreement in 2017 to provide support, including fundraising, for comprehensive park rejuvenation efforts.

SPA continues to work with the City toward major improvements to the historic Beach House and park landscape, with an emphasis on responsible environmental stewardship and aiming toward beach front remediation in the years ahead.

A message from Mayor Bogdala

“The City of Kenosha is proud to support the Southport Park Association in our shared commitment to preserving, protecting, and enhancing Southport Beach House and Southport Park. This 10-year partnership is a testament to the power of community collaboration and the dedication of local residents to preserving Kenosha’s cherished spaces for future generations. Southport Beach House and the surrounding park are not only historic landmarks, but they are also vital to the cultural and recreational life of our city.

Through this partnership, we aim to ensure that these spaces are maintained and improved in a way that respects their history while meeting the needs of our growing community.”

Mayor Bogdala

What’s been done

Here are highlights of Beach House renovations that have been fueled by SPA’s partnership with the City, the Wisconsin State Office of Historic Preservation, the Fund for Lake Michigan, and the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program.

Some big. Some small. And all help ensure this building listed on the National Register of Historic Places continues to be a Kenosha treasure:

• Slate roofing replacement, parapet and chimney restorations
• Exterior east wall reconstruction
• North gable parapet wall reconstruction
• Brick replacement and tuckpointing across all exterior surfaces, including courtyards
• Interior ballroom plaster repair and east window replacements
• Courtyard arch repairs
• Exterior stairway repairs
• Extensive carpentry repairs in all areas
• New historic main entry and creation of accessible entrance walkways
• Bathroom renovations, including ADA compliance

What’s to come

More than brick and mortar improvements:

To date, SPA funding efforts have resulted in a $87,000 grant from the Fund for Lake Michigan for a shovel-ready plan for landscape redesign:

Southport Park landscape rejuvenation

$110,000 in grants toward the 2025 installation of a new exterior storm water drainage system for the Beach House. Matching grants from the Wisconsin Coastal Management Program and the Fund for Lake Michigan will finance a newly engineered filtration system to reduce pollution and improve Lake Michigan water quality.

The City’s masterplan for the Southport

Park Beach House also envisions:

• Phase 2: Upper floor renovations to kitchen, ballroom, and north wing
• Phase 3: Lower-level renovations to courtyards and lavatories