Tenney Park - Beach Shelter Replacement | Parks, City of Madison, Wisconsin

Last Updated: 09/18/2023

Latest Update

The bid for the project to construct the new beach shelter was opened 7/13/23 and was awarded through Board of Public Works and Common Council in late July & early August to Tri-North Builders, Inc. A Start Work letter was issued on 8/21/2023 and the Contractor will be closing out 2023 with submittals and subcontractor qualifications. Work is anticipated to begin in April 2024 with the demolition of the existing building and continue through December 2024. The exact date for the demolition/raze work to start is still TBD but will be updated here when it becomes available.

Project Overview

Madison Parks, in conjunction with City Engineering and Dane County, will be replacing the existing beach shelter and is considering installing a clean beach treatment system at Tenney Park

The beach shelter is proposed to be the Madison Parks prototype shelter which has been constructed at Lake Edge Park, Esther Beach Park, Olbrich Park, Penn Park and most recently at Warner Park. The beach shelter replacement project was approved as part of the City of Madison's adopted Capital Budget and was originally proposed to be constructed beginning in fall of 2021; however the delay in delivery of the clean beach system (including the wave impact attenuation system) to Warner Park necessitated holding the project at Tenney Park so that Parks Operations staff would have adequate time to implement and maintain the system prior to its use at other locations.

Proposed Project Schedule

City User Agency: Parks Division

Planning and Design: February - June 2021

1st Advertisement of Bid: June 1, 2023

Bid Due Date: Thursday, July 13, 2023

Construction Start Date: Sept. 2023

Expected Completion Date: Dec. 2024

PLEASE NOTE: When construction on the project begins, the beach at Tenney may be closed for the duration or a significant portion of the swimming season. Notice will be posted to this page and to the alder/neighborhood association when definitive construction dates are known.

BACKGROUND

A public meeting to review and discuss the project was held on February 16, 2021 via Zoom. At this meeting staff from Parks, Engineering Facilities and consultant Destree Design Architects presented information on the site existing conditions, clean beach treatment system and options for the shelter's color palette. As part of the discussion, attendees at the session asked for staff to research as a possible color option the original color of the nearby Ferry building (located on the corner of Marston Ave and Sherman Ave).

Following the meeting, staff enlisted the services of an historic paint investigator who determined that the original color was a dark green referenced by the Tarrytown Green color as currently manufactured by Benjamin Moore. This information, together with a stone sample (Kasota stone) more closely matching the historic stone on the bridges as shared with attendees and the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association, who voted to use both in the design moving forward. As such, an updated rendering showing the building with these features is included below.