Sturgeon Bay, Wis. (May 25, 2022) – Destination Sturgeon Bay and the City of Sturgeon Bay will celebrate the official opening of Graham Park, 10 Pennsylvania Street, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, June 3 at 11 am. Destination Sturgeon Bay and the Mayor invite the public to attend the celebration.
The Graham Park project broke ground in June, 2020, and has been funded entirely by private donations.
Located adjacent to the Oregon Street Bridge on a portion of the former Peterson Builders (PBI) Shipyard, Graham Park is a jewel in the Sturgeon Bay community. The park now includes amphitheater style seating as part of an intimate performance space designed for acoustic music performances, small events, or a quiet space to relax. Ping-pong tables, chess and checkers tables, and corn hole games are available for free to residents and visitors.
Most notably, Graham Park is now home to Door County’s only water feature entitled “Confluence”. The water feature is the original design of local artist, Robert L. Soukup and was produced entirely by the staff of Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding. “Confluence” celebrates the merging of the working and recreational waterfronts in Sturgeon Bay and their abilities to work symbiotically. Engineering assistance was provided by Bay Engineering and Tim Graul.
Lars & Rebecca Braschnewitz and the staff of Sterling Landscape Services donated the landscaping master plan and have “adopted” Graham Park for a total of five years. Sterling will maintain the park and oversee its maintenance before handing the park over officially to the City of Sturgeon Bay in 2026.
Major donors include the Raibrook Foundation, Dwight and Linda Davis Foundation, Rick & Nancy Jeanquart Family, Door County Medical Center, Ellsworth & Carla Peterson Charitable Foundation, Jandu Family, Sterling Landscape Services, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Hi Tec Fabrication. In addition, numerous donors supported the sale of benches, trees, and brick pavers that enhance the beauty of Graham Park.
“The Graham Park project is an impressive addition to “Walkable Sturgeon Bay” and its miles of accessible public waterfront, “ says Pam Seiler, retired Executive Director of Destination Sturgeon Bay. “This park project truly shows how many people have a deep love and commitment to Sturgeon Bay and it will certainly be a destination for generations to come.”
Destination Sturgeon Bay will host the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, June 3 at 11 am where the City will officially accept the new park donation. The public is welcomed to attend.