River Park Could Be Next in Line for a Shorewood Makeover

Shorewood is preparing to take a fresh look at the future of River Park, with a new master plan proposed for 2027 that could examine everything from playground space and athletic fields to bike connections, lighting and landscaping.

The Village’s draft 2027 capital budget includes $30,000 for a River Park Master Plan, one of several park initiatives Shorewood has been developing following adoption of its new Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan earlier this year.

The important thing for families: this isn’t a construction project yet.

The $30,000 would pay for concept planning — essentially deciding what River Park should look like and how it should function before specific improvements are designed or built.

Shorewood officials have also said the work is important because the River Park concept needs to be developed before design work begins on South Oakland Avenue in 2028.

What could change at River Park?

Shorewood’s newly adopted Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan gives a much clearer picture of what planners want the master-plan process to examine.

The Village recommends hiring a consultant to comprehensively evaluate River Park’s current and potential uses, including:

• Better connections between the park, Oakland Avenue, the Oak Leaf Trail and Hubbard Park

• Locations for benches, bike racks and other park amenities

• Athletic-field needs and potential layouts

• Playscape and playground needs, including possible locations for playground equipment

• Park lighting

• Improved entrances and wayfinding

• Landscaping improvements

That means there isn't yet a proposed new playground, field layout or trail design. Those are exactly the kinds of questions the master plan would answer.

A small park in an important location

River Park is about 5.4 acres and is classified by Shorewood as a “special use park.” Today, its primary recreational uses include baseball, soccer, picnicking, biking, walking and general relaxation.

The site has an interesting history: before becoming a park, the property was part of the former Oakland Avenue railyard used by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company.

Its location makes the planning especially interesting. River Park sits near the Oak Leaf Trail and provides an opportunity to think about connections among several of Shorewood’s major recreation assets rather than treating the park in isolation.

Explore River Park now

Before any master-plan changes take shape, families can check out our complete North Shore Family Adventures guide to River Park, including details on Spector Field, soccer fields, open green space and connections to the Oak Leaf Trail.

River Park is especially useful as a jumping-off point for a longer bike ride, with paved connections into Milwaukee County’s regional trail network. Shorewood’s official parks page has current Village information, while the newly adopted 2026 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan lays out the bigger vision for River Park, including potential playground space, improved Oak Leaf Trail connections, benches, bike racks, lighting, wayfinding and landscaping.

Part of a bigger Shorewood parks push

River Park is one of three areas Shorewood identified as priorities following adoption of its 2026 Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.

That process included park inventories, community surveys and public engagement covering Atwater Park and Beach, the Shorewood Nature Preserve, River Park and Hubbard Park. The Parks and Public Spaces Committee ultimately recommended prioritizing River Park master planning, Atwater Park improvements and Hubbard Park planning.

For 2027, however, Shorewood recommended moving ahead with the River Park master plan while delaying a broader Hubbard Park amenities and landscape plan until 2028.

What happens next?

The $30,000 River Park allocation is currently part of Shorewood’s proposed 2027 budget, so it has not yet reached final budget adoption.

If the funding remains in the final budget, the next logical step would be for Shorewood to select a consultant and begin the master-planning process in 2027.

That should eventually produce the part NSFA readers will really want to see: concept drawings and specific ideas for how River Park could change.

We’ll be watching for those.