Building the Future of Ivanhoe Plaza

Transforming a temporary pop-up space into a permanent, thoughtfully designed public plaza for Milwaukee’s East Side.

Ivanhoe Plaza began as a temporary experiment in placemaking. Today, it has the opportunity to become something lasting: a permanent, concrete public gathering space designed to serve the East Side for decades to come. This transformation will create an accessible, all-season civic plaza that supports neighborhood businesses, strengthens community identity, and anchors the district’s continued growth.

Vibrant public spaces are the connective tissue of modern cities: uniting people, reinforcing civic identity, and turning density into community. Ivanhoe Plaza delivers on this vision, positioning Milwaukee’s East Side alongside forward-thinking urban districts across North America that invest confidently in design, walkability, and civic life.

See the Vision: Project Rendering

The redesigned plaza will include:

A permanent concrete plaza surface
Integrated seating and gathering areas
Landscaping and shade elements
Infrastructure to support performances and events
Improved accessibility and pedestrian connectivity
Flexible space for daily use and large-scale community programming

Join us in our vision

We invite you to be a part of the Ivanhoe Plaza’s transformative journey by supporting our vision for a vibrant, community-driven public space through exclusive naming and sponsorship opportunities. Your investment in the East Side will create a lasting legacy celebrating local identity, fostering connection, and energizing the neighborhood for generations to come.

Beyond placemaking, Ivanhoe Plaza will serve as a stabilizing force for the district by anchoring investment, supporting surrounding businesses, and ensuring that neighborhood growth remains intentional, community-centered, and built to endure.

Support the Vision: Donate Today

Be part of bringing Ivanhoe Plaza to life. From small, meaningful contributions to larger sponsorship opportunities, there are many ways to leave your mark on this future community space. Whether you choose to make a digital dedication or support a physical element of the plaza, your contribution helps shape a lasting place for connection on the East Side. Explore donation options and find the opportunity that’s right for you.

Explore Donation Opportunities

Why here?

Nexus of the Neighborhood

Ivanhoe Plaza is the heart of the community, a place where people naturally gather, pass through, and interact. Transforming it into a public plaza will reinforce its role as the social and cultural hub of the East Side.

While designed as an all-day gathering place, from morning coffee meetups to afternoon study sessions and evening hangs, the plaza will shine brightest as a space to linger and connect before and after nearby events. Positioned steps from neighborhood destinations like The Oriental Theatre, Colectivo, Black Cat Alley, Poppy Bakery, and Hooligan's, Ivanhoe Plaza becomes the East Side’s front porch, seamlessly connecting performances, dining, nightlife, and community celebration.

Connecting Culture, Community, and Commerce

The plaza will serve as a vibrant space where local culture is celebrated, community connections are strengthened, and small businesses can thrive. It’s a place for markets, events, performances, and daily social life.

Milwaukee has long been recognized for its neighborhoods, festivals, and civic pride. Thoughtful public infrastructure signals confidence, attracts private investment, and enhances quality of life for residents, students, visitors, and businesses.

Cities that prioritize permanent, well-designed gathering spaces don’t just beautify streetscapes, they build social capital.

A Vision Already in Motion

This transformation isn’t a new idea. The concept of Ivanhoe Plaza was approved in the 2009 City of Milwaukee Northeast Area Plan. Not only is it supported by the neighborhood, it is also consistent with prior planning efforts:

City of Milwaukee Complete Streets Policy, adopted in 2018
Gather Places Feasibility Study, City of Milwaukee, 2022
East Side BID Market and Redevelopment Study, 2015

This project reflects years of thoughtful planning and aligns with Milwaukee’s broader commitment to walkable neighborhoods, multimodal transportation, and high-quality public spaces.

From Interim Street to Lasting Civic Space

Ivanhoe Place (the street) was converted to interim pedestrian use in 2023 and has since been deemed non-essential to car circulation. Its scale, location, and context make it ideal for pedestrian use, reclaiming this space from cars, fostering safety, accessibility, and vibrancy.

What began as an interim solution has proven the power of people-first design. A permanent plaza builds on that success, transforming temporary activation into lasting civic infrastructure.

IVANHOE PLAZA

Transforming an underutilzed street into a vibrant civic amenity.

Part park, part flex-space, and part marketplace, Ivanhoe Plaza will convert an underutilized street into a modern, inviting, and active civic space at the heart of downtown. Designed to serve residents and visitors alike, the plaza will become a central hub for connection, creativity, and commerce on the East
Side.

Key features include:

- A 500 SF pavilion for shade, shelter, and gathering

- A community stage for live music, film nights and performances

- Flexible, open space for markets, festivals, and everyday neighborhood life

PROJECT ELEMENTS

Take a look through the carefully crafted elements designed for the needs of our community.

LEAF CANOPY

A gathering space shaped by light and movement

At the heart of Ivanhoe Plaza, the Leaf Canopy stands as a 500 square-foot structure that invites everyday interactions, community markets, and public events. Its colorful canopy casts dappled patterns of light and shadow across the plaza floor, creating a dynamic atmosphere that shifts throughout the day and across the seasons. Shaped by the plaza’s pathways and visual connections, the light that dances through its vibrant leaves, and the spirit of the community that brings it to life, the pavilion offers both a destination and a daily gathering place.

A bold visual identity anchors the plaza.

The Leaf Canopy celebrates the spirit of the neighborhood. Its vibrant, multi-green leaves are inspired by colorful local urban pathways like the nearby Oak Leaf Trail and others from around the world. This visual language is re-imagined here, reflecting the diversity, creativity, and energy of the East Side. This artistic structure adds to the street art character of the neighborhood, contributing another bold visual element to the East Side’s creative landscape.

Explore Leaf Canopy Sponsorship Opportunities

COMMUNITY STAGE

A platform for culture and connection.

The Community Stage at Ivanhoe Plaza is a flexible, multi-use feature designed to support the East Side’s vibrant creative life.

As a performance space, it becomes the centerpiece for live music, film screenings, poetry nights, dance, and civic events; a platform for local voices and talents to shine.

Before and after performances, the stage and surrounding plaza offer space to gather, extend the evening, and deepen the shared experience of the neighborhood.

Outside of programmed events, the stage transforms into a public seating and gathering space, inviting people to rest, meet friend, eat lunch, or simply watch the life of the plaza unfold.

Thoughtfully integrated into the plaza’s design, the stage reinforces the space’s identity as a place for celebration, storytelling, and shared experience; open and welcoming to all.

Explore Stage Sponsorship Opportunities

FLEX PARK

A shared neighborhood amenity.

Ivanhoe Plaza transforms with the seasons and the spirit of the community. Designed for flexibility, it adapts seamlessly to a wide range of uses, from summer markets, outdoor concerts, and film festivals to winter celebrations and everyday gatherings. This year-round public space reflects the neighborhood’s evolving needs and rhythms, offering a place that is always active, welcoming, and alive.

Whether you're grabbing coffee from Ma Fischer's before a morning meetup, picking up dinner from Nadi Plates, or heading to a show at Landmark Lanes, the plaza naturally weaves into the daily rhythm of the East Side. During neighborhood traditions like Summer Soulstice Music Festival and East Side Gallery Nights, it becomes a central gathering point, acting as a place to pause, connect, and celebrate together. By strengthening these connections between businesses, events, and public space, Ivanhoe Plaza reinforces what makes the East Side distinct: its energy, creativity, and sense of community.

Explore Sponsorship Opportunities

SUPPORT OUR VISION & BE A PART OF THE LEGACY

NAMING OPPORTUNITIES

Join us in bringing Ivanhoe Plaza to life and shaping a vibrant new community landmark.

Together, we can reach our $1.75 million goal and a create a legacy that lasts.

DOWNLOAD OUR SPONSORSHIP BOOKLET

IVANHOE PLAZA NAMING RIGHTS - $300,000

Make a lasting impact.

With a lead gift of $300,000, you or your organization will receive exclusive naming rights to Ivanhoe Plaza.

Your name will be prominently featured on the primary entry signage, visible to all who visit, gather, pass by, and celebrate this new civic space.

“Ivanhoe Plaza – Sponsored by [Your Name or Organization]”

This is a rare opportunity to leave a legacy and be permanently recognized as a cornerstone supporter of a transformative public space on the East Side.

Donate now >

LEAF CANOPY NAMING RIGHTS - $150,000

Be the name behind the heart of the plaza.

With a gift of $150,000, you will secure exclusive naming rights to the Leaf Canopy, the central landmark of Ivanhoe Plaza.

Your name will be prominently displayed on the built-in bench beneath the canopy, where community members gather for markets, performances, and everyday moments.

“The [Your Name] Leaf Canopy at Ivanhoe Plaza”

Visible year-round and activated daily, the canopy offers a high-profile opportunity to be recognized as a key supporter of culture, connection, and community life on the East Side.

Donate now >

COMMUNITY STAGE NAMING RIGHTS - $150,000

Support the voices, stories, and creativity of the East Side.

With a gift of $150,000, you will secure exclusive naming rights to the Community Stage, a signature element of Ivanhoe Plaza.

Your name will be prominently featured on the platform structure, where performances, film screenings, and civic events take center stage and where people gather, rest, and connect.

“The [Your Name] Community Stage at Ivanhoe Plaza”

As a highly visible and frequently activated feature, the stage offers a unique opportunity to champion local culture and be permanently recognized as a driving force behind this new public space.

Donate now >

DONOR WALL RECOGNITION - $15,000 to $25,000+

Celebrate Your Support — Leave a Lasting Mark

We will honor our generous supporters with a Donor Wall prominently located at the entrance to Ivanhoe Plaza. This location is a visible tribute to the community champions who will help make this vision a reality.

Two Levels of Recognition:
TIER 1 $25,000+
Your name etched on a premium plaque on the donor wall and celebrated as a key contributor to Ivanhoe Plaza.

TIER 2 $15,000 – $24,999
Your name etched on a plaque on the donor wall

Donate now >

BLACK CAT ALLEY SIGN - $10,000

Sponsor one of two new Gateway Signs to Black Cat Alley

Celebrate and support the vibrant arts scene adjacent to Ivanhoe Plaza.

Black Cat Alley is a nationally acclaimed outdoor art gallery located at the eastern entrance of Ivanhoe Plaza. This dynamic space features dozens of installations by local, national, and international artists, curated and supported by the East Side Business Improvement District.

By sponsoring the gateway signage, your name will be forever linked to Black Cat Alley and recognized by the East Side BID.

“Gateway Signage Sponsored by [Your Name]”

Your sponsorship helps sustain Black Cat Alley’s legacy of public art, community engagement, and cultural vitality.

Donate now >

CANOPY “LEAF” SPONSORSHIP - $5,000

Sponsor a leaf, shape the canopy, and become part of the plaza’s most iconic feature.

The colorful Leaf Canopy is made up of a series of individual metal components. Each one reflects light and creates unique shadows throughout the days and seasons.

With a gift of $5,000, you can sponsor one of these unique “leaves” and be forever connected to the heart of Ivanhoe Plaza.

Each donor will receive a replica “leaf” and will be forever recognized on a digital graphic which maps and identifies the canopy leaf they have sponsored.

Limited number available. Each “leaf” is unique and symbolic of our collective community support.

Donate now >

FRIENDS OF THE PLAZA

Join a growing community of neighbors, advocates, and champions.

Whether you’re helping build the foundation or leading the charge, your support makes this public space possible. All donors at these levels will be recognized for their generosity and commitment to the East Side.

Every gift builds the plaza. The Friends of the Plaza program offers an opportunity for donors at all levels to contribute meaningfully to the creation and care of Ivanhoe Plaza.

Three gifting tiers:

PLAZA CHAMPIONS: $5,000-$9,999

Name listed forever on East Side BID website
Includes Ivanhoe Plaza “leaf”, shirt, poster, and tote bag
Recognition in the East Side BID newsletter and social media

PLAZA BUILDERS: $1,000 – $4,999

Name listed forever on East Side BID website
Gift includes Ivanhoe Plaza poster, shirt, and tote bag
Recognition in the East Side BID newsletter and social media

PLAZA FRIENDS: Up to $999

Recognition in the East Side BID newsletter

Donate now >

ADDITIONAL SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Extend your support and visibility through these vital elements that bring Ivanhoe Plaza and its surroundings to life:

BLACK CAT ALLEY GATEWAY SIGNAGE x 2: $10,000

Sponsor the prominent entry signage connecting visitors to this renowned outdoor art gallery, enhancing neighborhood culture and visibility.

CANOPY “LEAVES”: $5,000

Support the vibrant and iconic colorful canopy of the Market Pavilion, a key architectural and cultural feature of the plaza.

BENCHES (EACH): $10,000

Sponsor durable and inviting seating throughout the plaza, providing comfort and gathering spots for visitors.

PLANTERS (EACH): $7,500

Fund beautifully designed planters that add greenery, texture, and life to the plaza environment.

1 MONTH OF PLANTINGS: $1,500

Contribute to the native and seasonal landscaping that creates a welcoming and sustainable outdoor space.

1 YEAR OF MAINTENANCE: $7,500

Ensure the plaza remains vibrant and well cared for with a full year of professional upkeep and programming support.

HOST A POP-UP EVENT: $500

Sponsor a pop-up market event for local vendors.

HOST A MUSICIAN: $500

Sponsor a musical event.

Donate now >

Donate Today