New outdoor experience, pavilion planned at Visit Sheboygan
10,000-square-feet of site additions will be added to the Visitor Center
SHEBOYGAN — Work is expected to get underway later this year on an outdoor educational experience for youth focused on the Sheboygan River.
Approximately 10,000-square-feet of site additions will be added to the outside of the Visit Sheboygan, Inc. building at South 8th Street and Riverfront Drive. The project is called Science on a River, or SOAR for short. The goal is to attract children for a series of outdoor learning experiences along the Sheboygan River. “We’re looking to educate our youth about science on the river,” said Steve Schmitt, President of Jos. Schmitt Construction Company. His company has been hired to do the work.
According to Schmitt, some of the activities for children will include water testing and growing plants in a greenhouse. Proposed additions will include several pathways, a solar tree and table, a pavilion, and a greenhouse. Also planned is a bio-filtration pond and rain garden.
As part of the improvements, the berm at the western end of Riverfront Drive will be removed. Additional landscaping and lighting will be added. Leslie Kohler of Windway Capitol is looking to replace floating docks at the 8th Street Launch Facility, located just south of the Visitor Center.
Constructed in 2019, the office building houses Visit Sheboygan and Windway Capitol, a firm that owns several subsidiaries including The Vollrath Company, and North Sails. Led by CEO Amy Wilson, Visit Sheboygan is the area’s tourism entity and is funded by tax dollars collected from overnight visits at hotels.
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