Roxanne Suson, a Brookfield native and graduate of Brookfield East High School, provides readers with an eclectic mix of topics. Once a trial attorney, now a full-time mom, Roxanne blogs about the happiness, sadness, and absurdity of life and family in the suburbs.
Last time, I talked about golden arches. Now, I’m on to illuminated gateways. Much as St. Louis is known as the “Gateway to the West,” could Brookfield soon be the “Gateway to Oconomowoc?”
Sounds silly, doesn’t it? And silly is exactly what I thought when I read about a proposal to create a “gateway” to mark the intersection of 124th Street and Capitol Drive. (JS-Online (Waukesha): Brandon Lorenz, “2 city “gateway” ideas advance,” posted May 22, 2006) The following structures were proposed: 1) a trellis; 2) a tower; 3) an illuminated wall; and 4) a metal mesh wall enclosed with stone.
The first question that popped to mind was, “Huh?” The second question was “Why?” The third question was, “A TRELLIS??”
I don’t know what prompted the idea of a gateway. If my memory is correct, there was already a simple Welcome to Brookfield sign at that intersection, much like the other welcome signs scattered throughout the city. Although recent construction at the site may have called for the removal of the sign, I don’t know why something so grandiose is being contemplated as a replacement. For example, according to the article, the illuminated wall was explained as “a series of illuminated rectangular light boxes arranged in an oval spanning the north and south sides of Capitol.” Additionally, “the boxes could change color, depending on the time of day.” In the article, a representative of the design team stated, “What we wanted to do is make a statement about what Brookfield is.” So, what exactly does a multicolor light wall say about the city?
For those of you who have lived in Brookfield for awhile, you know that this particular intersection has been a source of “concern.” Remember the infamous “Schmuckville” comment by a former mayor? If you read the city’s crime report in the paper, you will note that stores at this intersection have more than their fair share of incidents. My brother, who happened to be at the Pick ‘N Save there, at around midnight on Mother’s Day, almost did not go in because of the presence of several squad cars around the entrance to the store. (Why he was there at that time of night is a long story, but it did involve a party his wife was throwing later that morning and therefore he had no choice but to go in.) So, it probably comes as no surprise that this particular intersection has been targeted for making a “statement,” but none of the proposed gateway ideas states anything substantial about the city. Nothing says, “Hey, this is a great place to live,” or “We’ve got great schools and parks.” Although I’ll grant you that it would be rather difficult to convey those thoughts in the form of a piece of architecture, let’s not kid ourselves. This gateway thing is about image
So, let’s say we go ahead and build an illuminated wall. On the pro side, it could say, “Brookfield is hip, Brookfield is edgy.” On the con side, it could say “Brookfield, a bit pretentious.”
When I told my friend, a former Brookfield resident, about this gateway idea, we had a few laughs comparing it to the Wizard of Oz, the part where Kansas is all black and white and then you cross over into Oz where everything is in color. (She gets full credit for the title for this blog, by the way.) On the serious side, she responded that it kind of sets up an “us” and “them” situation, and I’m inclined to agree.
Do we need a “gateway” to make a statement about what Brookfield is, and if we think we do, what does that say about us?
