Burnham Park Residents Seek Alley Repair Funding
Neighbors along a crumbling South Side alley are petitioning Milwaukee to add it to the city's limited alleyway reconstruction program.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Home Repair
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Residents of Burnham Park are asking the City of Milwaukee to reconstruct a deteriorated alley between South 33rd and South 32nd streets. Ald. JoCasta Zamarripa has recommended the alley for the city's alleyway repair program.
Why it matters
The city's repair program addresses only a handful of alleys each year, and approved projects require bordering neighbors to fund half the cost. For residents in Milwaukee, the outcome shows how cost sharing shapes which neighborhood infrastructure gets repaired.
Previous alley reconstructions in Milwaukee have cost $350,000 to $450,000 each, with the city covering half and bordering neighbors paying the rest. Whether this alley will be selected for the program remains unresolved.
The players
JoCasta Zamarripa
Milwaukee alderwoman who recommended the alley for the city's alleyway repair program.
City of Milwaukee
The municipal government responsible for the city's alleyway repair program and its cost-sharing rules.
The details
Glenda De Leon and her husband have lived in their Burnham Park home for 19 years and have watched the alley between the 1600 block of South 33rd and South 32nd streets deteriorate. Residents invited Zamarripa to a block club meeting to show the alley's condition, and neighbor Rita Nokovic, who has dealt with potholes for nearly 30 years, said the cost may deter some property owners.
Timeline
Thirty years ago, the City of Milwaukee offered to reconstruct the alley behind Nokovic's home, but neighbors declined.
Neighbors would not receive a bill for the work until two years after the project's approval.
Seasonal Patterns
Milwaukee's citywide alley program repairs only about 5 to 10 of its roughly 4,000 alleys each year, so Burnham Park's petition is competing for a small annual allotment. The residents' winter upkeep, including buying road salt and kitty litter, reflects how long such shortfalls have persisted.
Homeowners on the affected block would face a share of reconstruction costs of at least $5,833 each if the alley is approved, payable two years after the project's approval. Neighbors who cannot cover that share may face the continued upkeep burden of potholes and winter ice.
The takeaway
Alley repairs in Milwaukee depend on both limited city funding and neighbors' willingness to split costs. Homeowners facing similar problems should gather neighbor support early, since every bordering owner must agree to share the bill.
Further reading
For related coverage of exterior upkeep, see Home Repair in Milwaukee.
More information
Residents interested in petitioning for alley reconstruction can email the Milwaukee Department of Public Works at dpwmilw@milwaukee.gov.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Journal Sentinel.
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