City leaders have completed the Ezekiel Gillespie Park, a former vacant lot on the corner of 14th and Wright streets that was transformed into a vibrant community park featuring an underground rainwater cistern, porous pavers, a rain garden, fruit trees and berry bushes. It pays tribute to African-American civil rights leader and community advocate Ezekiel Gillespie, who won a landmark case in 1866 to secure voting rights in Wisconsin.

The project was initiated by HOME GR/OWN Milwaukee, dedicated to empowering neighborhood residents through repurposing vacant lots into social and economic assets for the community.

For more information, visit HomegrownMilwaukee.com.