The Wauwatosa Village Business Improvement District is celebrating the end of a major phase of recent construction and streetscaping projects with the grand opening of Root Common and Pocket Park in the center of the Village on Thursday, July 19 from 6 pm to 8 pm.

A short ribbon cutting ceremony will take place to kick off the start of the concert. Wauwatosa Mayor Kathy Ehley and other civic officials, business and property owners will be present for the ribbon-cutting. Popular local musician Joe Wray will play after the ceremony. The event will also feature wine & cheese from the Village Cheese Shop, food from Cafe Hollander, and beer from Milwaukee Brewing Company. Niemann’s Candies & Ice Cream will be providing goodie bags to the first 100 people.

Several Village businesses will also have events and activities going on during the evening. This concert is the first in the Root Series, monthly concerts that will be held in the Root Common Park. The Root Series is organized by the Business Improvement District, but would not be possible without series sponsors Corey Double Boldt - Powers Realty Group, Tosa Pediatrics, and Be Spectacled. These sponsors have also donated Root Series t-shirts that will be sold to benefit the local community.

"Everyone in the business district is excited for the streetscaping project to finally be complete, and this is a major milestone towards that goal," said Michelle Haider, Director of the Wauwatosa Village Business Improvement District. "The businesses and their customers have had to endure the construction for a couple of years now, and it is really an amazing feeling to see that it was worth the wait."

The parks are one of the final parts of Phase 3 of the Village Streetscaping Project. Phase 4 is underway with the reconstruction of State Street from 68th to 74th Streets, which is expected to be completed later this Fall.

For more information, please contact BID Director Michelle Haider at 920-279-1325 or email at director@wauwatosavillage.org