The Plan
The San Damiano Project Steering Committee was established in August 2021 by the Monona City Council to guide the future of the historic San Damiano property. Over the course of the next few years, the committee, engaged more than 6,000 community members that actively participated in shaping the vision for the space. This collaborative effort culminated in the approval of the San Damiano Master Plan in March of 2024.
The plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap for the transformation of the property, with a focus on passive recreation, sustainable design, and preserving the natural beauty of the landscape. At the heart of the San Damiano Master Plan is the commitment to maintaining an environment that remains largely undeveloped yet thoughtfully enhanced for public use and enjoyment.
Key features of the plan include the potential rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the Frank Allis House or the construction of a new community event facility. The plan also envisions the creation of outdoor gathering spaces, accessible pathways, natural play areas, and public amenities such as a pier and event lawn.
Sustainability is another cornerstone of the project, with plans for an advanced stormwater management system and the development of naturalized areas like prairies and meadows. Collaborations with community partners are also central to the plan, ensuring that the site’s cultural heritage and environmental integrity are preserved for future generations.
The Friends of San Damiano (FoSD) is honored with the responsibility of progressing the Master Plan and realizing the vision for the park expressed by our greater community.
About the Purchase
In early 2020, the St. Norbert Abbey announced its intention to sell San Damiano for private development. Shortly thereafter, Monona Mayor Mary O’Connor (since retired), with approval from the Monona City Council, negotiated an agreement with the Abbey to explore the community’s interest in conserving the property as a public asset.
Drawing upon decades of relevant professional experience, Alder Nancy Moore (now current Mayor of Monona) spearheaded the effort to strategically explore the conservation of the property and its use as a public asset. A small steering committee was formed to manage negotiations with the Norbertines, and the City Council commissioned a Capital Campaign Feasibility Study to determine the community’s interest in, and philanthropic capacity for, a project of this magnitude and importance.
Interest was strong. As Chris Homburg said in his response to the study:
“The opportunity for public access to the lake and the preservation of the property is as large of an opportunity as I can see us ever having. For generations! This public space would be cherished for generations to come.”
Another significant finding of the Feasibility Study was the revelation that San Damiano is widely viewed as more than just a City of Monona resource. With the City of Madison immediately to the north and east, and amidst the ongoing development of Madison’s East Side, the property most often was articulated by Study respondents as a Lake Monona (rather than City of Monona) destination.
Armed with the Feasibility Study findings in late 2020, the City successfully negotiated for, and unanimously approved, the purchase of the property for $8.6M, well below its appraised fair market value.
Later, in December of 2020, the Dane County Board of Supervisors – in support of an initiative led by Supervisor and Monona resident Sarah Smith – demonstrated a similar commitment to this extraordinary site, with a capital appropriation of $2M towards the purchase. The sale of the property was finalized in June of 2021.
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