Brodhead receives $192,000 state grant for sensory-friendly splash pad

Brodhead has received a $192,000 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Administration for a planned city splash pad designed to include sensory-friendly features, barrier-free access and sustainable water-recirculation infrastructure.

The award was announced May 19, 2026, through the department’s Non-State Grant Program. It gives the City of Brodhead state funding for a public recreation project intended to serve a broader range of residents, including children and people with disabilities.

A more accessible recreation project

The planned splash pad is being designed with sensory-friendly elements. Those features are intended to make the future water-play area more accommodating for people who may experience sensory challenges in public recreational settings.

The project also calls for barrier-free access. That design element is intended to make the facility easier to use for people with mobility-related disabilities and families who need an accessible public recreation space.

Along with the accessibility features, the project includes sustainable water-recirculation infrastructure. The water system is part of the planned design, alongside the splash pad’s recreational and access features.

Together, those elements make the proposal more than a basic water-play installation. The project is planned as a public amenity that combines outdoor recreation with design features intended to accommodate residents with different physical and sensory needs.

What the grant means for Brodhead

The $192,000 award provides state support for a Brodhead development while limiting the amount of funding the city would need to provide on its own. It also moves the planned splash pad forward as a publicly supported project focused on inclusive recreation.

For local families, the project could eventually add another recreation option for children and residents with disabilities. The barrier-free and sensory-friendly design features are intended to broaden who can use the facility when it is completed.

The grant is funding for a planned project, not an announcement that the splash pad is open. The award does not identify a construction start date or an opening date. It also does not establish the project’s total cost or identify a required matching contribution from Brodhead.

No final site address was identified in the grant announcement. As a result, the confirmed development is the state award and the project’s planned design, while construction and opening details remain to be announced.

The May 19 grant announcement is the latest confirmed step for the splash pad. Future public updates will need to establish the project’s location, overall cost, construction schedule and opening plans.