Milwaukee County Board votes against selling O'Donnell Park to Northwestern Mutual

 The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors voted by a margin of 9-8 to not sell O'Donnell Park to Northwest Mutual. County board supervisors who opposed the plan say $12.7 million wasn't a high enough price for the land.

The O'Donnell Park parking structure was supposed to compliment Northwestern Mutual's $450 million tower currently under construction. Northwestern Mutual said it would transform the parking structure into a larger parking area with green space. The company also promised to create pedestrian paths and a cafe that would be open to the public.

Opponents of the proposed sale wondered if Northwestern would ever change their plans, and worried about public access to the park atop the parking structure. Northwestern Mutual calls this vote a missed opportunity for the entire community.

Milwaukee County was supposed to use the money from the sale of O'Donnell Park to pay off existing debt and the remaining five million dollars would go to improving other parks.