Milwaukee – Plans for that new north gate for the Henry Maier Festival Park along Milwaukee’s lakefront were made public this week. Summerfest organizer Milwaukee World Festival Inc. is leading the project.

Summerfest’s rebuilt north gate will include a new ticket building, and modernized turnstyles for people waiting in line to enter the festival grounds. Those changes will ease the congestion for people waiting in line and add space for the metal detectors that are now used at Summerfest’s gates, said Robert Gosse, Milwaukee World Festival director of design and construction.

Construction could start on the new gate in late September for completion in time for the 2018 festival season, Gosse said.

Summerfest also is extending the project into part of the Urban Park green space north of the festival grounds.

The Urban Park area will remain mostly green space, but new plants will line Harbor Drive’s sidewalks and walkways heading toward the lake.

The soccer fields in Urban Park will remain.

The Historic 3rd Ward Architectural Review Board approved the project Wednesday.

Fundraising and planning are underway for that proposed $25 million city project.

Milwaukee World Festival, meanwhile, is in the midst of a multi-year rehab of the festival grounds themselves. Those include a new plaza outside of its central gate, renovation of the Miller Lite Oasis, U.S. Cellular Connection Stage and other stages. The Marcus Amphitheater will be replaced with a new, 23,000-seat American Family Insurance Amphitheater. American Family Insurance also would have its name over the new north gates.

Eppstein Uhen Architects designed the new north gate.