Destroying chestnut grove at Marcus Center may appeal to Milwaukee's pragmatic side. But it makes no design sense.

“The City of Milwaukee has a rich history of importing some of the greatest talents that the country has to offer in terms of the built environment,” said Charles Birnbaum, founder of the Cultural Landscape Foundation. “Whether it's the original parks that engaged (Frederick Law) Olmsted or postwar-era architects like Weiss and (Eero) Saarinen or landscape architects like Kiley, there was a profound commitment to civicness, world-class public spaces and cultural destinations.