Schlitz Park: Marks Bike to Work Week with new free tenant bike share program

Office Complex Partners with Non-Profit DreamBikes Milwaukee to Offer Same Day Rentals

Milwaukee, May 14, 2012 – Schlitz Park, the downtown riverside office community, will mark Bike to Work Week with a new free tenant bike share program in partnership with DreamBikes Milwaukee. The non-profit bike shop is providing nearly a half dozen free bikes to Schlitz Park that tenants can rent same day.

The free tenant bike rentals are expected to start mid-week. Tuesday, Schlitz Park is providing tenants with free bike tune-ups, a monthly warm weather service the office park started last year, also in partnership with DreamBikes.

The tenant bike share program is the latest in a series of initiatives Schlitz Park began in 2010 to create a Bicycle Friendly Schlitz Park that encourages tenant wellness and sustainability. These included the first corporate installation of 80 state-of-the-art secured bike parking stations and a weather protected bicycle shelter, publishing a property-specific bike map (http://www.schlitzpark.com/media/mediafile_attachments/05/5-schlitzparkbikeparking.pdf) and holding bicycle commuting safety classes. Additionally, Schlitz Park’s $30 million renovation includes two new fitness centers with showers providing bike commuters a place to change or clean up. One center has opened and the second will in June.

“While our efforts have focused on making it easier for tenants to bike to and from work, not everybody can,” explained Schlitz Park developer Gary Grunau. “With our free, same day bike rentals we’re providing tenants the opportunity to ride to a meeting, errand or just get a little exercise. It’s good for them, good for the environment and good for DreamBikes.”

Added Russell Jobs, manager, DreamBikes Milwaukee, “More and more cities have bike share programs and until Milwaukee has one, we thought let’s use our bikes to start our own share program with Schlitz Park. This is a great way for us to promote bicycling in the city, as well as DreamBikes and our mission.”

DreamBikes, started in Madison in 2008 and in Milwaukee in 2010, locates bike shops in low -income neighborhoods to provide teens with jobs and offers used safe bicycles at affordable prices to area residents.

The DreamBikes Schlitz Park fleet includes refurbished Schwinn Collegiate and Suburban models complete with basket and available in men’s and women’s styles. DreamBikes will service the bikes once a week and will expand the fleet as tenant demand requires. To rent, tenants simply leave a driver’s license or another form of ID and return the bike by 5 p.m. A small donation to DreamBikes, while not required, would be requested. If the weather turns bad or there’s a problem with the bike, Schlitz Park will pick up the rider and their rental.

Also taking place this week, Schlitz Park, along with café and catering partner Davíans, are sponsors of DreamBikes 2nd Anniversary celebration Open House this Thursday from 5 to 8p at 2021A Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.

Besides the Bike to Work week activities, upcoming events at the office complex include the Schlitz Park Criterium June 26 (http://www.tourofamericasdairyland.com/schedule/schlitz-events.php), one of the most challenging professional and amateur bicycle races in the 11-day Tour of America’s Dairyland series. Also taking place that day is the Schlitz Park Miler Run/Walk (http://www.active.com/running/milwaukee-wi/schlitz-park-miler-2012).

More than 4,300 employees work in Schlitz Park (http://www.schlitzpark.com) home to major Milwaukee businesses including ManpowerGroup and Time Warner, and other companies and organizations providing financial services, health care, employment, education, technical and other important services. Schlitz Park is owned and managed by The Brewery Works, Inc., the organization formed by the families that purchased the Schlitz Park property in 1983.