Milwaukee finally made it to the banner! I'm so happy, haha!

We've had the banner before, but good for us!

Even though it's only being ranked a 3 it's still awesome to have it up there, definitely better than a lot of banners I've seen lately. I gave it a 5 just to balance it out a little :cheers:

Rotary Club Arboretum will be Milwaukee’s ‘Central Park’
biztimes.com

The Rotary Club of Milwaukee will announce over lunch today that it has exceeded its goal of raising $400,000 to create the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, a 40-acre “living classroom” that will extend from North Avenue to the Locust Street, stretching upward through Riverside Park.
The Arboretum, which Rotarians believe will become Milwaukee’s “Central Park,” will be bounded on the west by the Milwaukee River and the east by the Oak Leaf Trail. Wheelchair accessible trails - 3.5 miles in all - will run through the area, connecting the river trails to the community.
James T. Barry III, president of Colliers Barry and past president of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, will announce today that the club raised more than $430,000 for the project.
“I am very pleased that Rotary will celebrate its centennial anniversary with a contribution that will dramatically enhance the riverfront and the community - a contribution that is in keeping with our strong history of community giving,” Barry said. “In partnership with the Urban Ecology Center, the River Revitalization Foundation and Milwaukee County Parks we seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to convert old industrial land along the revitalized Milwaukee River into a natural jewel for the city - a living forest classroom that our grandchildren will be able to enjoy and share with their grandchildren many generations to come.”
The Rotary Club of Milwaukee followed a participative process during 2008 to identify projects of expanding worth in Milwaukee that could be suitable for the largest financial commitment members will have been asked to consider. The club’s board selected the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum project presented as a collaborative effort with the Urban Ecology Center, the River Revitalization Foundation and Milwaukee County.
The Arboretum will feature multiple entry points with prominent entrance archways recognizing the civic investments by members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee over the past 100 years. The Arboretum will be dedicated to recreation, research and teaching, as it serves as the first and only arboretum in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
More than 100,000 visitors are expected annually, and most or all of the area’s 12 colleges and universities are assumed to be part of ongoing research efforts. Hundreds of trees will be planted, replacing gravel and brush that now consume the property. Long-term maintenance requirements will be the responsibility of the Urban Ecology Center as part of its 99-year lease with Milwaukee County as the property owner.
In addition, the Rotary Club of Milwaukee awarded $100,000 from the RCM Community Trust for reconstruction of the schoolyard at Brown Street Academy.


.........I really like where this is going!!........

Aloft Hotel will open Dec. 17
Published December 2, 2009 - Real Estate Weekly

The new, 160-room Aloft hotel in downtown Milwaukee, developed by Milwaukee River Hotel LLC, will open on Dec. 17, general manager Lisa Aldrich said.

Aloft is a select service hotel brand of White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The downtown Milwaukee hotel is the first Aloft location in southeastern Wisconsin.

Several people have already made reservations at the hotel.

“I get about 10 to 15 calls a day from people who want to know when we are opening,” Aldrich said. “They are excited.”

The hotel is located at 1230 N. Old World Third St., along the Milwaukee River in the Park East corridor. The hotel is only one block northeast of the Bradley Center and one block south of the Manpower Inc. corporate headquarters.

Bars, restaurants and shops along Old World Third Street will be appealing to hotel guests, Aldrich said. In addition, the hotel’s location along McKinley Avenue makes it easy for visitors to find off the freeway, she said.

“I think we are in a great location,” Aldrich said.

The five-story hotel will have 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, an indoor pool on the first floor overlooking a new riverwalk segment and the Wxyz Bar in the lobby/lounge area. Previous plans for retail space in the building were eliminated, replacing it with the meeting space, Aldrich said.

About 35 to 40 employees will work at the hotel once it is fully staffed next year, Aldrich said.

The Aloft hotel will be the first new hotel to open in downtown Milwaukee in several years. The Iron Horse Hotel opened last year and a Days Inn Hotel of the Arts opened earlier this year. Both of those hotels are located near the downtown area, but are not located within the downtown.

Aldrich was the general manager for the Staybridge Suites hotel that was under construction at North Water Street and Juneau Avenue. The project has been stalled by financial problems and it is now in receivership. When that happened, Aldrich shifted to the Aloft project.

“I count my blessings every day,” she said.

Johnson Controls downtown plan includes ex-Universal Foods site
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 2, 2009 11:41 a.m.

Johnson Controls Inc. is not considering a move of its building efficiency division headquarters from downtown Milwaukee to Wauwatosa--contrary to what Ald. Robert Bauman said at a Common Council meeting Tuesday.

But company spokesman Darryll Fortune did acknowledge that Johnson Controls in May 2008 drew up a plan to expand the downtown facility, which has around 1,500 employees at 507 E. Michigan St.

That plan is now on hold because of global economic conditions, Fortune said.

Bauman told me the company's plan included buying the former Universal Foods Corp. headquarters, which is just across N. Jefferson St., at 433 E. Michigan St. That five-story building would be demolished, with an addition to the Johnson Controls facility built on that site.

The plan called for closing the block of Jefferson St. that separates the two buildings, and creating a pedestrian plaza, Bauman said. Johnson Controls also wanted the city to finance a 1,300-space parking structure, he said.

The former Universal Foods building, which has been vacant for years, was sold in June 2008 to a Johnson Controls affiliate, Milwaukee Acquisition Partners LLC, for $3.1 million, according to city assessment records.

The property was acquired to make it available for the company's potential growth, Fortune said. He said there's been no decision on whether the 2008 plan will be revived.

Rotary Club Arboretum will be Milwaukee’s ‘Central Park’
biztimes.com

The Rotary Club of Milwaukee will announce over lunch today that it has exceeded its goal of raising $400,000 to create the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum, a 40-acre “living classroom” that will extend from North Avenue to the Locust Street, stretching upward through Riverside Park.
The Arboretum, which Rotarians believe will become Milwaukee’s “Central Park,” will be bounded on the west by the Milwaukee River and the east by the Oak Leaf Trail. Wheelchair accessible trails - 3.5 miles in all - will run through the area, connecting the river trails to the community.
James T. Barry III, president of Colliers Barry and past president of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, will announce today that the club raised more than $430,000 for the project.
“I am very pleased that Rotary will celebrate its centennial anniversary with a contribution that will dramatically enhance the riverfront and the community - a contribution that is in keeping with our strong history of community giving,” Barry said. “In partnership with the Urban Ecology Center, the River Revitalization Foundation and Milwaukee County Parks we seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to convert old industrial land along the revitalized Milwaukee River into a natural jewel for the city - a living forest classroom that our grandchildren will be able to enjoy and share with their grandchildren many generations to come.”
The Rotary Club of Milwaukee followed a participative process during 2008 to identify projects of expanding worth in Milwaukee that could be suitable for the largest financial commitment members will have been asked to consider. The club’s board selected the Milwaukee Rotary Centennial Arboretum project presented as a collaborative effort with the Urban Ecology Center, the River Revitalization Foundation and Milwaukee County.
The Arboretum will feature multiple entry points with prominent entrance archways recognizing the civic investments by members of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee over the past 100 years. The Arboretum will be dedicated to recreation, research and teaching, as it serves as the first and only arboretum in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
More than 100,000 visitors are expected annually, and most or all of the area’s 12 colleges and universities are assumed to be part of ongoing research efforts. Hundreds of trees will be planted, replacing gravel and brush that now consume the property. Long-term maintenance requirements will be the responsibility of the Urban Ecology Center as part of its 99-year lease with Milwaukee County as the property owner.
In addition, the Rotary Club of Milwaukee awarded $100,000 from the RCM Community Trust for reconstruction of the schoolyard at Brown Street Academy.


.........I really like where this is going!!........

yeah, i am excited to see some renderings -- are there any available yet? i think it's marvelous to have a group like the rotary that offers funding for something like this -- typically the state, city or county would be responsible for creating a park like this but the entire community is now going to benefit from the rotary's generosity.
i'm not sure if it will be the equivalent of "Central Park", but it will be a very nice addition. personally, I've always thought of Lake Park and Veterans Park as the equivalent of Central Park in Milwaukee (Lake Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of NYC's Central Park)

Aloft Hotel will open Dec. 17
Published December 2, 2009 - Real Estate Weekly

The new, 160-room Aloft hotel in downtown Milwaukee, developed by Milwaukee River Hotel LLC, will open on Dec. 17, general manager Lisa Aldrich said.

Aloft is a select service hotel brand of White Plains, N.Y.-based Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. The downtown Milwaukee hotel is the first Aloft location in southeastern Wisconsin.

Several people have already made reservations at the hotel.

“I get about 10 to 15 calls a day from people who want to know when we are opening,” Aldrich said. “They are excited.”

The hotel is located at 1230 N. Old World Third St., along the Milwaukee River in the Park East corridor. The hotel is only one block northeast of the Bradley Center and one block south of the Manpower Inc. corporate headquarters.

Bars, restaurants and shops along Old World Third Street will be appealing to hotel guests, Aldrich said. In addition, the hotel’s location along McKinley Avenue makes it easy for visitors to find off the freeway, she said.

“I think we are in a great location,” Aldrich said.

The five-story hotel will have 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, an indoor pool on the first floor overlooking a new riverwalk segment and the Wxyz Bar in the lobby/lounge area. Previous plans for retail space in the building were eliminated, replacing it with the meeting space, Aldrich said.

About 35 to 40 employees will work at the hotel once it is fully staffed next year, Aldrich said.

The Aloft hotel will be the first new hotel to open in downtown Milwaukee in several years. The Iron Horse Hotel opened last year and a Days Inn Hotel of the Arts opened earlier this year. Both of those hotels are located near the downtown area, but are not located within the downtown.

Aldrich was the general manager for the Staybridge Suites hotel that was under construction at North Water Street and Juneau Avenue. The project has been stalled by financial problems and it is now in receivership. When that happened, Aldrich shifted to the Aloft project.

“I count my blessings every day,” she said.

I'll be glad when it's finished-- while the building isn't the most architecturally inspiring piece in the world, i've watched it go up day after day (i bike past it on my way to work..yes, even in december), they are putting on external touches to give the building a more finished and luxurious look-- several wooden or wooden-looking panels are siding the building now externally and i do like the signage up top. the most disappointing angle of the building is its southern face, i would say. also, the entrance is somewhat obscured by the small brick bridge house on the corner of third and mckinley. that's a minor mishap, though. i'll be the most glad when the union picketers finally leave (they've been squatting outside the place since construction started)

I'm curious to see how literal they are with the application of this 'Central Park' idea.

Central Park, here in NY, is an incredible space because of its mix of hyper-natural landscape, urban proximity, and public use. As a park, it is notable for the fact that it is designed to attract people in large numbers and keep them inside, with a large variety of landscapes and attractions.

Lake Park does not do this. It is a picnic or gathering destination with negligably small areas for hiking/exploring. Also, it is not adequately plugged into the urban fabric, and most unfortunately it hardly accomodates circulation to the lakefront for which the park was named. Even though Olmsted's firm designed it, it operates in a very very different fashion. Washington and Mitchell Parks are the only parks in the city that bear comparison to Central Park, and even those are second rate designs.

Veterans Park is an enormous open space that is great for large gatherings, events, and morning jogs, but little else. It lacks the dynamic range of intimate and open spaces of someplace like Central Park in NY. For example, when I want to take a stroll and get lost somewhere, I never would choose Veterans Park for obvious reasons; it's cutoff from the city just one of them.

The riverfront corridor proposed for Milwaukee Central Park is a really loaded space. It is loaded because it is a really captivating natural experience that begs for preservation, but at the same time, Milwaukee seriously lacks any kind of grand and engaging public space [Washington Park comes close, but it's way on the West Side]. Being in such proximity to such a densely populated area of the city, it begs to be developed in a manner that gets people to go into the park and experience it; because as it is now, it is neglecting the neighbourhoods it could serve. I'm excited to see what they decide to do with it...

Johnson Controls downtown plan includes ex-Universal Foods site
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 2, 2009 11:41 a.m.

Johnson Controls Inc. is not considering a move of its building efficiency division headquarters from downtown Milwaukee to Wauwatosa--contrary to what Ald. Robert Bauman said at a Common Council meeting Tuesday.

But company spokesman Darryll Fortune did acknowledge that Johnson Controls in May 2008 drew up a plan to expand the downtown facility, which has around 1,500 employees at 507 E. Michigan St.

That plan is now on hold because of global economic conditions, Fortune said.

Bauman told me the company's plan included buying the former Universal Foods Corp. headquarters, which is just across N. Jefferson St., at 433 E. Michigan St. That five-story building would be demolished, with an addition to the Johnson Controls facility built on that site.

The plan called for closing the block of Jefferson St. that separates the two buildings, and creating a pedestrian plaza, Bauman said. Johnson Controls also wanted the city to finance a 1,300-space parking structure, he said.

The former Universal Foods building, which has been vacant for years, was sold in June 2008 to a Johnson Controls affiliate, Milwaukee Acquisition Partners LLC, for $3.1 million, according to city assessment records.

The property was acquired to make it available for the company's potential growth, Fortune said. He said there's been no decision on whether the 2008 plan will be revived.

This could be interesting, Let's hope for something worth talking about!

This could be interesting, Let's hope for something worth talking about!

Yeah, I agree, but what the hell? Fortune says that this plan is now on hold because of global economic conditions yet in the same paper on the same day they posted this article of the expansion of Johnson Controls business!?!?

http://www.jsonline.com/business/78226852.html

I'm curious to see how literal they are with the application of this 'Central Park' idea.

Central Park, here in NY, is an incredible space because of its mix of hyper-natural landscape, urban proximity, and public use. As a park, it is notable for the fact that it is designed to attract people in large numbers and keep them inside, with a large variety of landscapes and attractions.

Lake Park does not do this. It is a picnic or gathering destination with negligably small areas for hiking/exploring. Also, it is not adequately plugged into the urban fabric, and most unfortunately it hardly accomodates circulation to the lakefront for which the park was named. Even though Olmsted's firm designed it, it operates in a very very different fashion. Washington and Mitchell Parks are the only parks in the city that bear comparison to Central Park, and even those are second rate designs.

Veterans Park is an enormous open space that is great for large gatherings, events, and morning jogs, but little else. It lacks the dynamic range of intimate and open spaces of someplace like Central Park in NY. For example, when I want to take a stroll and get lost somewhere, I never would choose Veterans Park for obvious reasons; it's cutoff from the city just one of them.

The riverfront corridor proposed for Milwaukee Central Park is a really loaded space. It is loaded because it is a really captivating natural experience that begs for preservation, but at the same time, Milwaukee seriously lacks any kind of grand and engaging public space [Washington Park comes close, but it's way on the West Side]. Being in such proximity to such a densely populated area of the city, it begs to be developed in a manner that gets people to go into the park and experience it; because as it is now, it is neglecting the neighbourhoods it could serve. I'm excited to see what they decide to do with it...

I've often equated lake park and veterans park to be Milwaukee's "central park" in that they're the prime parks that visually capture the city. However your post made me think things in an entirely different fashion and I'm more interested then ever in the eventual plans for the new park.

I was looking at photos of the bascule bridges in Milwaukee today and remembered a commercial being filmed along Kilbourn Avenue (I think that's the street) somewhere between 4-7 years ago. I saw the actual commercial only once preceding a movie at Capitol Theater and if I remember correctly, it was a Powerade commercial. It could've been Gatorade, Nike or some other large-budget company though.

What I saw filmed: An olympic-esque runner (woman) attached to a crane running up the Kilbourn Avenue bridge as it was opening, "jumping" the gap and continuing along the road - all while being filmed by a helicopter swooping around Milwaukee Center. It was freaking awesome.

What the commercial shows: An olympic runner being chased by an angry mob hundreds-strong. She's running as fast as she can and sees the bridge opening up in front of her. She decides to go for it and runs as hard as she can, jumping a ridiculous gap of about twenty feet and successfully distances herself from the deflated mob of pursuers. It was freaking awesome.

So... I can't seem to find this commercial anywhere on the internets. I've thoroughly searched the series of tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_of_tubes) to no avail. I've even called and left a message for the staff at the Eisner Museum with my inquiry. Does anyone else have memory of this commercial or know where I can find it? Is there a listing of commercials filmed in the city of Milwaukee? I'm at a dead end here but really want to find it. Trust me, you want to see it too if you haven't yet. Soooooo, whatcha say folks?

=I've thoroughly searched the series of tubes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Series_of_tubes) to no avail.

Rofl. That commercial sounds awesome, I've never heard of it but I would definitely like to see it too!

]]...the company's plan included buying the former Universal Foods Corp. headquarters, which is just across N. Jefferson St., at 433 E. Michigan St. That five-story building would be demolished, with an addition to the Johnson Controls facility built on that site.

The plan called for closing the block of Jefferson St. that separates the two buildings, and creating a pedestrian plaza, Bauman said.

That would be awesome if that happened. I was just thinking the other day how Milwaukee doesn't really have any public plazas in front of a major corporation like lots of other cities have (or am I wrong..?). Johnson Controls would be a great site for this. Hopefully they'll consider it further down the road.

So... I can't seem to find this commercial anywhere on the internets. Does anyone ...know where I can find it?

This, perhaps? (not exactly the way I remember it either, but a lot of things are like that for me) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh5XrXMwB2U

This, perhaps? (not exactly the way I remember it either, but a lot of things are like that for me) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh5XrXMwB2U

Ha!! That's totally it. Thank you.

I remember seeing that commercial on TV a few years ago. Thank God we don't have to listen to that guy do the MKE traffic report in RL.

It starts out with a pretty nice view of the skyline too

MIAD chooses General Capital for housing project
The Business Journal of Milwaukee - by Pete Millard

A Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design official said Thursday that the school has hired General Capital Management Group to develop a new residence hall across the street from the school’s main classroom and office building on East Erie Street.

General Capital, based in Fox Point, owns a 27,400-square-foot building at 252 E. Menomonee St. that will be remodeled and expanded to accommodate MIAD’s need for a 250-bed resident facility. General Capital plans to add six stories on top of the existing two-story building.

The Historic Third Ward Association’s architectural review board reviewed preliminary plans for the building Dec. 2. Financing for the project is still pending, according to a spokesman for MIAD. The cost of the project also has not been revealed.

In July, MIAD narrowed its search from four to two proposals for the resident hall. In addition to General Capital’s East Menomonee Street location, the school was considering a site at 233 E. Chicago St. in the city’s 3rd Ward.

“I feel fortunate we have an underutilized property conveniently located next to the school,” said Michael Weiss, president of General Capital.

It starts out with a pretty nice view of the skyline too

yeah, but what the hell does he call the bridge? "the market street bridge"?? why is it that whenever films or commercials are shot in milwaukee, the final productions attempt to mask the reality that the city they are depicting is, in fact, MILWAUKEE. that's the kilbourn bridge -- i mean market street isn't FAR from there, but c'mon, do your homework, people!

it reminds me of the 2004 film of dawn of the dead, in which a news reporter announces "trouble in the riverwalk district" or something ridiculous. even the license plates say "ontario" on them, instead of wisconsin in that movie. dumb.

by the way, here's a really nice music video from a great Milwaukee band named Codebreaker--- the video was shot with a tilt shift lens (to give the miniaturization effect) over downtown Milwaukee in the winter last year-- it turned out really nice, i think...

Codebreaker - Fire (http://vimeo.com/3209208)


have a look!

I LOVE that video. I was watching over and over all last fall. I get a kick out of watching the snow plows at the airport.

Wow, Codebreaker is still around? I used to hang out with those guys. Glad to see they're still doing good things.

Haha yeah, thats true. in Dawn of the Dead it's like they took 2 minutes to look up attractions in Milwaukee and made them into "refugee gathering places." It was like Miller Park, the Domes, and the riverwalk. Why the hell would you create a safe zone on the riverwalk?? Youc an't keep zombies out of the riverwalk very easily! haha

Wow, Codebreaker is still around? I used to hang out with those guys. Glad to see they're still doing good things.
Cool, I used to like those guys too. Not living in Milwaukee I never saw them play live but used to listen to them off their Myspace page.

Cool, I used to like those guys too. Not living in Milwaukee I never saw them play live but used to listen to them off their Myspace page.

I know Steve from the band... ran into him the other day and they're going to be touring again on the East and West coasts in the coming months. As for now, they're playing Chicago Dec 30, back in MKE Dec 31 and they're in Washington, DC on Jan 23 if that helps?

Haha yeah, thats true. in Dawn of the Dead it's like they took 2 minutes to look up attractions in Milwaukee and made them into "refugee gathering places." It was like Miller Park, the Domes, and the riverwalk. Why the hell would you create a safe zone on the riverwalk?? Youc an't keep zombies out of the riverwalk very easily! haha

Haha, my favorite part of that opening sequence is when they say that there is no safe zone in Racine. :lol:

Corcoran Lofts
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/DSC_0026.jpg
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http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/DSC_0095.jpg

I think this is the building MIAD plans on converting into dorms, although I may be completely wrong on this. Can anyone confirm one way or the other?
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/DSC_0046.jpg

Jackson Square Apartments
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Crossing over into Walker's Point
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South Water Works
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Just a parting shot of Farwell (Breakwater somewhat visible)
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/DSC_0145.jpg

That video is amazing. What a cool effect!

I love the way the river down there is starting to look with buildings and riverwalks/boatdocks along it.

You had it correct about which building will be converted to dorms for MIAD. The JS said that they're adding 6 floors to the existing base.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/78487522.html

Thanks for the update UrbanSchmurban!

Brewers interested in land near Miller Park (http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/12/07/story5.html)
The Milwaukee Brewers have an interest in acquiring a 1.5-acre site near Miller Park for potential future commercial development.

The Milwaukee Water Works is tearing down two unused water storage tanks east of Miller Park that will open up the land, which is owned by the city of Milwaukee. The Brewers will have discussions with city officials about taking control of the parcel on the northwest corner of South 44th Street and Parkway Drive, said Rick Schlesinger, Brewers’ executive vice president of business operations.

and shrinks it
http://www.onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ma/mamstolen/mamstolen_fullsize_story1.jpg
On Milwaukee Story (http://www.onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/mamstolen.html)

Very nice to see areas around downtown Milwaukee densify. I how strongly employers consider the increasing numbers of young professionals moving downtown when deciding where to locate/relocate their offices.

That Codebreaker video is addictive. Keeping with the trend of Milwaukee cameos we've got going here, on the final page of the recently-published Smart Growth Manual, an image of Milwaukee appears as an example for the placement and design of civic buildings (the art museum, not surprisingly).

The caption for the image reads:
"Milwaukee, WI: The extraordinary location and design of the city's art museum reflects Milwaukee's commitment to culture."

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/SmarthGrowthManual_Milwaukee.jpg

Jesse276 - thanks for the confirmation and the link!
Jschmuck - glad you're enjoying them!

and shrinks it

On Milwaukee Story (http://www.onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/mamstolen.html)
Hey, where did that island of mountains come from off the shore of Lake Michigan? :ohno:

Hey, where did that island of mountains come from off the shore of Lake Michigan? :ohno:

that must be that island that all the survivors went to in the Dawn of the Dead remake. :lol:

Hey, where did that island of mountains come from off the shore of Lake Michigan? :ohno:

Haha I don't know but I like it... Makes lake Michigan look like the mediterranen sea.. I used to envision being a trillionaire philanthropist who built a string of man-made islands off the coast of Milwaukee. How cool would that be?

^^How cool would that be?
this time of year, pretty darn cold

http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1951/62/109/1167721176/n1167721176_248531_4517.jpg

"Hofbrauhaus drops Blue Ribbon Hall, looking at other Pabst sites
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 7, 2009 12:25 p.m. *

An investment group*that had planned to open a Hofbrauhaus restaurant and tavern at the former Pabst brewery visitors center is now considering other locations at the former brewery.

That's the word just a few minutes ago from Jim Haertel, whose investment group owns the building. He told me he learned last week that the Hofbräuhaus operators, Cincinnati Restaurant Group Inc., had dropped plans to lease the former Pabst visitors center, including Blue Ribbon Hall.

Haertel also told me the restaurant investors, who operate a Hofbräuhaus in Newport, Ky., under license from the famous beer hall of the same name in Munich, Germany, were looking at other locations in Milwaukee.

Haertel said he believes the former Pabst brew house and adjacent mill house, owned by real estate investor Joseph Zilber, is now the preferred location for the Hofbrauhaus.

That would seem likely, given that Hofbrauhaus has just released a statement--through Zilber Ltd.--saying the restaurant operators had ended their discussions with Haertel's group, Brew City*Redevelopment Group LLC.

That statement quoted a Hofbrauhaus executive as saying the firm will continue to explore other locations at the Pabst complex.

The Hofbräuhaus planned for Haertel's building was to be a large operation, including a formal dining area and a separate beer hall.

Haertel and the restaurant operators were trying to raise $3 million apiece to finance building improvements and start-up costs. Haertel told me he ran intro trouble raising his financing because of the difficult lending environment, which led Hofbrauhaus to look elsewhere.

The problem was that prospective lenders wanted personal guarantees for either the lease, or the loan, from individual investors wealthier than Haertel. Those guarantors could not be found, he said.

Haertel, meanwhile, is proceeding with plans to have his own tavern at the visitors center and Blue Ribbon Hall, which have undergone renovations. He's received approval for a tavern license, pending some additional work. And the buildings have already hosted*eight catered events, including on one Sept. 30 that drew around 200 people,*Haertel said."

Here's some good news:

Developer Rich Curto's long-delayed plans to build apartments on a Park East lot, purchased two years ago from Milwaukee County, won approval for an extension from a County Board committee this morning.

The Committee on Economic and Community Development voted 6-0 to give Curto's firm, Chicago-based RSC & Associates LLC, until May 31 to begin building the project, known as Park East Square. RSC's deadline to begin expired Nov. 30.

As part of the agreement, which needs full board approval, RSC will pay $25,000 to the county for missing a project deadline.

RSC bought the the 2-acre site, bordered by N. Milwaukee, N. Jefferson and E. Lyon streets and E. Ogden Ave., from Milwaukee County in December 2007. RSC paid $2,725,000 for the lot, the only Park East parcel sold by the county so far.

RSC originally planned to first build two hotels on the site, followed by apartments. But banks nationwide have largely stopped making loans for hotels, Curto said. So, the firm now wants to build a $30 million apartment project, with 121 units, with the hotels to be built later.

Curto plans to finance the apartments with tax-exempt bonds that would be issued by the city Redevelopment Authority. RSC would sell bonds to investors, and be responsible for paying back that debt. The bonds, sold under the authority's name, would be tax-exempt, which allows RSC to borrow the money at a lower interest rate.

The authority is to consider the bond issue at its Dec. 17 meeting.

Curto told committee members today that there's a 75% chance the project will obtain financing. Along with the purchase price, RSC has so far spent around $400,000 on the project--mainly on interest costs and property taxes, he said.

^^ Great news, hopefully this will be built.

And with the impending snow, I thought Id ask a question that Ive thought about for a long time.... Does the snow inhibit construction? Id assume during the actual snow storms it would, but what about after? For example, will St. Johns have to dig out all the snow in the foundation (if its not all rain), or will it just let it be and continue construction as normal?

The answer to your question is yes, snow and winter in general can delay a project. If they are digging the foundation, they have to remove the snow and it continues as usual. The bigger complication with construction in winter months is lower temperatures rather than snow. Right now the ground is not nearly as frozen as it will be in January, so it is fairly easy to dig at the moment. Another huge issue with low temps and foundations is concrete. Normal concrete will not set properly in low temperatures, which means construction companies have to pour specialized material, which is more expensive. Additionally, the crews must put blankets and other heating elements around newly-poured concrete in low temps to make sure it sets correctly. Last but not least, construction crews generally charge more to have their men working outside in winter, due to low temps. In terms of buildings that are already sealed up, such as Corcoran lofts in the Third Ward, interior construction can pretty much continue as normal. Hopefully that answered your question. :cheers:

Milwaukee panel backs improvements to S. 2nd St.

By Georgia Pabst of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Dec. 9, 2009 1:32 p.m.

With strong support from the Department of City Development, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and property owners, a Milwaukee Common Council committee on Wednesday recommended a proposal to rebuild S. 2nd St. by narrowing the roadway and adding bike lanes, grass trees and other amenities.

In an unusual appearance before the city's Public Works Committee, DCD Commissioner Rocky Marcoux called the plan to redo the street "a golden opportunity" to attract new business development to the street.

And MMSD executive director Kevin Shafer said narrowing the traffic lanes and adding grass and trees to the avenue will be good for the environment because it will reduce overflow into the sewerage system and reduce costs.

"It's good for the environment, the economy and the social values of the region," he said.

The city's proposal calls for reconstructing S. 2nd St. from National Ave. to just south of St. Paul Ave. Traffic lanes would be reduced from four to two lanes with bicycle lanes, and the addition of grass, trees and lighting.

The lone objector to appear before the committee Wednesday was Joe Sanfelippo, representing the Walker's Point Mobile and the American United Taxi Cab Co., who said the changes would create traffic congestion and problems for delivery trucks.

Ald. Joseph Dudzik said he shared Sanfelippo's concerns and cast the lone "no" vote. The measure must now be approved the Common Council.

Milwaukee panel backs improvements to S. 2nd St.

By Georgia Pabst of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Dec. 9, 2009 1:32 p.m.

With strong support from the Department of City Development, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and property owners, a Milwaukee Common Council committee on Wednesday recommended a proposal to rebuild S. 2nd St. by narrowing the roadway and adding bike lanes, grass trees and other amenities.

In an unusual appearance before the city's Public Works Committee, DCD Commissioner Rocky Marcoux called the plan to redo the street "a golden opportunity" to attract new business development to the street.

And MMSD executive director Kevin Shafer said narrowing the traffic lanes and adding grass and trees to the avenue will be good for the environment because it will reduce overflow into the sewerage system and reduce costs.

"It's good for the environment, the economy and the social values of the region," he said.

The city's proposal calls for reconstructing S. 2nd St. from National Ave. to just south of St. Paul Ave. Traffic lanes would be reduced from four to two lanes with bicycle lanes, and the addition of grass, trees and lighting.

The lone objector to appear before the committee Wednesday was Joe Sanfelippo, representing the Walker's Point Mobile and the American United Taxi Cab Co., who said the changes would create traffic congestion and problems for delivery trucks.

Ald. Joseph Dudzik said he shared Sanfelippo's concerns and cast the lone "no" vote. The measure must now be approved the Common Council.


Grass trees, eh? Like bamboo? :crazy2:

Grass trees, eh? Like bamboo? :crazy2:

Anything to improve S. 2nd Street which is the "Main Street of the 5th Ward" in Milwaukee is a good thing. I am hoping that this will bring attention to developers for renovating the historic Lindsay Buildings at 126 and 160 S. 2nd between the Menomonee River and Seeboth Street. They are on the east side of the street. Both buildings combined have 340,000 square feet of space available for multiple uses. Rebuilding S. 2nd Street is a good first step.

Downtown office tower expected in "near future"
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 10, 2009 10:08 a.m. | Construction of a new downtown office tower is expected to happen in "the near future," broker Dan Wroblewski, Inland Cos. vice president, said at this morning's 2009 Commercial Real Estate Market Update.

Wroblewski, speaking to around 300 people at the Italian Community Center, said there is pent-up demand for high-end office space downtown. He was among the speakers at the update, which was presented by the Wisconsin chapter of NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association and the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

Wroblewski told me after the event that there are suburban tenants looking to move downtown, as well as downtown tenants that are planning to expand operations. That increased demand will drive the construction of a new tower, probably with around 200,000 square feet, he said.

Among tenants that have been looking to either move downtown or expand downtown are accounting firm Baker Tilly, engineering firm CH2M Hill and law firm Godfrey & Kahn, Wroblewski said.

I'll have more highlights from the event later at JSOnline.com, and in Friday's Journal Sentinel.

Grass trees, eh? Like bamboo? :crazy2:

yes... actually there was a proposal for a plaza in the third ward to integrate bamboo trees that are heated "naturally" from the excess warm vapor coming out of the underground steam vents. i'm not sure what the status of this plaza is but here's a link:
http://www.mkedcd.org/planning/erieplaza/




perhaps someone like Markitect knows the answer... what's the story on Erie Street Plaza? the city approved it but it has been delayed indefinitely it seems, or?

@MilwaukeeMax I think it has been scaled back a bit, but I do believe it will finally get built in the near future.

That said the grass and trees mention was in regards to S. 2nd Street. Basically adding 6 foot treeboxes with grass, or a large paved area if an owner want space for cafe seating.

That was cancelled because of opposition.

And I think they meant to say "...grass, trees..." and not "...grass trees..." Which means there will be grass and trees and not trees made of grass. :)

@MilwaukeeMax I think it has been scaled back a bit, but I do believe it will finally get built in the near future.

That said the grass and trees mention was in regards to S. 2nd Street. Basically adding 6 foot treeboxes with grass, or a large paved area if an owner want space for cafe seating.

gotchya. no, i know the mention was regarding the streetscaping of 2nd street... i guess i was responding to Milwaukee, WY's rhetorical question that had a seemingly incredulous tone. as in, "bamboo? yeah right. in Milwaukee?!" -- and I just wanted to point that yes, indeed, bamboo groves can grow in Milwaukee and here's how (http://www.mkedcd.org/planning/erieplaza/) (in reference to Erie Street Plaza). I saw here (http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/blog/real_estate/2009/10/bamboo_grove.html) that the city wanted to get that project started before the end of this year with it opening sometime in 2010. Has work started yet? we've only got a few weeks left of 2009, but I haven't heard anything in regards to it...

That was cancelled because of opposition.


can you cite a reference to that? the latest i'm reading is that the project was delayed and perhaps scaled back but not at all cancelled.

Yeah sorry, I was just talking about the bamboo part being cancelled. The project itself I think is indefinately on hold. Here's my reference about that part: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=48263099&postcount=3551 :naughty:

Downtown office tower expected in "near future"
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 10, 2009 10:08 a.m. | Construction of a new downtown office tower is expected to happen in "the near future," broker Dan Wroblewski, Inland Cos. vice president, said at this morning's 2009 Commercial Real Estate Market Update.

Wroblewski, speaking to around 300 people at the Italian Community Center, said there is pent-up demand for high-end office space downtown. He was among the speakers at the update, which was presented by the Wisconsin chapter of NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association and the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

Wroblewski told me after the event that there are suburban tenants looking to move downtown, as well as downtown tenants that are planning to expand operations. That increased demand will drive the construction of a new tower, probably with around 200,000 square feet, he said.

Among tenants that have been looking to either move downtown or expand downtown are accounting firm Baker Tilly, engineering firm CH2M Hill and law firm Godfrey & Kahn, Wroblewski said.

I'll have more highlights from the event later at JSOnline.com, and in Friday's Journal Sentinel.

I found out that this would be brand new construction, not an addition to any current office buildings in the downtown area. No location decided as of yet.

I found out that this would be brand new construction, not an addition to any current office buildings in the downtown area. No location decided as of yet.

do you know if it is at one of the sites of previously proposed/on-hold downtown office towers?

The comments from the Inland Cos. vice president appear to just be a speculative opinion. We'll find out more in Tom Daykin's full article on the subject Friday.

In other News:
Home sales soar 75% in Novermber (http://www.jsonline.com/newswatch/78993107.html)
Milwaukee area home sales soared 75% in November from the same month last year, an increase Realtors attributed to efforts by buyers to close their purchase before a tax credit for first-time home buyers was set to expire.

UWM water school moves ahead (http://www.jsonline.com/business/78925042.html)
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's preliminary $50 million plan to develop its new School of Freshwater Sciences now calls for a three-story addition to UWM's Great Lakes WATER Institute, on the city's south side lakefront.

I find it interesting that this is the first downtown hotel built since 2001. Not to say the downtown hotel market hasn't been busy as of late. For instance, the new $28 million Iron Horse hotel adjacent to downtown, Marcus corps. renovations of both the Pfister and the Intercontinental (which was also rebranded) at $10 million each, the Hilton City Center renovation. and the $18 million Hyatt Regency renovation. To put it into perspective, the new Aloft hotel cost $27 million to construct.

Downtown Hotel has it's own Lingo (http://www.jsonline.com/business/78740202.html)
JSonline.com

The first new hotel to be built in downtown Milwaukee since 2001 doesn't have an elevator. It has a lift.

The Aloft Hotel also has a splash, not a pool. And guests who arrive at the circular check-in counter are greeted with "aloha," not "hello."

It's all part of an effort to market the Aloft chain as a fun, less-stuffy alternative to traditional hotels that cater largely to upscale business travelers. Downtown's 160-room Aloft, the chain's first entry in southeastern Wisconsin, opens Dec. 17 at 1230 N. Old World 3rd St., just north of W. Juneau Ave., overlooking the Milwaukee River.

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/8602/mjsaloftnwssears4aloft.jpg
The lounge is part of a lobby that is meant to be the hotel’s showpiece, with a bar, a pool table, local art on the walls and a fireplace.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/9515/mjsaloftnwssears1aloft.jpg
Construction is wrapping up and final preparations are under way for the Dec. 17 opening of the Aloft on N. Old World 3rd St. It’s the first new hotel built downtown since 2001.

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/2981/mjsaloftnwssears2aloft.jpg
At the new Aloft hotel, colorful light fixtures are part of management’s effort to create an energetic atmosphere

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/7241/mjsaloftnwssears5aloft.jpg
A large lounge area features a bar, pool table, local art on the walls and a fireplace.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/2869/mjsaloftnwssears3aloft.jpg
Rooms are nicely appointed but aren't huge, with 285 square feet for a single with a king-sized bed, and 315 square feet for a room with two queen-sized beds.

Originally Posted by MilwaukeeMax View Post
Downtown office tower expected in "near future"
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 10, 2009 10:08 a.m. | Construction of a new downtown office tower is expected to happen in "the near future," broker Dan Wroblewski, Inland Cos. vice president, said at this morning's 2009 Commercial Real Estate Market Update.

Wroblewski, speaking to around 300 people at the Italian Community Center, said there is pent-up demand for high-end office space downtown. He was among the speakers at the update, which was presented by the Wisconsin chapter of NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association and the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

Wroblewski told me after the event that there are suburban tenants looking to move downtown, as well as downtown tenants that are planning to expand operations. That increased demand will drive the construction of a new tower, probably with around 200,000 square feet, he said.

Among tenants that have been looking to either move downtown or expand downtown are accounting firm Baker Tilly, engineering firm CH2M Hill and law firm Godfrey & Kahn, Wroblewski said.

I'll have more highlights from the event later at JSOnline.com, and in Friday's Journal Sentinel.
I found out that this would be brand new construction, not an addition to any current office buildings in the



Maybe this could bring back the idea of the Lake Pointe Tower

The Art City (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/artcity.html) blog on JSonline shared a design for the new Pieces of Eight site. Excerpt:

The building will retain the original footprint and much of the scale of the former Pieces of Eight restaurant (see image above). The main entrance is being moved to the southwest corner of the building and a new patio and canopy will be situated near the previous entrance. The north elevation (see image, below) is filled with windows, though the south side of the structure appears to have very few windows.

Also, the Hank Aaron State Trail, which has been blocked by the restaurant, will be extended and create a continuous path from Discovery World, around the restaurant's perimeter and up to the art museum. Benches will be places along the north and east side of the restaurant.

http://media.jsonline.com/images/28007169_footprint.jpg

http://media.jsonline.com/images/28007169_northelevation.jpg

Maybe this could bring back the idea of the Lake Pointe Tower
Not even close. Here's the article.
http://www.jsonline.com/business/79023157.html

"Wroblewski said after his speech that there are suburban tenants looking to move downtown, as well as downtown tenants that are planning to expand. If those expansions and relocations occur, the increased demand would likely drive the construction of a new tower, which could total at least 10 stories and about 200,000 square feet, he said."

LOL, what a joke! 'It could actually reach a whole 10 stories', LOL! In Wausau this would be big news, in Milwaukee it should've remained a blog, in Chicago it wouldn't even been mentioned...

That was cancelled because of opposition.

And I think they meant to say "...grass, trees..." and not "...grass trees..." Which means there will be grass and trees and not trees made of grass. :)

Bingo. I was having a laugh at the typo and the visual I got from it. Silly, I know. Sorry for the confusion with the actual bamboo project, (which in the back of my mind I knew might happen). Also too bad that the bamboo installation itself is not going to happen. (damned NIMBYs)

By Tom Daykin and Sharif Durhams of the Journal Sentinel

Posted: Dec. 11, 2009 11:30 a.m.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's $50 million plan to develop its new School of Freshwater Sciences on a south side site overlooking the harbor has won unanimous approval from the UW System Board of Regents.

The plan calls for a three-story addition to UWM's Great Lakes WATER Institute. The 125,000-square-foot addition would be built on university land just west of the 90,000-square-foot institute, 600 E. Greenfield Ave. The proposal also calls for renovations to the existing institute building, a former tile factory that overlooks the harbor.

The full board on Friday approved the plan, which won a favorable recommendation Thursday from a board committee.

"I would love to see a shovel in the ground by late spring of 2010," UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago told regents at the Thursday committee meeting.

But the development will occur only if environmental concerns about the site's neighborhood are resolved.

Santiago wants the city to pay for street work and other public improvements to make E. Greenfield Ave. more attractive.

There also have been discussions over possibly moving, or encasing, the massive coal piles that sit across the street from the institute, at a city-owned property being leased to bulk storage terminal operator Kinder Morgan Inc. That lease runs through the end of 2012.

The negotiations between UWM and city officials are continuing. UWM leaders said they needed regent approval now so that they could submit the plan to the state Building Commission in early 2010.

Santiago left open the option of moving the school to another site if necessary. That drew concerns from Regent John Drew, of Milwaukee.

"I don't want to approve $50 million and we don't know where the site is going to be," Drew said, during the Thursday committee meeting.

University system officials said regents typically vote on the spending amount for projects, but that campuses are free to move those projects to other sites if needed. If the freshwater school is moved and the costs are significantly different, UWM would bring the project back to the regents.

"If it doesn't meet environmental muster," Santiago said, "you'll hear about it."

UWM hopes to begin offering freshwater school classes at the start of the 2010-'11 school year. Those graduate-level classes, which are to train water scientists and engineers, will initially be taught at existing university buildings until the new school headquarters is built.

Faculty members say it makes sense to have the school's headquarters at the institute, which conducts ecological research and operates a research vessel on Lake Michigan.

University officials began focusing on the institute site after dropping plans to develop the school's headquarters at the former Pieces of Eight restaurant site. Retired business executive Michael Cudahy, who holds the lease for the city-owned Pieces of Eight building, is proceeding with plans to renovate it and open a new restaurant there.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/79068107.html

Ruvin's option on Park East parcel expires
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 14, 2009 8:00 a.m.

Ruvin Development Inc.'s option on a county-owned parcel in the Park East area, where Ruvin and Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. had once hoped to develop a hotel and condos, has expired.

That's according to a recent update on pending property sales by Milwaukee County. Ruvin is not renewing the option, and the county will retain an option fee of $115,000 for the parcel, bordered by N. Old World 3rd and N. 4th streets, and W. Juneau and W. McKinley avenues.

The only building on the block is the Sydney Hih. The building initially was to be demolished to make way for the Kimpton Palomar Hotel and condos project. But Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. dropped those plans in January.

Gatehouse was the main developer on the Kimpton project, and joined forces with Ruvin Development, which bought the Sydney Hih in 2005 for $600,000. However, those two firms are now in a legal dispute over the failed Palomar development.

Robert Ruvin told me he continues to work plans to convert the Sydney Hih into offices, apartments and retail space.

Speaking of the Park East, developer Rich Curto's plans to finance his apartment development with tax-exempt bonds will not he considered at this week's city Redevelopment Authority board meeting. That's because Curto still needs to resolve design issues on his proporsal, according to Deputy Development Commissioner Martha Brown.

Curto's firm, Chicagio-based RSC & Associates LLC, would sell bonds to investors, and be responsible for paying back that debt. The bonds, sold under the authority's name, would be tax-exempt, which allows RSC to borrow the money at a lower interest rate.

RSC bought 2 acress, bordered by N. Milwaukee, N. Jefferson and E. Lyon streets and E. Ogden Ave., from Milwaukee COunty two years ago for $2,725,000. Curto is proposing 121 apartments for a portion of the lot, the only Park East parcel sold by the county so far.

Ruvin's option on Park East parcel expires
By Tom Daykin of the Journal Sentinel
Dec. 14, 2009 8:00 a.m.

Ruvin Development Inc.'s option on a county-owned parcel in the Park East area, where Ruvin and Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. had once hoped to develop a hotel and condos, has expired.

That's according to a recent update on pending property sales by Milwaukee County. Ruvin is not renewing the option, and the county will retain an option fee of $115,000 for the parcel, bordered by N. Old World 3rd and N. 4th streets, and W. Juneau and W. McKinley avenues.

The only building on the block is the Sydney Hih. The building initially was to be demolished to make way for the Kimpton Palomar Hotel and condos project. But Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. dropped those plans in January.

Gatehouse was the main developer on the Kimpton project, and joined forces with Ruvin Development, which bought the Sydney Hih in 2005 for $600,000. However, those two firms are now in a legal dispute over the failed Palomar development.

Robert Ruvin told me he continues to work plans to convert the Sydney Hih into offices, apartments and retail space.

Speaking of the Park East, developer Rich Curto's plans to finance his apartment development with tax-exempt bonds will not he considered at this week's city Redevelopment Authority board meeting. That's because Curto still needs to resolve design issues on his proporsal, according to Deputy Development Commissioner Martha Brown.

Curto's firm, Chicagio-based RSC & Associates LLC, would sell bonds to investors, and be responsible for paying back that debt. The bonds, sold under the authority's name, would be tax-exempt, which allows RSC to borrow the money at a lower interest rate.

RSC bought 2 acress, bordered by N. Milwaukee, N. Jefferson and E. Lyon streets and E. Ogden Ave., from Milwaukee COunty two years ago for $2,725,000. Curto is proposing 121 apartments for a portion of the lot, the only Park East parcel sold by the county so far.

Its good to see that the option on Sydney Hih has expired for Ruvin. Ruvin shouldn't have had the property in the first place. Why he still has plans to save the buildings on the site makes no sense at all. That is why it is time to tear down the Sydney Hih buildings. With the new Aloft Hotel opening across the street to the east and the 30-story Moderne starting construction soon across the street to the south the 21st Century is much better to the eyes than a non-historic 19th Century eyesore.

@skylinedude No I do hope they save the Sydney Hih. A mixture of styles, and ages of buildings adds to the uniqueness of a city. Further, tearing something down for the sake of tearing it down doesn't insure that anything else will get built. Here's hoping that the Sydney Hih gets the attention it needs and gets put back into productive use.

This is an exception to what I usually believe, but, for the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of the Sydney Hih buildings. They are a whitewashed nondescript eyesore topped by an ugly sign that looks like stolen parts from a scrap yard.
I think people just cling to the memories of being really, really wasted there long, long ago. Or what passes for a memory.

This is an exception to what I usually believe, but, for the life of me, I can't understand the appeal of the Sydney Hih buildings. They are a whitewashed nondescript eyesore topped by an ugly sign that looks like stolen parts from a scrap yard.
I think people just cling to the memories of being really, really wasted there long, long ago. Or what passes for a memory.

Or that they are the only remnants of an entire neighbourhood completely removed from the landscape by the 1970s by urban renewal and freeway construction...

Or that they are the only remnants of an entire neighbourhood completely removed from the landscape by the 1970s by urban renewal and freeway construction...

I'll stick to my reason. That, and nostalgia for the joints (meaning clubs, pubs, and shops) that used to inhabit the place.
I'll concede that it's certainly one-of-a-kind.:popcorn:

The freshwater sciences school will be in a terrible location. It's completely hidden back there and is surrounded by port facilities/Jones Island. It's a cool area if you like industrial areas and shipping---but its hardly an inspiring, attractive location for a school. Good to hear the comment about the coal piles, but the rest of the area is going to need alot of work.

The freshwater sciences school will be in a terrible location. It's completely hidden back there and is surrounded by port facilities/Jones Island. It's a cool area if you like industrial areas and shipping---but its hardly an inspiring, attractive location for a school. Good to hear the comment about the coal piles, but the rest of the area is going to need alot of work.

I agree, but I think that if this new school will be as high-profile as they want it to be, eventually the area around it will become nicer and uwm will probably invest a lot in the area around the school to make it look nicer. That's what I hope, at least. But yeah as for now it's an extremely unimpressive location.

the sydney hih building reminds of chicagos block 37
in some ways, its amazing its still there.

the sydney hih wouldnt be so ugly if some moron hadnt painted the brick
painting brick is really stupid, you just need to powerblast the paint off and then tuckpoint it and then it will look smashing,

Its common for people to paint buildings like this monotone so that
people wont raise a ruckuss when they are torn down because they are ugly,
well they were made to be ugly. There is a whole block of buildings
in chicago that has been a monotone grey for probably 20 years
at the intersection of grand and milwaukee, they do plan on tearing them down, but
when, who knows.

whatever they can save is fine, i personally want the sydney hih buildings saved too. it is unique and would clean up well.
there is another great building that needs to be fixed up at north and humboldt
that has the same idiot paint job

the city has been through some dark times
its now time to de f it up and do it right.

I do also agree that it is a bare remnant of the area and its a
survivor against all odds and should be saved.

to me it says milwaukee, its such a weird name hih is a last name?

the sydney hih building reminds of chicagos block 37
in some ways, its amazing its still there.

the sydney hih wouldnt be so ugly if some moron hadnt painted the brick
painting brick is really stupid, you just need to powerblast the paint off and then tuckpoint it and then it will look smashing,

Its common for people to paint buildings like this monotone so that
people wont raise a ruckuss when they are torn down because they are ugly,
well they were made to be ugly. There is a whole block of buildings
in chicago that has been a monotone grey for probably 20 years
at the intersection of grand and milwaukee, they do plan on tearing them down, but
when, who knows.

whatever they can save is fine, i personally want the sydney hih buildings saved too. it is unique and would clean up well.
there is another great building that needs to be fixed up at north and humboldt
that has the same idiot paint job

the city has been through some dark times
its now time to de f it up and do it right.

I do also agree that it is a bare remnant of the area and its a
survivor against all odds and should be saved.

to me it says milwaukee, its such a weird name hih is a last name?

I completely agree. The paint job makes the Sydney Hih look like hell. I really wish they'd paint the funky colors back on it and turn it into a boutique hotel. I don't care that Aloft is across the street. (That's for business travelers who are sick of staying at Holiday Inn.) Someone like 21C Museum Hotel (http://www.21cmuseumhotel.com/) could really turn the Sydney Hih into something special.

PS - DIVIDE THE PARK EAST INTO SMALLER PARCELS!!!!!

I agree, but I think that if this new school will be as high-profile as they want it to be, eventually the area around it will become nicer and uwm will probably invest a lot in the area around the school to make it look nicer. That's what I hope, at least. But yeah as for now it's an extremely unimpressive location.

yeah, hopefully that happens. The area has alot of potential. There are a few abandoned buildings on Greenfield, train tracks, and a share of open lots---including a big one that just opened up across from the Allen Bradley/Rockwell.

I am not certain if this would be possible, but it would be cool to see a bike trail/walking path parallel to the train tracks that cross Greenfield that run to the Third Ward.

This is a few days old, figured someone else would post it but there's a few interesting updates in here:

By Andrew Weiland email , of BizTimes

Published December 11, 2009

It was now been about 6 years since the Park East freeway was torn down. City officials hoped the freeway’s demise would attract development that would revitalize the north side of downtown Milwaukee.

For the most part, those city officials are still waiting for that development to happen. Most of the Park East corridor remains vacant and is compared to a “moonscape” by some.

The Great Recession, which had devastating effects on the real estate and financial markets, has only added to delays in attracting development to the Park East corridor.

It is clear that it will take many years for the Park East corridor to be fully developed.

However, there are finally some signs of life brewing in the corridor. One new development was completed this year, another is nearing completion, a handful of others are in the works and redevelopment work continues for the former Pabst brewery property on the west end of the corridor.

The next Park East development that will be completed is the Aloft hotel, which is being built at 1230 N. Old World Third St. The 160-room hotel, which is being developed by Milwaukee River Hotel LLC, is expected to open on Dec. 17.

The five-story hotel will have 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a fitness center, an indoor pool on the first floor overlooking a new riverwalk segment and the Wxyz Bar in the lobby/lounge area. Previous plans for retail space in the building were eliminated, replacing it with the meeting space. About 35 to 40 employees will work at the hotel once it is fully staffed next year.

The Aloft hotel will be the first new hotel to open in downtown Milwaukee in several years. The Iron Horse Hotel opened last year and a Days Inn Hotel of the Arts opened earlier this year. Both of those hotels are located near the downtown area, but are not located within the downtown.

The Park East corridor location is a major asset for the Aloft hotel, said general manager Lisa Aldrich. The hotel is located only one block northeast of the Bradley Center and one block south of the Manpower Inc. corporate headquarters. Bars, restaurants and shops along Old World Third Street will be appealing to hotel guests, Aldrich said.

“I think we are in a great location,” she said. “I feel the city center is moving north, and a little west.”

In addition, the hotel’s location along McKinley Avenue will makes it easy for out of town visitors to find off the freeway.

“People are so glad when they hear they don’t have to zig-zag through downtown to get here,” Aldrich said.

The Aloft hotel is located northeast of Old World Third Street and Juneau Avenue. A major development is expected to break ground in January at the southwest corner of the intersection.

That’s where investors, led by developer Rick Barrett, plan to build The Moderne, a 30-story building with 203 apartments, 14 condominiums and 7,230 square feet of retail space. The building will be constructed by J.H. Findorff & Son Inc. It will take about two years to build. The $55.24 million Moderne project has a $41.4 million loan from the AFL-CIO Investment Trust. The loan has received a preliminary guarantee by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s 221(d)4 program. The project also received a $9.3 million loan from the city of Milwaukee.

Barrett says he is bullish on the Park East corridor, which is why he wanted to build The Moderne there.

Like Aldrich, Barrett says a major asset for the Park East corridor is that McKinley Avenue has become a major route into downtown.

“I’m so excited about the Park East because it is now the main entrance to downtown Milwaukee,” Barrett said. “I just firmly believe there is so much opportunity here. I just feel it is going to be such a big corridor for our city. I just love this area.”

Barrett is so bullish on the Park East corridor that he says he would like to do another development on a Milwaukee County-owned property there in the future. He says he has no specific plans for that project at this time.

Two other projects are under construction in the Park East corridor.

Dan Druml, the Milwaukee franchisee for Paul Davis Restoration, is redeveloping the block northwest of North 6th Street and McKinley Avenue. That project, called Haymarket Square, includes renovation of a building at 1311 N. 6th St. About 45,000 square feet of space in the building will be occupied by Santa Ana, Calif.-based Corinthian Colleges Inc., which plans to open its first Wisconsin campus there. Corinthian Colleges provides post-secondary education, primarily for career-oriented students. The Milwaukee campus is expected to open in time for next fall’s school year. The college will have 35 employees in the first year and plans to add another 58 employees during the next four years.

Meanwhile, work continues on Zilber Ltd. founder Joseph Zilber’s massive project to transform the former Pabst brewery, located just past the west end of the Park East corridor, into a mixed-use urban neighborhood. Construction of an 880-space parking structure was completed recently. Redevelopment of three buildings, one for apartments and two for office space, has been completed in the project. In addition, Astronautics Corp. of America is considering the Pabst complex as a possible location for its new corporate headquarters. And, plans are progressing for the proposed University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Public Health to occupy space in the former bottling house building at the Pabst complex.

Another Park East corridor project was completed this year, and was a big success.This summer Milwaukee-based Mandel Group Inc. completed One, an 83-apartment building, which is the first phase of its North End development along the Milwaukee River at the former Pfister & Vogel tannery site. All of the apartments in the building have been leased, according to Mandel Group executives. The building also has 12,000 square feet of retail space.

Meanwhile, the developer for a long-delayed Park East is moving forward with the project. Oak Park, Ill.-based RSC & Associates is seeking up to $30 million in bond financing through the city of Milwaukee for the development.

The tax-exempt redevelopment revenue bonds would be issued through the city’s Redevelopment Authority, providing a low interest financing source for RSC.

According to documents filed with the city, RSC plans to build a 250,000-square-foot development with 121 apartments, five townhouses, a parking structure and 7,800 square feet of retail space on a two-acre vacant site bounded by East Lyons Street, East Ogden Street, North Jefferson Street and North Milwaukee Street.

Later, RSC plans to add two hotels, a 128-room Hyatt Place boutique hotel and a 102-room Hyatt Summerfield Suites extended stay hotel, to the project.

RSC owns the property and the project was approved by the city, but it has been delayed since 2008 because it could not obtain financing after the financial industry meltdown.

RSC purchased the site from Milwaukee County. If the project proceeds, it would be the first Park East corridor property sold by Milwaukee County that has attracted development. All of the Park East developments that have occurred so far have been on sites that were privately owned, except for one site that was previously owned by the city of Milwaukee.

However, a review of the RSC project by the Redevelopment Authority was delayed recently because design issues for the project need to be addressed.

Another development has been proposed for the Park East corridor block between Ogden Avenue and Broadway, Water, Milwaukee, and Lyon streets. Developers Robert Schultz and Harry Drea want to build a $76 million development on that site with about 400 residences and 10,000 square feet of retail space.

However, that project has been placed on the back burner while Schultz and Drea focus on their efforts to obtain financing for their Rivianna development in Walker’s Point, spokesman Evan Zeppos said.

http://www.biztimes.com/news/2009/12/11/real-estate-finally-some-signs-of-life-in-the-park-east

I don't think this has been posted yet. Info on the development of the streetcar is sometimes maddeningly scarce, but this offers up some more specifics.

Milwaukee to chase streetcar grants
Published: December 2, 2009
By Sean Ryan

The city Milwaukee will apply for some of the $130 million in federal streetcar project grants, U.S. Department of Transportation officials announced Tuesday.

The Federal Transit Administration is seeking applications for $280 million for transit projects. Of that, $130 million is for construction of new streetcars or other transit systems. The maximum grant amount per award will be $25 million.

Milwaukee officials will try to get some of that money for an estimated $60 million project to build a streetcar system in the downtown area, said Cecilia Gilbert, Milwaukee Department of Public Works spokeswoman.

The city already has $54.9 million in Federal Transit Administration money for the project, dubbed the Milwaukee Connector. Any additional money the city receives will add to the facilities along the existing routes that are being considered with, for example, additional passenger stops, she said.

The city collected public comments on the streetcar plan this fall. City engineers are considering various options for track routes and will ask city aldermen to approve a project plan in early 2010.

The remaining $150 million in FTA grant money is for buses or bus systems.
The transit administration will announce grant awards in early 2010.

http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/12/02/milwaukee-to-chase-streetcar-grants/

(I apologize for the low quality of these photos - I snapped them with my cell phone)

Work on the the mixed-use Cornerstone building on the corner of Kennsington Blvd. and Oakland Ave. is moving along:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/photo2.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/photo3.jpg

Also, I noticed this sign on the empty lot on the West side of Oakland Ave. This one appears to be by the same developper and is called Ravenna. Looks like another quality mixed-use development:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i200/phedipides/photo1.jpg

Here's the page for Ravenna on Wired's website:

http://www.wiredproperties.com/where/ravenna.html

It's kind of funny how there's way more info on Ravenna on Wired's website than Cornerstone, but in the news you only here about Cornerstone.

Deleted: double post

A multibillion dollar project will be underway from 2010-2016 to widen I-94 as well as replace every single bridge overpass on that highway from the Illinois border to Milwaukee.

I'm not a huge fan of highway infrastructure investment, but this is a great investment not only in the future of the region, but a bet on the expansion of the Chicago-Milwaukee region's economic codependence--sealed further by announced intentions to increase the frequency of Milwaukee-Chicago Hiawatha rail service.

Agree/disagree on the implications here? Any thoughts?

On a side note, every time I visit Milwaukee I'm more impressed. Certainly a city on the upswing, albeit in a much more low-key way

Agree/disagree on the implications here? Any thoughts?


Should've been spent on rail.

How far is the KRM thing these days?

I'm not sure that the widening was necessary... I like your optimism on the expansion, but three lanes each way on a stretch of freeway that doesn't include any busy urban areas was more then enough. There were never any traffic troubles here before...

That and some other things really irked me about this project... but there's not much we can do now that it's already started.

I'm not sure that the widening was necessary... I like your optimism on the expansion, but three lanes each way on a stretch of freeway that doesn't include any busy urban areas was more then enough. There were never any traffic troubles here before...

That and some other things really irked me about this project... but there's not much we can do now that it's already started.

I definitely agree. What bothers me most about this project is that it flew completely under the radar until the State was ready to start digging. Essentially, it was rammed down our throats secretly without any chance of opposition. Why is it that if this had been a multi-billion dollar rail transit project (HSR or a Milwaukee underground subway are the only types of rail transit that I think would ever cost in the $billions), that the voices of opposition would be overwhelmingly intense... not that there is a significant number of people who are pro-highway as opposed to pro-rail, but just their voices are given a stronger emphasis by our conservative radio hosts (Belling and Sykes)-- it's as though there is a concerted agenda by those who BENEFIT from road construction (read: the labor unions, the road construction firms, the highway contractors, the automobile industry and the oil industry) and these factions are SO STRONG, that they find methods to fight tooth-and-nail any competition that costs a fraction of what their highway expenditures are.
multibillion dollar highway project? why should we be proud of this? why should we be optimistic about this? i have personally fought for over 15 years to right the transit ship in Milwaukee and bring rail transit to our area as an alternative to automobiles. more often than not, all of our efforts have fallen on deaf ears or been drowned out by more powerful entities in control of the state and federal funding.

next time a conservative brick-head tries to knock the idea of rail transit saying that it is too expensive, you remind him/her about THIS multi-billion dollar boondoggle of a project.

Good argument. I'm conservative, and I'm not a big fan of this project either. My issue deals with the fact is that it's not necessary right now, and there's other projects--namely the Zoo Interchange--that should the DOT should be way more concerned with. There's always going to be a numbers argument with rail projects vs. highway projects, but the fact of the matter is that highways are guaranteed to serve the most people. I look at rail as an alternative. Something that is nice, might bring your city some attention, but it's not entirely necessary. Highway systems lose money already, so installing a new form of transportation that will also lose money when your (and my) state is in no financial position to do so is just irresponsible. Those are my thoughts.

Well... as much as we agree on the greater topic on hand (e.g. the waste of money the I-94 expansion is) we seem to have some different opinions on other things. But anyway, I will say for the record that even the likes of Belling was against this project and how it came about. This boondoggle is one project that it seems almost everyone is against... but what's good for the construction companies and the unions building the roads is good for everyone else apparently!

Good argument. I'm conservative, and I'm not a big fan of this project either. My issue deals with the fact is that it's not necessary right now, and there's other projects--namely the Zoo Interchange--that should the DOT should be way more concerned with. There's always going to be a numbers argument with rail projects vs. highway projects, but the fact of the matter is that highways are guaranteed to serve the most people. I look at rail as an alternative. Something that is nice, might bring your city some attention, but it's not entirely necessary. Highway systems lose money already, so installing a new form of transportation that will also lose money when your (and my) state is in no financial position to do so is just irresponsible. Those are my thoughts.


Couldn't of said it any better!!

... What bothers me most about this project is that it flew completely under the radar until the State was ready to start digging. Essentially, it was rammed down our throats secretly without any chance of opposition...
There was hearing after hearing, websites and mailings and a multitude of articles in the papers. If you didn't know about this project you didn't want to. I've been following it for years.

I am completely in favor of widening the freeways. They absolutely need it.

I am also completely in favor of all aspects of rail transit. We cannot have too many options for moving people.

We can certainly afford it all.

Of course I pay taxes. Don't even start.

Eriol, that was a great response.

I think everyone had great points in regards to the expansion of I-94.

I also agree with perilouspete's comment about the Zoo Interchange (US45/I-894/I-94) being a more dire issue.

However, when WisDOT held numerous hearings on planning for the Zoo Int reconstruction, there was considerable vocal opposition from Milwaukee Mayor T, Barrett [Democrats protect their own] and from adjacent residential homeowners.

Since reconstruction of the Zoo involved expansion (add'l lanes) as well, Barrett brought up ex-Mayor Norquist's argument that expansion leads to more traffic and making it easier for businesses and residents to 'flee' the city. [ever wonder why I-43 looks the way it does? . . . you can thank Norquist]. Barrett is the blame for the Zoo Int. fiasco.

Keep in mind too, in 2006, it was Mayor Barrett that vetoed a modern Milwaukee streetcar system (http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/streetcarhistory.html) a few years ago when he was running for his 2nd term. He vetoed it claiming we needed a revenue source for operating the system. To sum up, he point his own political career first over light rail. Without that veto, the first phase would have been already completed.

Anyways, expanding I-94 [from Mitchell Int'l to the state line] was politically easier for the Dems to get through without messing up the feathers of other key party leaders.

I-94 expansion [and aesthetic/design overhaul] wasn't needed as bad as the Zoo Int. reconstruction but will play an important role in attracting new business and residents from Lake County and quickening the development pace into Racine County [from Milwaukee and Chicago].

If the expansion didn't occur, imagine visitors coming to the Milwaukee metro driving on the new 8-laned highway in Illinois, then crossing over into Wisconsin on an old, patched-up, 6-laned highway.

Without I-94 expansion, Wisconsin's image and the perception of us being progressive state would have taken a hit.

The I-94 expansion quickens the pace of establishing a 150-mile (north/south) long mega metro of Chicago & Milwaukee.

This is my first post [long-time voyeur], so be easy on me. :|

sorry, forgot to add the link to story about the Barrett modern streetcar veto back in 2006 (http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/streetcarhistory.html).

http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/streetcarhistory.html

umm, you are aware that the mayor currently has a proposal for a modern streetcar, which is moving forward, right? http://milwaukee.gov/transit


the system he vetoed in 2005 was not a modern streetcar, it was a weird rubber-tired tram system that cost 3x the amount of available funding.

Btw... there was a lot of opposition to the I-94 expansion from a lot of leaders from different cities. However it still got pushed through.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524456/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/from/ET (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524456/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/from/ET)

River splash is dead. They were SOOOO politically correct about it too. The weather? Yeah... thats what it was.

Welcome to the forum, btw 3rd_Coast

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524456/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/from/ET (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34524456/ns/local_news-milwaukee_wi/from/ET)

River splash is dead. They were SOOOO politically correct about it too. The weather? Yeah... thats what it was.

And yeah, this sucks. Total political BS. Are they gonna cancel Bastille Days too if someone gets shot in the foot? It was an isolated incident, get better security and the problem probably won't happen again.

Well it was definately more then just the foot shooting. They had troubles for years... between gang members, underage drinkers, drunken fighting idiots... it was getting out of control at night. The security they implimented last year probably helped make it much safer but it was far more expensive and cut down on attendance a lot.

Basically the rule breakers and rowdy people ruined it for everyone. But if they want to cover it up and call it the weather then so be it.

Well it was definately more then just the foot shooting. They had troubles for years... between gang members, underage drinkers, drunken fighting idiots... it was getting out of control at night. The security they implimented last year probably helped make it much safer but it was far more expensive and cut down on attendance a lot.

Basically the rule breakers and rowdy people ruined it for everyone. But if they want to cover it up and call it the weather then so be it.


i'm not too upset by this.. riversplash started out as a really really fun festival with part of water street closed off, but over the last decade has turned into this total clusterfu% of an outdoor mess with every variety of scumbag present. i would expect that some sort of street festival would return that is similar to the original idea. i would think a way to prevent these things from getting out of hand is from banning minors altogether. why do minors need to come to things like this anyway, especially at night? if anyone under the age of 18 (or 21 for that matter) was banned from being at these festivals at night, i think you'd have a lot fewer problems. it's not like the kids are an economic boon to the event, either, so why not keep them out?

if that doesn't work, enforce a dress code.

if that doesn't work, enforce a dress code.

hahaha yeah, that's probably the best option. but banning the minors is a very good idea. pretty much every other festival here is all ages...why not have one that's 21+? it'd be a good experiment to see how much rowdiness it really does cut out.

The only year I noticed Riversplash being an issue was in 2008 when bars on Old World 3rd were selling shots, hard luquor, and fishbowls. That was an invitation to disaster. Last year was basically a joke with the security checkpoints. While I'll miss the old Riversplash, if last year was any indication of what it was going to become, good riddance.

i'm not too upset by this.. riversplash started out as a really really fun festival with part of water street closed off, but over the last decade has turned into this total clusterfu% of an outdoor mess with every variety of scumbag present. i would expect that some sort of street festival would return that is similar to the original idea. i would think a way to prevent these things from getting out of hand is from banning minors altogether. why do minors need to come to things like this anyway, especially at night? if anyone under the age of 18 (or 21 for that matter) was banned from being at these festivals at night, i think you'd have a lot fewer problems. it's not like the kids are an economic boon to the event, either, so why not keep them out?

if that doesn't work, enforce a dress code.

^ I'm generally in favor of festivals that ban people under 25

I'll miss Riversplash. I don't care, I'll say it---its fun to walk around and get drunk. Not so much at Summerfest.

This action is reminiscent of the early days (1800s) in Milwaukee when Juneau Town (East of river) and Kilbourn Town (West of river) existed. Bastille Days (Juneau Town) is good, River Splash predominantly (Kilbourn Town) bad! I know it is a stretch but this came to mind when I heard their lame excuse. For those not knowing the MIlwaukee history, this is the reason bridges do not align over the Milwaukee river. The two towns and leaders would not get along and refused to connect their streets.

How about changing the date in lieu of the lame weather excuses or adding better security. I too like to walk around with an adult beverage. Only time of year you can do this west of the river.

This action is reminiscent of the early days (1800s) in Milwaukee when Juneau Town (East of river) and Kilbourn Town (West of river) existed. Bastille Days (Juneau Town) is good, River Splash predominantly (Kilbourn Town) bad! I know it is a stretch but this came to mind when I heard their lame excuse. For those not knowing the MIlwaukee history, this is the reason bridges do not align over the Milwaukee river. The two towns and leaders would not get along and refused to connect their streets.


Yeah that's really quite a stretch. Neither Kilbourntown nor Juneautown was better than the other, they were just competitive. Walker's Point was the only real loser. Also I'm not entirely sure Bastille Days and Riversplash were in direct competition at any point?

I'm not sure that the widening was necessary... I like your optimism on the expansion, but three lanes each way on a stretch of freeway that doesn't include any busy urban areas was more then enough. There were never any traffic troubles here before...

Well, if we're talking about 2010 traffic, then I agree that three lanes each way is adequate. But the freeway is being designed to last 40 years, and I am sure that within that time frame (and sooner rather than later), the fourth lane would become necessary. The additional cost to go from 3 to 4 lanes was not too much and I'm glad they're doing it now so we won't have to endure more construction 10 years from now to expand.

There was hearing after hearing, websites and mailings and a multitude of articles in the papers. If you didn't know about this project you didn't want to. I've been following it for years.

Bingo. I also went to every PIM (public info meeting) and open house. WisDOT put out press releases for them. As for a public outcry, it isn't WisDOT's fault that there wasn't much. What are they supposed to do, create their own opposition?

I am also completely in favor of all aspects of rail transit. We cannot have too many options for moving people.

I agree 100%. The KRM should have been a part of this project, as in it should have been up and running to serve as a traffic reliever for I-94 while it was under construction. Then WisDOT could have been more agressive with their construction timeline and lane closures. That would save taxpayer money and construction time. There's no reason this project should take 8 years.

Having the KRM up and running during the I-94 construction would cause many people to at least give rail a try. And many of those people would find that commuter rail is convenient and comfortable. Some would stay on the KRM even after I-94 construction wraps up. That would take away additional cars from I-94 and make life better for those still in their cars. Everyone wins. And with a KRM price tag essentially the same as the cost to go from 3 to 4 lanes, I think it is a no-brainer.


I also agree with perilouspete's comment about the Zoo Interchange (US45/I-894/I-94) being a more dire issue.

However, when WisDOT held numerous hearings on planning for the Zoo Int reconstruction, there was considerable vocal opposition from Milwaukee Mayor Barrett [Democrats protect their own] and from adjacent residential homeowners.

Since reconstruction of the Zoo involved expansion (add'l lanes) as well, Barrett brought up ex-Mayor Norquist's argument that expansion leads to more traffic and making it easier for businesses and residents to 'flee' the city. Barrett is the blame for the Zoo Int. fiasco.

Anyways, expanding I-94 [from Mitchell Int'l to the state line] was politically easier for the Dems to get through without messing up the feathers of other key party leaders.

I agree that the Democrats were the ones who made the decision to do I-94 instead of the Zoo, for political reasons. But I don't blame Barrett; Doyle is the one who ultimately controls WisDOT and told them what to recommend. (Secretary Busalacchi is a Doyle crony) Then after the I-94 announcement, there was the predictable outcry from Waukesha County. Doyle and the Democrats then agreed to "move up" the Zoo project and have it run partly concurrent with the I-94 project. But they knew full well that there wouldn't be enough money and lo and behold, the Zoo project is now on indefinite hold. The only twist is that Doyle didn't think the Zoo would actually crumble and show everyone that he made the wrong decision.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Thanks MilwaukeeMark, and merry Christmas to you too! :)

Merry Christmas, Milwaukee!

Bah Humbug. Unless it's development news I don't want to hear it. :)

^^ I hope you get visited tonight by 3 ghosts.
:lol:

Am I the only 1 starting to think politics in the Milwaukee area are gear away from building up Milwaukee?

^^ I hope you get visited tonight by 3 ghosts.
:lol:

I hope ghost of christmas future tells me that Milwaukee has built a new basketball arena and torn down all the crappy public art that has been placed in this city. Which has all been melted down to build a giant, bronze, Colossus of Rhodes-esque Fonz' statue where the Hoan Bridge used to be.

I hope the ghost of christmas future tells me that in 5 years the lake point tower will be built, a new arena is in the works, and that the brewers have finally made it to another world series. I guess i should start drinking more leinie's and maybe he'll visit tonight..

Happy winter solstice everyone! May we uphold redundant pagan holidays and worship (or don't) our solar deity of choice as he is born once again, anthropomorphically-speaking. Plus drinking with family. :cheers:

Millwork: "Am I the only 1 starting to think politics in the Milwaukee area are gear away from building up Milwaukee?"

Can you repeat the question (in different words)? I don't understand what you are trying to ask. Thanks.

Happy winter solstice everyone! May we uphold redundant pagan holidays and worship (or don't) our solar deity of choice as he is born once again, anthropomorphically-speaking. Plus drinking with family. :cheers:

God gave us peace when He decided to leave his home in heaven and come down to our level and become a man. The meaning of christmas isn't rocket science, although it seems the hardest thing for inteligent people to understand.

If all I'm going to celebrate is a winter solstice, I'm without any hope.

:cheers: And yes, I'm done preachin.

If all I'm going to celebrate is a winter solstice, I'm without any hope.


I understand your point, but I for one actually look forward to the winter solstice in and of itself. Its good to know that from now on the days are finally going to start getting longer. :)

Happy winter solstice everyone! May we uphold redundant pagan holidays and worship (or don't) our solar deity of choice as he is born once again, anthropomorphically-speaking. Plus drinking with family. :cheers:

Yeah yeah yeah smartass... Why is it if someone wished a happy hannukah or Ramadan on here, nobody would make any sarcastic posts about it even though Judaism and Islam are equally as ridiculous religions as Christianity. What's wrong with just seeing Christmas as a nice warm family holiday everyone can enjoy minus the religious snark?

God gave us peace when He decided to leave his home in heaven and come down to our level and become a man. The meaning of christmas isn't rocket science, although it seems the hardest thing for inteligent people to understand.

If all I'm going to celebrate is a winter solstice, I'm without any hope.

:cheers: And yes, I'm done preachin.

I suspect the meaning of Christmas as you see it isn't analogous with the one history tells us. If it helps, all you've done was celebrate the solstice all your life and it never made it more empty or hopeless, regardless if you apply your own dogma to it. Either way, we both get off work (presumably) and we both look forward to spending time with family so this time of year is a good one, no matter what your metaphysical beliefs are. I hope yours went as pleasantly as mine.

I understand your point, but I for one actually look forward to the winter solstice in and of itself. Its good to know that from now on the days are finally going to start getting longer. :)

And that's why ancients celebrated it! Winter symbolized death. Days get shorter, the crops die, etc. The sun stops at its lowest point in the sky on the solstice. Now the sun has risen, foreshadowing longer days and warmth to come. :) It is indeed worth looking forward to when the leaves start falling off of the trees.

Yeah yeah yeah smartass... Why is it if someone wished a happy hannukah or Ramadan on here, nobody would make any sarcastic posts about it even though Judaism and Islam are equally as ridiculous religions as Christianity. What's wrong with just seeing Christmas as a nice warm family holiday everyone can enjoy minus the religious snark?

lol. How do you know I wouldn't have said anything if someone wished a happy different holiday? I'm just acknowledging the reason why we celebrate anything this time of year at all. It may have been a bit flippant but the same could be said about the Colbert christmas special. Who cares? Christmas is hardly a remnant of the holiday it used to be. Now its just a consumer f@%#fest, and everyone knows and loves it. I may have been taking the piss but I gave my good wishes to everyone for good times. :okay:

Sheesh perhaps I should've posted this (from another forum):
Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wisher.

Sorry about that. What I was trying to say is "Does anyone else notice that the politicians in madison are more likely to support the suburbs over Milwaukee?

I suspect the meaning of Christmas as you see it isn't analogous with the one history tells us. If it helps, all you've done was celebrate the solstice all your life and it never made it more empty or hopeless, regardless if you apply your own dogma to it. Either way, we both get off work (presumably) and we both look forward to spending time with family so this time of year is a good one, no matter what your metaphysical beliefs are. I hope yours went as pleasantly as mine.
Well, even as a kid when I found out that Jesus wasn't actually born on Dec. 25th I never got the feeling that I was celebrating the winter soltice. The winter solstice happens on Dec. 21st, not the 25th, but I do see good reason to celebrate longer day light, even though we count them in minutes.

Yes mine was pleasant, hope yours was too. By the way, happy Boxing Day!:)

Well, even as a kid when I found out that Jesus wasn't actually born on Dec. 25th I never got the feeling that I was celebrating the winter soltice. The winter solstice happens on Dec. 21st, not the 25th, but I do see good reason to celebrate longer day light, even though we count them in minutes.

Yes mine was pleasant, hope yours was too. By the way, happy Boxing Day!:)

Indeed the celebration on the 25th is linked to the pagan origins of solstice celebrations. Because many cultures believed their solar messiah was born around the winter solstice church leaders chose this date to ease adaptability (Although centuries of dark ages, ie bloodshed, helped coerce the people into believing much more than that). The solstice may be on the 21st, but the sun stops at its lowest point in the sky for three days on the solstice before rising again @ christmas. Hmm... risen after three days, weird. :cheers:

Boxing day is a new one to me. I thought perhaps it was a day to celebrate pugilism. :cucumber:

so this is what happens when we get no development presents for the holidays!!

fun, isn't it? Can someone remind me whats going on that corner parcel on brady and Arlington? I noticed the other day the ground was dug up and construction fencing put around the border.

fun, isn't it? Can someone remind me whats going on that corner parcel on brady and Arlington? I noticed the other day the ground was dug up and construction fencing put around the border.
The Passeggio Project?

fun, isn't it? Can someone remind me whats going on that corner parcel on brady and Arlington? I noticed the other day the ground was dug up and construction fencing put around the border.

I saw the excavation too a couple days ago. It's going to be a new 2-1/2 story building containing a retail store that's relocating from Farwell & Royall (just south of EE Sang Thai Restaurant) and couple residential rental units above.

It's always great to get rid of another empty lot.

See the link below to story from Milwaukee Journal.

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/64365067.html#comments

There's also a proposal to build a new hotel in that same block (http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/09/03/skeptical-neighbors-greet-milwaukee-hotel-project/).

Oh Greenfields is moving there? It's a cool shop I think that location will help business.

Sorry about that. What I was trying to say is "Does anyone else notice that the politicians in madison are more likely to support the suburbs over Milwaukee?

that's because madison literally HATES milwaukee. it burns them to the core that milwaukee is and always will be bigger and more important of a city than they are. that's what i've noticed taking place for over 30 years here, anyway.

AirTran expands in Milwaukee, making Mitchell a hub
By John Schmid of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 28, 2009 10:30 p.m.

Discount carrier AirTran Airways, which has injected a strong dose of low-cost competition at Mitchell International Airport in recent years, signaled Monday that it will continue to expand its operations aggressively at Milwaukee's main airport and keep fare prices under pressure.

The airline, which began flying into Milwaukee seven years ago, will announce Tuesday that it will begin basing pilots and flight attendants in Milwaukee starting in April, in a move that means Milwaukee joins Atlanta's Hartsfield International as the only other U.S. airport that acts as an operations base and hub for the nation's ninth-biggest airline.

The move will add jobs at Mitchell and thrust Milwaukee into the heart of AirTran's national strategy as Mitchell becomes a hub airport connecting passengers who transfer between flights that don't originate or end in Milwaukee, AirTran officials said Monday.

"A crew base is a major decision for an airline, which signals that they are establishing a hub operation," said Barry Bateman, director of Mitchell airport. "It's a strong signal that they are serious that they are making Milwaukee a major operation."

The company was unable to predict exactly how many pilot and flight attendant jobs will have their residence in Milwaukee. Pilots and attendants are able to live anywhere that their employer flies, the airline noted. However, it is inevitable that some jobs will move to Milwaukee because the company's initial goal is to have 50 pilots and 50 or more flight attendants who base their assignments out of Mitchell.

Existing AirTran employees will be able to bid for Milwaukee-based positions according to their seniority. After that, the company will begin to recruit around Milwaukee, the airline said.

"These are initial numbers," AirTran vice president Kevin Healy said. "They could double, or in the case of flight attendants, they could triple over time."

The airline said its expansion and hub strategy is a clear sign of its commitment to further growth.

"For each of the last three years, we have doubled the size of our presence in Milwaukee in terms of our flights, our employees and the number of markets served," Healy said.

AirTran began flying into Milwaukee in 2002 as a single spoke out of its Atlanta hub. By April, it expects to operate 52 flights a day to 22 destinations, meaning Milwaukee represents 11% of its national traffic. Those figures include AirTran's new code-sharing partnership with SkyWest Inc., a regional carrier that will feed passengers onto AirTran flights.

AirTran, owned by Orlando, Fla.-based AirTran Holdings Inc., this year became the second-largest airline at Mitchell, pulling ahead of the former No. 2 carrier, Northwest Airlines, which Delta Air Lines acquired a year ago. Midwest Airlines, owned by Republic Airways Holdings Inc., is Milwaukee's No. 1 carrier.

AirTran credits itself with shifting the price structure at Mitchell. Its low fares have catalyzed price wars, which in turn have helped attract new passengers, Healy said.

Mitchell's passenger boardings grew in record numbers for 17 consecutive months through August 2008. They also began hitting new records in September. Bateman attributes the growth to the lower fares. More recently, low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines began flying to Mitchell, a move that adds to the price competition.

AirTran has shown a strong interest in the Milwaukee market since 2007, when it lost an unsolicited bid to acquire Midwest.

Asked why AirTran is attracted to Milwaukee, Healy said Mitchell has been operating below its potential for years. It would have had more passengers if its fares were lower, he said.

"We demonstrated that the market is bigger than it historically has been, and now you even have new competition coming in to try to get a piece of the growing pie," Healy said.

AirTran's announcement is the second in as many months involving new jobs at Mitchell-based carriers.

In November, Republic Airlines said it would consolidate its maintenance operations at Mitchell, adding up to 800 jobs in Milwaukee and Oak Creek over the next year.

http://www.anna.aero/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/map.png


with more routes to be added to MKE...

that's because madison literally HATES milwaukee. it burns them to the core that milwaukee is and always will be bigger and more important of a city than they are. that's what i've noticed taking place for over 30 years here, anyway.

By Madison are you referring to the state government? Most people I know in Madison love having Milwaukee so near and visiting the city. Everyone here is a die-hard Brewers fan. I certainly wouldn't just make a blanketed statement like that without backing it up.

By Madison are you referring to the state government? Most people I know in Madison love having Milwaukee so near and visiting the city. Everyone here is a die-hard Brewers fan. I certainly wouldn't just make a blanketed statement like that without backing it up.

Well, you're an exception and I'm glad to hear it. More often than not what I hear from Madison people is brazen stereotyping of Milwaukee, calling it "ghetto" and "run down" and constanty berating the city and its people, which I find ridiculous coming from a town of so fewer people. Apples to oranges, I always say, but still many madisonians seem to feel the need to knock mileaukee's educational institutions (Marquette and UWM) over what they perceive to be a superior school in uw Madison. It's obnoxious and silly but true.

I'll second that. Growing up a half hour north of madison and having strong ties there no one liked milwaukee. An unfortunate majority of people I meet from outside milwaukee ask stupid questions like "have you ever gotten robbed at gunpoint" or "is it safe to park my car here" when visiting, as well as refer to the city as ghetto or unsafe. My GFs mom for example is from madison, and doesn't like milwaukee or the fact that we live here. Its indeed ignorant but an unfortunate reality. And the brewers seem to be the only thing to supersede that barrier, although more often than not those out-of-towners here for the game don't spend a minute or a dime anywhere else in the city before/after a game.

Most people in Wausau have the same ignorant attitude towards Milwaukee. They think Milwaukee is nothing but a big gang infested ghetto. Alot of times I get real funny looks when I start talking about a restaurant or bar experience I had, or when I talk about going to the art museum. Most of it is positive looks though because it's like they aren't used to hearing anyone talk postive about the city so when someone does they are willing to listen.

I'll second that. Growing up a half hour north of madison and having strong ties there no one liked milwaukee. An unfortunate majority of people I meet from outside milwaukee ask stupid questions like "have you ever gotten robbed at gunpoint" or "is it safe to park my car here" when visiting, as well as refer to the city as ghetto or unsafe.


This type of shit is what really annoys me about most people who live in smaller cities. They view every city with a population over 300,000 as a giant ghetto.

Most people in Wausau have the same ignorant attitude towards Milwaukee. They think Milwaukee is nothing but a big gang infested ghetto.

I think it's pretty fair to say that those types view every city with a large black population as a "big gang infested ghetto". That really offends me

This type of shit is what really annoys me about most people who live in smaller cities. They view every city with a population over 300,000 as a giant ghetto.



I think it's pretty fair to say that those types view every city with a large black population as a "big gang infested ghetto". That really offends me

Right, it's small-town ignorance that breeds such attitudes as that. These are the same idiots who are afraid to ride public transport for fear of being
murdered. As long as I hear madisonians with opinions like that about Milwaukee or other large cities, I have no choice but to classify Madison as a small provincial town.

Even if it is true that Milwaukee has an image problem throughout Madison and Wisconsin (which I KNOW is not the case in Madison any more than it is in Milwaukee’s own suburbs) what does one do? What does one do to solve Milwaukee’s image problem? Do they

A) Offend Madisonians by belittling their hometown, further polarizing the state’s two greatest cities against each other, or….

B) Prove to Madisonians that Milwaukee is truly an interesting, safe place worth exploring.


How about advertising all the great ways that Madisonians can enjoy the great city of Milwaukee; only a short hour away? How about advertising the Art Museum (as Paule does in Wausau), the Harley Davidson Museum, the world class lakefront park system, all the other terrific museums, ethnic festivals, transportation hubs, etc etc etc. So you hear Madisonians are complaining about Milwaukee? Good! All the more motivation for us all to advertise Milwaukee’s great assets and change this image! Instead of attacking back, win Madisonians and rural Wisconsin over! There are many cities in this country that have great relationships with their states (I’m typing this from Denver right now, a perfect example of said city-state relationship) and those positive relationships were not created by citizens of the big bad cities offending the rest of their state. There are a lot of people from Madison and Wisconsin that read this Milwaukee forum, and this is our chance to advertise what makes Milwaukee a great place to visit and reside in, not be used as a medium to attack the rest of the state.

I know many people in Milwaukee who have ingnorant attitudes about Chicago. Does that make Milwaukee a small provincial town?

I'm new to this state and I had no idea that there was a Milwaukee-Madison animosity.

People in the lakefront cities south of Milwaukee (Racine, Kenosha) tend to view the city quite favorably.

I really don't understand why the two cities have this animosity. They are two entirely different cities which are each enjoyable.

I will go ahead and make the stereotype that many people outside of the Milwaukee area think that Milwaukee is a nothing more than urban decay. I went to undergrad at Stevens Point and one of the first things I was asked is "Are you afraid of being shot? when I told people I was from Milwaukee. What many people do not understand is that vast majority of the violence that occurs in Milwaukee goes on in the SAME PLACE. I have lived in the metro area for 23 years now and have never witnessed any acts of violence because I know not to hang around in those areas. I think this goes with many major cities as well.

Personally, I always enjoy going to Madison for either badger games or just to visit. However, I feel that without the capitol or university the city really doesn't have that much to offer with the exception tech jobs.

Milwaukee is market number 34 while Madison is number 85. If you wanna compare Milwaukee to a city compare it to Memphis or Nashville.

Too bad Madison isn't where Waukesha is located. Then we could have one happy giant metro... bigger than the neighbors to the west.

Milwaukee does have its problems relative to Madison, that is undeniable, and people from Madison know it. Of course, Madison has the advantage of growing the government and the university any time things start looking rough, and it gets all the money it wants from a state that never votes for lower taxes. Milwaukee has to deal with very limited and resources and overwhelming demands on those resources. Most people employed in Milwaukee metro who have the resources do leave Milwaukee for greener pastures in the burbs. They leave not because of some perception, but because of the actual reality of Milwaukee, which is dysfunctional schools and higher crime relative to the burbs. The suburbs also have a generally better housing stock than Milwaukee, so you get more for your $ in the burbs. They are fine coming to the city to work and play, but also just as fine with leaving it as soon as they can. It’s not a big enough city where traffic is a major issue, and people are willing to deal with a relatively short commute, less crime, better schools, and better homes vs the urban appeal of city living. It’s also why these rail projects are a waste of time and money in this city. Suburban commuters will still drive, and will always demand freeway improvements to ease traffic. Given the choice of where their tax dollars are to be spent they will always vote for the freeways. Because of their larger numbers, they will elect pols who can accomplish this. Freeway expansion is inevitable and this forum has to deal with it. Also, freeway flyer buses can accomplish what rail does for a fraction of the cost since the freeway infrastructure is already in place. Milwaukee mass transit funds would be much better spent on bus system upgrades and not useless trains no one wants, other than the train nerds on this forum. Milwaukee can fix its by creating JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Employed people pay taxes (vs draining public funds) and do not have time to commit crime. If you want to fix Milwaukee, find the people and businesses that will bring real private sector, high paying, high skilled jobs to the city, and to the whole state for that matter. Give them a reason they can’t refuse to do business here vs the 49 other options they have by making this the most business friendly place it can be.

Right, it's small-town ignorance that breeds such attitudes as that. These are the same idiots who are afraid to ride public transport for fear of being
murdered. As long as I hear madisonians with opinions like that about Milwaukee or other large cities, I have no choice but to classify Madison as a small provincial town.
Actually MilwaukeeMax I wouldn't blame it all on small town ignorance. There are quite a few people up here that used the live in Milwaukee and I would say they are the ones who bad mouth the city the most. In fact, while attending NTC last year I was in the same course as a guy who moved out of West Milwaukee and he was telling me about how they would here gun shots going off during the night and how it was just a dump of a place. Seeing that My brother lives in West Allis, not too far from WM, I would actually argue with him. All I'm saying is, please don't think of us as a bunch of small town rednecks who come up with our perceptions for no reason at all. When you have ex-Milwaukeeians coming up here bad mouthing the place and painting it in the worst posible light people who have never been to Milwaukee have no other recourse but to hold a negative perception of the city.

It’s not a big enough city where traffic is a major issue, and people are willing to deal with a relatively short commute, less crime, better schools, and better homes vs the urban appeal of city living. It’s also why these rail projects are a waste of time and money in this city. Suburban commuters will still drive, and will always demand freeway improvements to ease traffic. Given the choice of where their tax dollars are to be spent they will always vote for the freeways. Because of their larger numbers, they will elect pols who can accomplish this. Freeway expansion is inevitable and this forum has to deal with it. Also, freeway flyer buses can accomplish what rail does for a fraction of the cost since the freeway infrastructure is already in place. Milwaukee mass transit funds would be much better spent on bus system upgrades and not useless trains no one wants, other than the train nerds on this forum. Milwaukee can fix its by creating JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Employed people pay taxes (vs draining public funds) and do not have time to commit crime. If you want to fix Milwaukee, find the people and businesses that will bring real private sector, high paying, high skilled jobs to the city, and to the whole state for that matter. Give them a reason they can’t refuse to do business here vs the 49 other options they have by making this the most business friendly place it can be.

Wow. Amen to that.

Even if it is true that Milwaukee has an image problem throughout Madison and Wisconsin (which I KNOW is not the case in Madison any more than it is in Milwaukee’s own suburbs) what does one do? What does one do to solve Milwaukee’s image problem? Do they

A) Offend Madisonians by belittling their hometown, further polarizing the state’s two greatest cities against each other, or….

B) Prove to Madisonians that Milwaukee is truly an interesting, safe place worth exploring.


How about advertising all the great ways that Madisonians can enjoy the great city of Milwaukee; only a short hour away? How about advertising the Art Museum (as Paule does in Wausau), the Harley Davidson Museum, the world class lakefront park system, all the other terrific museums, ethnic festivals, transportation hubs, etc etc etc. So you hear Madisonians are complaining about Milwaukee? Good! All the more motivation for us all to advertise Milwaukee’s great assets and change this image! Instead of attacking back, win Madisonians and rural Wisconsin over! There are many cities in this country that have great relationships with their states (I’m typing this from Denver right now, a perfect example of said city-state relationship) and those positive relationships were not created by citizens of the big bad cities offending the rest of their state. There are a lot of people from Madison and Wisconsin that read this Milwaukee forum, and this is our chance to advertise what makes Milwaukee a great place to visit and reside in, not be used as a medium to attack the rest of the state.

I know many people in Milwaukee who have ingnorant attitudes about Chicago. Does that make Milwaukee a small provincial town?

Actually, i would argue that Milwaukee has a far stronger kinship with Chicago than it does with Madison... maybe it's because the Windy City and Brew City share very similar histories, economies, architectures and even geographies; maybe it's because Chicago is closer to Milwaukee than Madison is; maybe it's the increasingly integrated economies of these two metropolises... Brewers/Cubs rivalries aside, I think most Milwaukeeans understand and respect Chicago. You rarely get the delusional "we're better than you" attitude from Milwaukeeans, the way you get it from people in Madison. Still, your positive philosophy is admirable and I definitely would like to disregard all the negative remarks going both ways, however it can often get frustrating to hear such boastings when you KNOW that the vast majority of tax money funding such things as UW Madison, is coming from Milwaukee and its suburbs. There is a long standing policy in Wisconsin to redistribute wealth away from Milwaukee. Let's be honest: the reason Madison even exists is because of state contempt for profiting marketeers in Milwaukee-- the capital would have been in the state's largest city, however these individuals felt the power ought to be separated/removed and controlled elsewhere (on an uninhabited swamp between two lakes). Fast forward to today and resources have been consistently siphoned decade after decade away from Milwaukee to Madison and the rest of the state. I would argue that the problems in Milwaukee have possibly been created or at least been made worse because of the area being drained of its money to be used elsewhere in the state. There is reason for contempt, although I think you're right in that a more positive approach ought to be undertaken if we're to move in the right direction...

Milwaukee does have its problems relative to Madison, that is undeniable, and people from Madison know it. Of course, Madison has the advantage of growing the government and the university any time things start looking rough, and it gets all the money it wants from a state that never votes for lower taxes. Milwaukee has to deal with very limited and resources and overwhelming demands on those resources. Most people employed in Milwaukee metro who have the resources do leave Milwaukee for greener pastures in the burbs. They leave not because of some perception, but because of the actual reality of Milwaukee, which is dysfunctional schools and higher crime relative to the burbs. The suburbs also have a generally better housing stock than Milwaukee, so you get more for your $ in the burbs. They are fine coming to the city to work and play, but also just as fine with leaving it as soon as they can. It’s not a big enough city where traffic is a major issue, and people are willing to deal with a relatively short commute, less crime, better schools, and better homes vs the urban appeal of city living. It’s also why these rail projects are a waste of time and money in this city. Suburban commuters will still drive, and will always demand freeway improvements to ease traffic. Given the choice of where their tax dollars are to be spent they will always vote for the freeways. Because of their larger numbers, they will elect pols who can accomplish this. Freeway expansion is inevitable and this forum has to deal with it. Also, freeway flyer buses can accomplish what rail does for a fraction of the cost since the freeway infrastructure is already in place. Milwaukee mass transit funds would be much better spent on bus system upgrades and not useless trains no one wants, other than the train nerds on this forum. Milwaukee can fix its by creating JOBS, JOBS, JOBS. Employed people pay taxes (vs draining public funds) and do not have time to commit crime. If you want to fix Milwaukee, find the people and businesses that will bring real private sector, high paying, high skilled jobs to the city, and to the whole state for that matter. Give them a reason they can’t refuse to do business here vs the 49 other options they have by making this the most business friendly place it can be.

boy, you really don't know your history, do you? the freeways weren't built democratically. they didn't arise out of some ridiculous 'laissez faire' free market invisible hand nonsense. the freeways prevailed because the government systematically invested in them in the 50s and 60s-- it was Cold War social engineering and it can (and should) most definitely be reversed. widening the freeways won't help a damn thing. providing new CHOICES will.. and it will also create new corridors of development... corridors in which these JOBS you speak of will be created to serve the increasing numbers of riders on these systems. you need to get your head out of the AM talk radio and look around you... there's a reason that the Milwaukee-to-Chicago Amtrak Hiawatha route is one of the most successful and profitable routes on their entire national network. the route is a stable and reliable transportation option (unlike busses.. there is a DISTINCT difference between rail and bus.. busses exude no sense of permanence, rail based systems do. also, rail runs on right-of-way paths and are generally faster as they are independent of automobile traffic). just because you don't want trains, don't make such ignorant statements of "useless trains that nobody wants". that's just an obnoxiously stupid thing to say. naysayers said the same thing in MSP and every other city where this has been an issue in the US (and remember, Milwaukee has a higher population density than many of these places!) and the ridership numbers have proven people like you wrong.

@MilwaukeeMax nice

According to this article, Milwaukee is getting a bad rap from out of city, and transplant, folk.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/80454092.html

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/paule17/Milwaukee/homiG_010110.jpg

Actually MilwaukeeMax I wouldn't blame it all on small town ignorance. There are quite a few people up here that used the live in Milwaukee and I would say they are the ones who bad mouth the city the most. In fact, while attending NTC last year I was in the same course as a guy who moved out of West Milwaukee and he was telling me about how they would here gun shots going off during the night and how it was just a dump of a place. Seeing that My brother lives in West Allis, not too far from WM, I would actually argue with him. All I'm saying is, please don't think of us as a bunch of small town rednecks who come up with our perceptions for no reason at all. When you have ex-Milwaukeeians coming up here bad mouthing the place and painting it in the worst posible light people who have never been to Milwaukee have no other recourse but to hold a negative perception of the city.

I would appreciate a reply from you MilwaukeeMax. After all, you did call all of us idiots.

And stories like this will not help peoples perceptions of Milwaukee. Wake up, and quite telling us that we are idiots for thinking Milwaukee isn't as rough as we have been told!
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/80453157.html

I would appreciate a reply from you MilwaukeeMax. After all, you did call all of us idiots.

i wasn't calling YOU an idiot, paule, and i'm sorry if you thought that-- i do think that those so-called ex-patriots with whom you've talked, sound an awful lot like suburbanites -- indeed people in west milwaukee and west allis (places that have their own problems) aren't likely to spend much time in the city. there's a reason they chose to live out there. the misperceptions by suburbanites in this area about the city are sometimes just as bad as those by people who live in small towns and villages throughout the rest of the state. indeed, they are even more guilty, as they are in greater proximity to Milwaukee and have far more opportunities to come and visit the city and change their misperceptions than people in rural areas do. i guess it just comes down to ignorance by people who don't live in the city itself.

And stories like this will not help peoples perceptions of Milwaukee. Wake up, and quite telling us that we are idiots for thinking Milwaukee isn't as rough as we have been told!
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/80453157.html

not to sound like a brazen jerk, but that story isn't that bad-- i mean it's a sad story but people are killed by drunk drivers all the time. how is this story supposed to make milwaukee look "rough" exactly? because the car was stolen? because the story involves black people? i don't understand what you're getting at... but maybe it's just a city mentality-- far worse things like this happen, but that's just a statistical fact that comes with living in a large metropolitan area. more people = more crime (usually). what's shocking to small towners isn't shocking to city dwellers. i don't see how stories like this make Milwaukee look any rougher than cities like Chicago, MSP, St. Louis, Cleveland, etc.
it's just a big city and it has big city problems but also big city benefits. that's life.

for the record, i hear gunshots from time to time at night too-- it's not a big deal. i mean it's ridiculous compared to more civilised cities in Europe, but this is how american cities are. when i lived in new york, i heard gunshots at night too. america is violent country and its cities are typically more violent because of it.

people have this opinion of Milwaukee....within Milwaukee. I hear it when I tell people I know on the southside that I live on the northwest side, assuming it's crime-ridden. There has always been that divide between southside/northside, well at least since the influx of African-Americans. There is somewhat of an assumed safety on the Eastside, even though they seem to have their share of problems---such as the muggings at UWM.

The problem with Milwaukee is we have these high profile crimes. I recall in Time magazine a few years ago there was an article about them. Crimes like that mass rape of that 14 year old girl, that Special Olympian getting gunned down for pocket change, and the Charlie Young Jr. mob beating by a crowd of teenagers. Not to mention Dahmer, which is sadly one of the things we are most famous for nationally---aside from beer and old t.v. shows that werent even filmed here.

I do think its ridiculous that Milwaukee has a bad repuation though. Then again, we have to remember that the rest of Wisconsin aside from Milwaukee/Racine (maybe Kenosha/Beloit), are some of the safest metro areas in the entire country. Milwaukee stands out amongst cities like Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Eau Claire, Fox Valley, etc. Nationally it shouldn't though. We are no worse then our neighors and surely no worse then cities like New Orleans, Philadelphia, L.A., or Miami. I believe we were ranked one of the safest cities in America by Forbes this year. :)

people have this opinion of Milwaukee....within Milwaukee. I hear it when I tell people I know on the southside that I live on the northwest side, assuming it's crime-ridden. There has always been that divide between southside/northside, well at least since the influx of African-Americans. There is somewhat of an assumed safety on the Eastside, even though they seem to have their share of problems---such as the muggings at UWM.

The problem with Milwaukee is we have these high profile crimes. I recall in Time magazine a few years ago there was an article about them. Crimes like that mass rape of that 14 year old girl, that Special Olympian getting gunned down for pocket change, and the Charlie Young Jr. mob beating by a crowd of teenagers. Not to mention Dahmer, which is sadly one of the things we are most famous for nationally---aside from beer and old t.v. shows that werent even filmed here.

I do think its ridiculous that Milwaukee has a bad repuation though. Then again, we have to remember that the rest of Wisconsin aside from Milwaukee/Racine (maybe Kenosha/Beloit), are some of the safest metro areas in the entire country. Milwaukee stands out amongst cities like Appleton, Green Bay, Madison, Eau Claire, Fox Valley, etc. Nationally it shouldn't though. We are no worse then our neighors and surely no worse then cities like New Orleans, Philadelphia, L.A., or Miami. I believe we were ranked one of the safest cities in America by Forbes this year. :)

i agree with you up to the point of saying the smaller towns in wisconsin are "safe". i mean they ARE safe, but they certainly get their share of weirdos -- what about this rash of stories of rapes and murders of college students in madison? and haven't lots of young people been found dead along the banks of the mississippi near eau claire? what about people like Ed Gein? he wasn't from milwaukee! again, my point isn't that wisconsin is dangerous, it's just that Milwaukee isn't necessarily any more dangerous (relativistically anyway) than other places-- you just have to take into account that it is a much much bigger city than anywhere else in the state and thus has big city problems. I WILL say, though, that the crime in the city IS mostly concentrated on the north-northwest side. i know this because i've spent years living there and yes, the crime is worse in the african american neighbourhoods, this is sadly true, but it isn't a racial issue-- it's really because of deteriorated, neglected poor neighbourhoods that end up being perfect breeding grounds for gang activity and violence. if people started buying up homes and fixing up houses and businesses in the inner city, i think these problems would start to disappear (or at least would shift to another part of town).

I believe we were ranked one of the safest cities in America by Forbes this year. :)

we were, but it wasn't because of low crime. we ranked in the low 20's in that category. crime is getting better here but compared with minneapolis we had almost twice as many homicides as they did this year. hopefully things will continue to improve. i will say though, how at least in my opinion, downtown is a pretty safe place. my friends and i have actually walked from potowatami to UWM a couple times after midnight bingo (no joke) and i felt relatively safe. i wouldn't do that by myself of course, but that's just common sense.

not to sound like a brazen jerk, but that story isn't that bad-- i mean it's a sad story but people are killed by drunk drivers all the time. how is this story supposed to make milwaukee look "rough" exactly? because the car was stolen? because the story involves black people? i don't understand what you're getting at... but maybe it's just a city mentality-- far worse things like this happen, but that's just a statistical fact that comes with living in a large metropolitan area. more people = more crime (usually). what's shocking to small towners isn't shocking to city dwellers. i don't see how stories like this make Milwaukee look any rougher than cities like Chicago, MSP, St. Louis, Cleveland, etc.
it's just a big city and it has big city problems but also big city benefits. that's life.
No, of course the story isn't that bad, I didn't claim it was. All I said was it doesn't do anything to help perceptions. Nor did I make the claim that this story makes Milwaukee look rougher than other large cities.

The guys who smashed into her car were running away from the police. Last time I checked that was breaking the law. It now seems you are too defensive to talk about this rationally so just forget it.

for the record, i hear gunshots from time to time at night too-- it's not a big deal. i mean it's ridiculous compared to more civilised cities in Europe, but this is how american cities are. when i lived in new york, i heard gunshots at night too. america is violent country and its cities are typically more violent because of it.
Maybe it doesn't bother you at all hearing gun shots all night long but it odviously bothered those people enough to want to move out of the city and come up here. All I'm saying is, they come up here and then talk about Milwaukee like it's the worst city in the country, and that's bound to rub off on people who don't know the city very well. So it's not so much about ignorant perceptions as much as wrong perceptions due to the opinions of others, that's all I'm saying.

crime is getting better here but compared with minneapolis we had almost twice as many homicides as they did this year. hopefully things will continue to improve.

however, you should also then note that Milwaukee has 605,000 people and Minneapolis has 390,000.

however, you should also then note that Milwaukee has 605,000 people and Minneapolis has 390,000.

Exactly

however, you should also then note that Milwaukee has 605,000 people and Minneapolis has 390,000.

amen.

(even though MSP people try to pretend like their two cities are one-- the reality is that they just live in a more spread-out area of urban sprawl, not a bigger city)

boy, you really don't know your history, do you? the freeways weren't built democratically. they didn't arise out of some ridiculous 'laissez faire' free market invisible hand nonsense. the freeways prevailed because the government systematically invested in them in the 50s and 60s-- it was Cold War social engineering and it can (and should) most definitely be reversed. widening the freeways won't help a damn thing. providing new CHOICES will.. and it will also create new corridors of development... corridors in which these JOBS you speak of will be created to serve the increasing numbers of riders on these systems. you need to get your head out of the AM talk radio and look around you... there's a reason that the Milwaukee-to-Chicago Amtrak Hiawatha route is one of the most successful and profitable routes on their entire national network. the route is a stable and reliable transportation option (unlike busses.. there is a DISTINCT difference between rail and bus.. busses exude no sense of permanence, rail based systems do. also, rail runs on right-of-way paths and are generally faster as they are independent of automobile traffic). just because you don't want trains, don't make such ignorant statements of "useless trains that nobody wants". that's just an obnoxiously stupid thing to say. naysayers said the same thing in MSP and every other city where this has been an issue in the US (and remember, Milwaukee has a higher population density than many of these places!) and the ridership numbers have proven people like you wrong.

Relax, professor. I am not trying to teach any history lessons here. Apparently that’s what you’re here for. I am trying to point out the gap between people on this forum and what I believe is the prevailing attitudes towards transport in this city. Do you believe that freeways were really non-democratic (I’ll give you that one) cold war social engineering, and all this time Americans have just been lab rats who blindly went along with it. Maybe people (obviously not you) like having a car, a bigger yard, and a bigger house in the house out in the suburbs. Maybe people like coming and going when they please in their cars. Maybe they also like not having to be crammed in to an overcrowded train car, sitting next to some random stranger for their rush hour commute. Of course the car is far from perfect, (foreign oil, pollution, maintenance, bad drivers, traffic, etc), yet even with all that, cars are still the prevailing mode of transport in this uncivilized city.

Not sure if I understand you correctly, but you mention choices, yet you talk about taking away the one choice many people actually like, namely the freeway system, because it was government implemented cold war social engineering, as I learned in your previous history lesson. That does not seem very democratic to me.

It seems likely Milwaukee will have some rail soon, and I do hope it does succeed and does bring Milwaukee in to the elite club of civilized cities, like those ones of Europe.

i agree with you up to the point of saying the smaller towns in wisconsin are "safe". i mean they ARE safe, but they certainly get their share of weirdos -- what about this rash of stories of rapes and murders of college students in madison? and haven't lots of young people been found dead along the banks of the mississippi near eau claire? what about people like Ed Gein? he wasn't from milwaukee! again, my point isn't that wisconsin is dangerous, it's just that Milwaukee isn't necessarily any more dangerous (relativistically anyway) than other places-- you just have to take into account that it is a much much bigger city than anywhere else in the state and thus has big city problems. I WILL say, though, that the crime in the city IS mostly concentrated on the north-northwest side. i know this because i've spent years living there and yes, the crime is worse in the african american neighbourhoods, this is sadly true, but it isn't a racial issue-- it's really because of deteriorated, neglected poor neighbourhoods that end up being perfect breeding grounds for gang activity and violence. if people started buying up homes and fixing up houses and businesses in the inner city, i think these problems would start to disappear (or at least would shift to another part of town).

I don't know if Ed Gein is a real good example considering he did his crimes in the 50's. And any sort of crime in Madison and Eau Claire is nothing compared to the usual stuff we have in Milwaukee.

we were, but it wasn't because of low crime. we ranked in the low 20's in that category. crime is getting better here but compared with minneapolis we had almost twice as many homicides as they did this year. hopefully things will continue to improve. i will say though, how at least in my opinion, downtown is a pretty safe place. my friends and i have actually walked from potowatami to UWM a couple times after midnight bingo (no joke) and i felt relatively safe. i wouldn't do that by myself of course, but that's just common sense.

yeah, I believe the list had categories for natural disasters and things like that on it.

The crime here is still bad, but not as bad as people want to make it out to be. The murder rate is high as well, but how many of those are between gang members, drug dealers, criminals, and victims who pulled out their own guns? Anytime some good kid (like those UWM students killed in Riverwest) gets killed here, its a major story because I don't think its all that common.

Potowatomi to UWM? Thats a long ass walk man! I guess it wouldn't be no problem if you went through downtown and took the paths hugging the lakefront back home.

The guys who smashed into her car were running away from the police. Last time I checked that was breaking the law. It now seems you are too defensive to talk about this rationally so just forget it.

Last time I check in Winona Lake, Wi it was illegal to eat ice cream at a counter on Sunday. And people run from cops absolutely EVERYWHERE. There are more people centralized here, thus crime is centralized and there are bound too be innocent bystanders (versus a police chase on a rural wisconsin road, like the one last summer in Beaver Dam). It is thoroughly unfortunate, but factual nonetheless. And I'm sorry to hear people moved all the way to Wausau because they didn't like Milwaukee. One of my best friends is from Wausau, and he wouldn't move back there if you payed him.


.....

Maybe people (obviously not you) like having a car, a bigger yard, and a bigger house in the house out in the suburbs. Maybe people like coming and going when they please in their cars. Maybe they also like not having to be crammed in to an overcrowded train car, sitting next to some random stranger for their rush hour commute. Of course the car is far from perfect, (foreign oil, pollution, maintenance, bad drivers, traffic, etc), yet even with all that, cars are still the prevailing mode of transport in this uncivilized city.

Not sure if I understand you correctly, but you mention choices, yet you talk about taking away the one choice many people actually like, namely the freeway system, because it was government implemented cold war social engineering, as I learned in your previous history lesson. That does not seem very democratic to me.

It seems likely Milwaukee will have some rail soon, and I do hope it does succeed and does bring Milwaukee in to the elite club of civilized cities, like those ones of Europe.

:bash:

Prevailing attitudes don't justify the undeniable fact that the negatives outweigh the positives. Just because everyone in the US likes being pampered at every opportunity, whether its hurting other or not, doesn't mean they're right in upholding that standard. Oil dependency like we have now has to end or we're in for some very rough times.

-Oil is not renewable.
-It takes seven gallons of oil to make every tire.
-It takes two gallons of oil to make one gallon of gas
-Everything our country is built on is dependent in some way on Oil: energy, transport, shipping, manufacturing, all plastics, paints, etc
-The world population is ever-increasing, and the demand which already cannot be met will get higher

How can we justify going to such length to uphold our current standard at a cost we can't really even understand, seeing as no one here knows what would happen if oil production halted. There needs to be serious reinvestment in public transportation. What's more is there needs to be an a global consciousness-raising, making people aware of the bigger picture and their individual contribution. We as an entire country need to stop being so selfish and recognize our place in the world

however, you should also then note that Milwaukee has 605,000 people and Minneapolis has 390,000.

yeah i knew i'd get burned on that one as soon as i posted it. but i wonder how many more homicides happened in st. paul. could've been enough to make the two cities comparable to milwaukee i guess.

yeah i knew i'd get burned on that one as soon as i posted it. but i wonder how many more homicides happened in st. paul. could've been enough to make the two cities comparable to milwaukee i guess.

19 in Minneapolis, 12 in St. Paul

19 in Minneapolis, 12 in St. Paul
The low homicide rate in the Twin Cities never ceases to amaze me. Compared to all cities or metros it's size, "The Cities" always stands as the number one safest place. I guess it's just that "Minnesota nice" shining through?

Last time I check in Winona Lake, Wi it was illegal to eat ice cream at a counter on Sunday. And people run from cops absolutely EVERYWHERE. There are more people centralized here, thus crime is centralized and there are bound too be innocent bystanders (versus a police chase on a rural wisconsin road, like the one last summer in Beaver Dam). It is thoroughly unfortunate, but factual nonetheless. And I'm sorry to hear people moved all the way to Wausau because they didn't like Milwaukee. One of my best friends is from Wausau, and he wouldn't move back there if you payed him.
Ok, this is getting carried away here. I agree with what you have said but you, and others, are totally missing my point. The fact of the matter is all these negative things are what's being reported out of Milwaukee, not many positive things. OK? It's not that the car accident was so bad it was that this is all we hear about up north. Do you get it now?

As for your friend from Wausau, I wish I was him in someways but my wife, who grew up on a farm, already thinks of Wausau as too big for her. I would love to change her mind and move to Milwaukee but after over 20 years of marriage I think her mind is made up. And once you find as good a women as she is who loves you and wants to put up with you as long as she has, you have to compromise when it comes to the place you live.

Look guys, this is really a stupid arguement we are in. So lets just forget about it and move on.

The low homicide rate in the Twin Cities never ceases to amaze me. Compared to all cities or metros it's size, "The Cities" always stands as the number one safest place. I guess it's just that "Minnesota nice" shining through?

That or it's too fricken cold to go outside and kill someone.

Got a little curious about all the murder numbers floating around, so I did some math.

Minneapolis: 19 murders in 2009: population of 368,383 : 5.16 homicides per 100,000 people

Milwaukee: 72 murders in 2009: population of 604,477 : 11.91 homicides per 100,000

New York City: 461 murders in 2009: population of 8,363,710 : 5.51 homicides per 100,000


That is not at all a comment about Milwaukee's murder rate, which is low to average, as much as it is a testament to Minneapolis and New York's unbelieveably low murder rates.

That or it's too fricken cold to go outside and kill someone.

Even though you're joking... they've shown there is a clear correlation between temps and violence in a city. We've seen much cooler temps that past couple years both in Milwaukee and the nation. When you look back there has always been an up tick in violence with warmer weather and a down tick with cooler. I'm not saying thats the entire picture, but your joke was actually pretty relevant. :)

19 in Minneapolis, 12 in St. Paul

well then there you go.

I think minneapolis has historically been closer to 40/year on average, which puts its rate at about 10 per 100,000. But this past year was great for them and hopefully 19 becomes the new norm.

Also, in all of these cities, unless you are a member of a gang or a drug dealer, your chances of being murdered are less than 1/10th of the murder rate.

for the record, i hear gunshots from time to time at night too-- it's not a big deal.

Whoa, I think that's kind of a big deal. Where do you live? I've never heard a gunshot in the 6 years I've lived here.

You must not be listening. Granted they could just as easily be fireworks or something, but I've undoubtedly heard loud pops in the distance that could be taken as gunfire

I live in New York, with half the murder rate of Milwaukee, and I regularly hear gunfire.

You must not be listening. Granted they could just as easily be fireworks or something, but I've undoubtedly heard loud pops in the distance that could be taken as gunfire

I've heard loud pops as well, but they were the same sounds I've heard living in downtown Madison, so I figured they were fireworks or buses or something. Who knows, maybe I have bad ears, or I'm right.

Also, update on the haps on 2nd Street from On Milwaukee (http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/newinwalkerspoint.html):

2nd street makeover, before and after:
http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ne/newinwalkerspoint/newinwalkerspoint_fullsize_story2.jpg

http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ne/newinwalkerspoint/newinwalkerspoint_fullsize_story1.jpg

It's been a pretty big year for the Walker's Point neighborhood, from new development to new bars and cafes in century-old spaces. And from the sounds of it, 2010 is going to be just as exciting, if not more so. Here is an updated round up of what's been going on in the neighborhood.

Some of the biggest news of the year was just approved this December by the City's Public Works Committee. For years, 2nd Street, from St. Paul to National Avenues, has been in a state of serious disrepair. Wrought with potholes and cracks, the street was a mess to travel. Add to that a set of old trolley tracks beneath the street and the businesses along the stretch were subjected to vibration damage.

Thanks in large part to Walker's Point Association (WPA) Licensing Representative Juli Kaufmann, a complete reconstruction of Second Street is scheduled to begin July 15, 2010. The new street plan reduces the street's width by eight feet and features a single lane in each direction and bike lanes, which are required by the state DOT. The narrowing down to a single-lane street allows for double-width sidewalks, green space and a wider parking lane.

According to WPA Co-President Jennifer Espenscheid, the project will include recycled, energy-efficient concrete, six varieties of trees and $500,000 worth of street lighting.

The promise of a refinished street has perhaps motivated several new businesses to open along the thoroughfare.

Marketing firm partners Mike Kuharske and Marc Case recently opened Gravity Connect at 704 S. 2nd St., a free membership-based coffee house and "gathering place for creative professionals and the business community."

"As a marketing services firm, providing a way for the creative community to connect with each other and the business community allows us unlimited access to the creative talent in the region, not to mention the word-of-mouth advertising from thousands of members," says Kuharske.

Just down the block at 700 S. 2nd St. a new bar called Sabbatic held its grand opening Dec. 11. The old Union House Saloon is gone and in its place is a rockin' new watering hole in a gorgeous cream city brick building. Stay tuned to OnMilwaukee.com for a forthcoming feature on the new addition.

At 703 S. 2nd St., V Bar closed on Dec. 14 only to be quickly replaced by Ten Bells, which opened in its place Dec. 17. OnMilwaukee.com publisher Andy Tarnoff has the full report, including the interesting origin of its name, coming Thursday. Word on Twitter is that every Tuesday is Tattoo Tuesday, wherein showing ink gets $1 off beer.

Around the corner on National Avenue (124 W. National Ave.), the new and improved Dubliner, which closed in 1997, is staged to open just after the new year. Jerry Stenstrup, who also owns the famed Steny's Tavern at 800 s. 2nd St., is reopening the well-known watering hole. The bar has undergone extensive building reconstruction and expansion since its former days as Switch, a gay bar that closed in 2008 after a nine-year run.

Carte Blanche Studios is settling in to its new digs at 1024 S. 5th St. The multi-purpose creative space plays host to gallery evenings, theater productions, workshops and live music. It was founded in 2007 by Milwaukee Native Jimmy Dragolovich, a professional actor, director and filmmaker who recently returned to Milwaukee from New York. The theater recently wrapped up a successful run of "The Producers" and is gearing up for "Much Ado About Nothing" in February.

Lastly, this past December Milwaukee's Licensing Committee approved a rather surprising change for Club Rain, 906 S. Barclay St. The owner of the venue plans to change formats from a dance club to a country and western joint called Cadillac Jack's. No date has been set for the switch.

That looks great. Let's hope that jump starts redevelopment interest in the great building stock along that length of road. Quite honestly, in an absurd and nostalgic way I'll miss how hyper-gritty those blocks are but it'll be better to see it all revitalized.

JSonline: Frank Lloyd Wright homes get preservation funding (http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/80290557.html)

http://media.jsonline.com/images/28007169_flw.jpg

One of six Frank Lloyd Wright homes on W. Burnham Street in Milwaukee will be stabilized and restored to its 1916 appearance thanks to a federal, grant of nearly $400,000.

The row of homes is the only remaining concentration of Frank Lloyd Wright homes still standing, according to the "Save America's Treasures" web site. Wright designed the houses to be affordable for moderate to low income families. They were created from a kit of precut lumber. The home in need of attention, part of Flat C, at 2732-34 W. Burnham, has been neglected for decades and has a faltering foundation, according to Save America's Treasures, which is making the grant.

That or it's too fricken cold to go outside and kill someone.
For the record, the other night I checked the temps for both cities at around 5:00 AM; Minneapolis was at -9, Milwaukee was at 11.

http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ne/newinwalkerspoint/newinwalkerspoint_fullsize_story1.jpg

Looks pretty gay. ;) Just a joke.

Seriously though, I'm glad to see this stretch get revitalized. There's already a log going on down there, but it never gets the attention it deserves.

I just saw a list today about crime in cities and it actually had Minneapolis ranked ahead of Milwaukee.



Anyways, that 2nd Street rendering looks pretty promising. It a really cool area, but as the article mentions that road has to be among the worst in the entire city. From the sounds of things, I don't think it unreasonable to have a bar/entertainment district stretching from National. It could be a really popular part of town with these additions and touchups.

Looks pretty gay. ;) Just a joke.

Seriously though, I'm glad to see this stretch get revitalized. There's already a log going on down there, but it never gets the attention it deserves.

Interesting were they put the bike lanes. In Minneapolis they begun to put the bike lanes next to the curb. I guess the designers in Milwaukee didn't like that idea?

A couple of things on the S. 2nd Street design. I'm pretty sure the curb bumpouts and the stamped pavement for the crosswalk won't actually be happening (no funding). So the street will be narrowed, bike lanes added, street trees added, sidewalks widened, and there will be new lighting.

As far as the bike lanes, yes these are just simple bike lanes. A by the curb design, aka cycletrack, is a much more difficult sell and still pretty experimental in the U.S. (though not new at all in Europe) though hopefully in the future Milwaukee will try out some cycletracks.

This really is a big win for Milwaukee and the Walker's Point neighborhood that fought very hard for the changes.

The Moderne's website now says Ground Breaking Feb. 2010.

For the record, the other night I checked the temps for both cities at around 5:00 AM; Minneapolis was at -9, Milwaukee was at 11.

And I checked this morning... Minneapolis was -15 and Milwaukee was 21. Whoever said Milwaukee wasn't significantly warmer than msp was an absolute idiot.

A couple of things on the S. 2nd Street design. I'm pretty sure the curb bumpouts and the stamped pavement for the crosswalk won't actually be happening (no funding). So the street will be narrowed, bike lanes added, street trees added, sidewalks widened, and there will be new lighting.

As far as the bike lanes, yes these are just simple bike lanes. A by the curb design, aka cycletrack, is a much more difficult sell and still pretty experimental in the U.S. (though not new at all in Europe) though hopefully in the future Milwaukee will try out some cycletracks.

This really is a big win for Milwaukee and the Walker's Point neighborhood that fought very hard for the changes.

I really like the improved design but yes... Bike lanes next to the sidewalk!!! Who do I need to call so they alter the design to be more like the bike lanes in europe??

I really like the rendering of the new streetscape for second street
i dont see why they wouldnt be able to do everything in that picture
just hit up obama for some dough, here in chicago in particular
i have never seen so much public works in progress
they go so crazy with the projects that a number of them in my rogers park neigborhood are excavated and frozen
we are waiting for thaw out for the street projects to resume

and which frank lloyd wright home in the picture is being fixed up?
the emil bach house in rogers park of frank lloyds was restored in the past few years on sheridan road
and its beautiful it was a six flat and was reconfigured back to a single family
and the lawn is abloom in spring with tons of tulips
and there is a bed and breakfast right next door to it named cats cradle
great to see more of franks stuff fixed up, that is one really cool block

im really excited for milwaukee this year especially with the moderne finally breaking ground!
, i go up usually atleast once a month (less often in winter for obvious reasons) to milwaukee to check up on my two flat up there and cant wait to go back up when i have more time
and the weather is a just a bit better

and which frank lloyd wright home in the picture is being fixed up?


The gray duplex on the corner.

@MilwaukeeMax Oh for cycletracks we have a lot of work to do to convince DPW, and oddly even some members of the Bike Fed, that they are the way to go. That said hopefully New York City's experience with cycletracks will bring them to the rest of the U.S.

One step at a time.

[QUOTE=EastSider;49508293]I've heard loud pops as well, but they were the same sounds I've heard living in downtown Madison, so I figured they were fireworks or buses or something. Who knows, maybe I have bad ears, or I'm right.

Also, update on the haps on 2nd Street from On Milwaukee (http://onmilwaukee.com/buzz/articles/newinwalkerspoint.html):

2nd street makeover, before and after:
http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ne/newinwalkerspoint/newinwalkerspoint_fullsize_story2.jpg

http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/ne/newinwalkerspoint/newinwalkerspoint_fullsize_story1.jpg

WOW! I thought Indy had some awful looking streets...but that is horrible

Anyone interested, here's more information on the Frank Lloyd Wright homes being restored on the south side. http://www.wrightinwisconsin.org/WisconsinSites/asbh/Default.asp

Are there any new words on the disastrous embezzlement case that recently surfaced at Koss and whether or not the company can survive it? Koss (the high-end audio equipment maker) is one of Wisconsin's truly great small companies and to say that I was distressed when that news broke a few weeks ago is an understatement.

:no:

Mike

Last I heard, they fired their auditing firm, and the losses might exceed $31 Million. Dosen't sound good in any case.

Koss will be alright. I can't tell you my sources, but for one thing, the company had been functioning before news of the embezzlment, meaning it hasn't directly impeded the company's functioning. And it also looks like the third party accounting firm responsible for much of the bookeeping may have to foot some of the lost cash.

WOW! I thought Indy had some awful looking streets...but that is horrible

Yeah, I knew it was raggedy, but WOW....

Koss will be alright. I can't tell you my sources, but for one thing, the company had been functioning before news of the embezzlment, meaning it hasn't directly impeded the company's functioning. And it also looks like the third party accounting firm responsible for much of the bookeeping may have to foot some of the lost cash.

Yeah, but if stuff like this happens, they could be in for a lot of trouble:
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/12/28/daily11.html

And also, Grant Thornton claims that they were "never hired to evaluate “internal controls” at Koss." (Probably because the company isn't that big). So if that's the case, and Koss wants them to help pay damages, then that could get pretty hairy, too.
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2010/01/04/daily26.html

@neqquah S. 2nd Street took a bit longer to get to being fixed because of the Marquette Interchange project, and now the complete rebuild. But once it is done it will sure look nice.

And I checked this morning... Minneapolis was -15 and Milwaukee was 21. Whoever said Milwaukee wasn't significantly warmer than msp was an absolute idiot.

:lol: LOL, I posted that just for you, glad you saw it!

Everything right now to the west of Wisconsin, including the northwestern half of WI, is under a deep freeze. FYI, Wausau this morning was at -2.

:lol: LOL, I posted that just for you, glad you saw it!

Everything right now to the west of Wisconsin, including the northwestern half of WI, is under a deep freeze. FYI, Wausau this morning was at -2.

Haha... Yeah I figured. Maybe the anticheesehead froze his tongue to a metal pole in msp then ;)

@MilwaukeeMax Oh for cycletracks we have a lot of work to do to convince DPW, and oddly even some members of the Bike Fed, that they are the way to go. That said hopefully New York City's experience with cycletracks will bring them to the rest of the U.S.

One step at a time.

Twoaday, I realise you know WAY more about this as an insider and I really appreciate you shedding light on the topic, but bike lanes adjacent to sidewalks is something I think a LOT of cyclists would prefer and it's an issue I would personally like to fight for, even if it means coming to public planning meetings and talking to the bike federation. I know you're for babysteps but I feel like the city is much more likely to
implement such a design if there isn't already an existing bike lane on the street in question than if there already is an existing lane. That's why I'm so strongly vocal here about wanting a design change on this 2nd street project asap...before shovels are in the ground and it's too late...

@MilwaukeeMax Insider? Not quite... S. 2nd Street is approved, I believe finally even signed off by the Mayor, so there shouldn't be any changes. But please lets not push to change this one, a lot of people worked really hard to get this done.

That said I do personally believe in cycletracks, to me just look at what they are doing in Copenhagen. And I agree that they can be very helpful in getting new riders on the street, which is a goal we should definitely be working for, but lets find the next street.

Twoaday, I realise you know WAY more about this as an insider and I really appreciate you shedding light on the topic, but bike lanes adjacent to sidewalks is something I think a LOT of cyclists would prefer and it's an issue I would personally like to fight for, even if it means coming to public planning meetings and talking to the bike federation. I know you're for babysteps but I feel like the city is much more likely to
implement such a design if there isn't already an existing bike lane on the street in question than if there already is an existing lane. That's why I'm so strongly vocal here about wanting a design change on this 2nd street project asap...before shovels are in the ground and it's too late...

Do you have any photos of bike lanes inbetween sidewalks and the parking lane? I've never seen that before. What are the advantages?

Do you have any photos of bike lanes inbetween sidewalks and the parking lane? I've never seen that before. What are the advantages?

Here is the bike lane on Grand St in Manhattan, which I frequent:

http://img193.imageshack.us/img193/1530/cycletrack.jpg


The advantage is that bikes are seperated from traffic by more than paint, which in Manhattan, is an enormous relief. The greatest disadvantage, though, is that in many places sidewalks are too narrow for pedestrian traffic and pedestrians often walk into the bike lanes as overflow, which is frustrating and dangerous. As cool as they are, I am of the opinion that bicyclists would be better served by lanes in the street; they are faster and you don't have to worry about people randomly stepping into the lanes, which happens all the time.

The greatest disadvantage, though, is that in many places sidewalks are too narrow for pedestrian traffic and pedestrians often walk into the bike lanes as overflow, which is frustrating and dangerous. As cool as they are, I am of the opinion that bicyclists would be better served by lanes in the street; they are faster and you don't have to worry about people randomly stepping into the lanes, which happens all the time.

Good point, I never thought about that. One problem that I see with installing these is that on a two-lane road, it would be awkward to have both sides of parking off of the curb. In the photo above, it works since the traffic only goes one way. I dunno maybe that's just me.

Do you have any photos of bike lanes inbetween sidewalks and the parking lane? I've never seen that before. What are the advantages?

http://www.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/moved/buffered_bike_lane3.jpg
that's in Berlin...

http://sf.streetsblog.org/wp-content/uploads/chris/woman_on_bike_lane_3202.jpg

this is just FAR more safe of an option for cyclists-- i think if you bike regularly, you'll agree. half my family is from germany and i've spent a good amount of time living there-- maybe it's cultural, but pedestrians HAVE to get used to bicyclists. americans are terribly oblivious to cyclists when they are walking (and driving) and they'll walk (or drive) right in front of moving bicycles all the time in american cities. this HAS to change, and i think in some places it is much better than elsewhere. european bicycle lanes hugging the sidewalk often have a barrier or short gate between the walkway and the bicycle way to prevent pedestrians from wandering into the bicycle lane, however if i had to pick my druthers, i'd much prefer a pedestrian in my way than an automobile in my way when i'm riding my bicycle-- i know both i and the pedestrian can get out of the way faster than the car can-- also the pedestrian will be able to hear my bell warning as i approach and the automobile will not.

The greatest disadvantage, though, is that in many places sidewalks are too narrow for pedestrian traffic and pedestrians often walk into the bike lanes as overflow, which is frustrating and dangerous. As cool as they are, I am of the opinion that bicyclists would be better served by lanes in the street; they are faster and you don't have to worry about people randomly stepping into the lanes, which happens all the time.

in Manhattan, this would be a far bigger problem than in Milwaukee, too-- as pedestrian traffic is much lighter on Milwaukee's sidewalks than on Manhattan's. for the safety of the bicyclists, this absolutely should be done here in Milwaukee and the sooner the better-- I really don't think it would require that much redesigning of the 2nd street plans at all.

Good point, I never thought about that. One problem that I see with installing these is that on a two-lane road, it would be awkward to have both sides of parking off of the curb. In the photo above, it works since the traffic only goes one way. I dunno maybe that's just me.

i think it looks awkward in the Manhattan picture because they didn't really do the design properly. there really should be TWO curbs.. one at the edge of the parking and then another between the bike lane and the sidewalk. these physical barriers are much more noticeable than stripes of paint on the street, both to the eye AND the tire (as well as the foot, i suppose).

in Berlin, as you can see, the bike lanes are paved in a different coloured brick as well, to enhance the distinction further between walkway, bikeway and roadway.

I think all that would need to be done to the Grand St. lane to ensure bicyclist and pedestrian safety is to place bollards/railings to keep pedstrians on the sidewalk. As a regular user of cycletracks and normal bike lanes in New York, I can personally guarantee you that the cylcetracks I've used are far more likely to get me into an accident simply because of the number of people that wander into them. I cannot count the times I have come within a hair of running someone down who quixotically decides to walk into the lane without thinking to look, even when pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk is minimal.

As New York is the incubator of European bike path standards as they apply to American urban fabrics, there are many triumphs and failures. One successful [and highly controversial] implementation of the cycletrack model is along Eighth Ave on the West Side, which is bollard and grade protected from traffic. It is grade and railing protected from the sidewalk, which is wide enough to handle its own, and the bike lane is luxuriously wide.

http://mobilizingtheregion.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/bike_lane.jpg

The greatest issue here is that because existing businesses, industries and residential buildings are dependant on the former street model for the delivery of goods and services, complications arise:
http://washcycle.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8345198c369e201157109ddde970c-250wi

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2226/2123718034_0e2baf3124.jpg

In order for this kind of radical Euro-centric model of biking lane to take root on this continent, incredibly significant changes need to be made to the infrastructure of our urban landscape which may involve significant compromises as it pertains to standard of living. It's not as simple as "put some curbside bike lanes in because they work in Europe and are anecdotally safer in the American environment."

So far the most successful, safe, fast, and least controversial bikeway in the city is the Sands St. bikeway that approaches and connects to the Manhattan Bridge bike path. It runs in the middle of a wide avenue that runs through housing projects, has room for two-way traffic, and is separated from the street by concrete walls. As it essentially creates an entire new road for traffic, it includes its own bicycle specific street lights. It is the earliest segment of a plan to run a similar bikeway along the entire periphery of Western and Northern Brooklyn along very wide, busy but run down streets that can accomodate this form. Milwaukee has plenty of places where this could be implemented with greater success. So far the Sands St. bikelane is the only one of its kind in the world that I'm aware of.

http://systemicfailure.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/sands-street-poster.jpg

http://www.streetfilms.org/sands-street-gets-a-sassy-center-median-cycletrack/

American cities need new ideas to integrate bicycling into existing streets that go beyond a militant 'drivers and pedestrians should adjust or else,' because they won't on their own if you simply hand them with a system standard for another country on another continent. We shouldn't jump to adopting the cycletrack model everywhere just because it works in Dusseldorf.

In the link at the bottom of this post, you can look at some pictures of the new separated bike lanes going in in Indianapolis. They are part of the 8+ mile cultural trail corridor which is being built through and around downtown Indianapolis. This link will open page 9 in the thread. The pictures are toward the bottom of this page as you scroll down. This page of the thread shows a section of the trail where they have removed a lane of roadway and widened the sidewalk to make a walking section that is separate from a two way bike path which is also separated from the roadway by a section of planting area and the parking lane.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=477555&page=9

A hybrid solution from Madison:

http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/lanes/images/PB110006small.jpg

The incoming lane was originally built as a dedicated bus lane, but that idea was abandoned after the first unfortunate pedestrian was mowed down.

More here:http://www.bikexprt.com/bikepol/facil/lanes/contraflow.htm#arterial

http://assets.bizjournals.com/story_image/626661-300-0-1.jpg

Barr could lose Park Lafayette (http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2010/01/11/story1.html?b=1263186000^2699111#)

The developer of the massive and largely vacant Park Lafayette condos on Milwaukee’s east side, who filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy before Christmas in a last-ditch effort to maintain control of the property, is unlikely to succeed with a reorganization plan.

That’s the preliminary diagnosis of bankruptcy experts after the Chicago developer’s first appearance in Bankruptcy Court last week. Prior to the hearing, Chicago developer Warren Barr and his partners submitted a concept for continuing to run the project with $7.5 million in financing from Frank Giuffre’s Mallory Properties of Milwaukee. Under that concept, the bank would receive the first $20 million in proceeds from condo sales and after that would get 75 percent of proceeds, with Mallory getting the remaining 25 percent.

So I was curious on the bike model you guys were discussing, because it sounds like a good idea. When I googled it this is the first thing I came across. A website dedicated to people who park their cars in the bike lane in Minneapolis.

Mix in our drinking capacity, and I think it's a bad idea for Milwaukee. For example, I'm drunk as I'm typing this.

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_16580.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12328.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12860.jpeg

So I was curious on the bike model you guys were discussing, because it sounds like a good idea. When I googled it this is the first thing I came across. A website dedicated to people who park their cars in the bike lane in Minneapolis.

Mix in our drinking capacity, and I think it's a bad idea for Milwaukee. For example, I'm drunk as I'm typing this.

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_16580.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12328.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12860.jpeg

Like someone before said Milwaukee has less people walking the streets around then Manhattan does why not give up some of that downtown Milwaukee sidewalk to the bikes like our European counterparts have.
That way tourists walking downtown along Wisconsin Avenue to the MAM would think there is more activity going on in the city than simply a bunch of empty streets and sidewalks.

Like someone before said Milwaukee has less people walking the streets around then Manhattan does why not give up some of that downtown Milwaukee sidewalk to the bikes like our European counterparts have.
That way tourists walking downtown along Wisconsin Avenue to the MAM would think there is more activity going on in the city than simply a bunch of empty streets and sidewalks.
So, we should make the sidewalks narrower in order to make everything more congested to make tourists more impressed?

@historybuffer We should not be narrowing sidewalks, even for bikes. Milwaukee's streets are very wide, and more often than not very under-utilized. We certainly can reduce travel lanes, and add bike lanes or cycletracks which will make it better for bikes and peds.

So I was curious on the bike model you guys were discussing, because it sounds like a good idea. When I googled it this is the first thing I came across. A website dedicated to people who park their cars in the bike lane in Minneapolis.

Mix in our drinking capacity, and I think it's a bad idea for Milwaukee. For example, I'm drunk as I'm typing this.

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_16580.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12328.jpeg

http://d1nud0pthq5kwl.cloudfront.net/main_post_12860.jpeg

and that WOULDN'T HAPPEN if you had a PHYSICAL BARRIER between the street and the bike paths like they do in european cities!!!

@historybuffer We should not be narrowing sidewalks, even for bikes. Milwaukee's streets are very wide, and more often than not very under-utilized. We certainly can reduce travel lanes, and add bike lanes or cycletracks which will make it better for bikes and peds.

i wholeheartedly agree with twoaday... if anything, the sidewalks ought to be widened further and the bicycle tracks designed with curbs as well to narrow the streets... our city's streets are WAY TOO WIDE -- something that makes walking across them incredibly unaesthetic.

@historybuffer We should not be narrowing sidewalks, even for bikes. Milwaukee's streets are very wide, and more often than not very under-utilized. We certainly can reduce travel lanes, and add bike lanes or cycletracks which will make it better for bikes and peds.

I agree, too.

Thank you for the photos CGII, MilwaukeeMax, EastSider, and Looksee. One observation is that a lot of the photos are of one way streets.

The Business Journal of Milwaukee

University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents on Friday unanimously approved three capital projects at UW-Milwaukee, including the purchase and redevelopment of Columbia St. Mary's Hospital to allow for expansion of the land-locked east side campus.

The capital projects are part of a broader initiative to support the institution’s research activities and to reinforce its impact as an economic driver in the state.

The approved projects include:

* The first phase of the Kenwood Integrated Research Complex;
* The purchase and redevelopment of Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital; and
* Replacement of the Neeskay research vessel.

Regent president Chuck Pruitt told the Board that UW-Milwaukee’s Research Growth Initiative is a central pillar to the UW System’s efforts to boost educational output and stimulate job creation, as advocated in its Growth Agenda for Wisconsin.

“These capital investments will ensure that we have the facilities needed to enhance the university’s impact as an economic driver for Milwaukee and all of Wisconsin,” Pruitt said in a press release from the UW-System.

In his presentation before the board, UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago told Regents that the projects represent the future not only of the university, but of the city, region and state.

“We’re moving the pendulum to a more balanced perspective for a research university. We have not taken money from the fine arts or from the humanities to do this. We are providing opportunities with new dollars for the faculty, and new faculty in particular, to avail themselves of the opportunities that Milwaukee provides. That is really what this is all about,” Santiago said.

To use a flexible pool of funds provided by Gov. Doyle and the state Legislature in the 2009-11 Biennial Budget, the Regents were required to approve a detailed expenditure plan for the UW-Milwaukee Initiative, identifying specific projects and sources of funding. The Board had previously approved UW-Milwaukee’s plans to build a new facility for the School of Freshwater Sciences Research at its meeting in December.

Senior vice president Tom Anderes told the Board that, with the approval of the three projects on Friday, $176 million of the UW-Milwaukee Initiative’s $240 million in funding, including all of the taxpayer-supported borrowing, will have been committed. That leaves $64 million of approved funding capacity for future projects, including $25.6 million in program revenue supported borrowing and $38.4 million in gifts/grants.

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2010/01/04/daily95.html

In todays business section the Journal Sentinal did a recap of the development opportunities in the Milwaukee area. Some of it was old news, but they had a rendering that in my opinion looks better than the old Catalyst proposal. Apparently it is being planned next to the Bradley Center, and if it actually happens along with the Moderne could transform that area completely.

"Plans for stores and restaurants north of downtown Milwaukee's Bradley Center still are being shopped to prospective tenants by Indianapolis-based Lauth Property Group. But the retail market has been "very depressed," and nothing is expected to happen this year, said Larry Evinger, first vice president of retail development."

Full article: http://www.jsonline.com/business/81051877.html

The Rendering
http://media.journalinteractive.com/images/gatewaydistrict10pa.jpg

In todays business section the Journal Sentinal did a recap of the development opportunities in the Milwaukee area. Some of it was old news, but they had a rendering that in my opinion looks better than the old Catalyst proposal. Apparently it is being planned next to the Bradley Center, and if it actually happens along with the Moderne could transform that area completely.

"Plans for stores and restaurants north of downtown Milwaukee's Bradley Center still are being shopped to prospective tenants by Indianapolis-based Lauth Property Group. But the retail market has been "very depressed," and nothing is expected to happen this year, said Larry Evinger, first vice president of retail development."

Full article: http://www.jsonline.com/business/81051877.html


http://media.journalinteractive.com/images/gatewaydistrict10pa.jpg

nice. From a bird's eye, it reminds me a lot of the redeveloped retail and entertainment district in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. I've always thought that Milwaukee needs to reclaim a lot of the city streets and create more public plazas that are pedestrian/cycle-only. That central canal I the rendering appears to be such. The more concrete and asphault we can squeeze away from the streets, the better. Right turn/left turn lanes at intersections do NOT belong in downtowns.

The Bradley Center project has been in the works for several years. Unless they are able to land a major retail anchor tenant like Target, it probably wont happen, and I am guessing that their current plan for the location is to just tread water for another year or two before they start flashing a 'redesigned' proposal for the sites in an attempt to find tenants.

It would be great to see a development like this that included a Best Buy, a Marcus movie theater, and a Target. The downtown area completely lacks these styles of retail (electronics/appliances & department store) and a true movie theater. The closest Best Buy/Target/major movie theater (if memory serves me correctly) are at Mayfair/Miller Park Way/and either Marcus South Shore (Oak Creek) or AMC Mayfair.

Perhaps this development could be the bastard child of PabstCity?

@El Mariachi I'd love to see all of those things downtown, but they would have to be done right. i.e. no huge surface lots, no big box, in a mixed-use building.

@El Mariachi I'd love to see all of those things downtown, but they would have to be done right. i.e. no huge surface lots, no big box, in a mixed-use building.

and it can be done...

http://www.progressivegrocer.com/progressivegrocer/photos/stylus/104656-TARGET-ARTIST-DESIGN-sm.jpg

http://www.improveverywhere.com/images/bb01.jpg

@MilwaukeeMax Oh it can be done, and there are examples. But understand generally speaking these companies do not want to do it. They want a box and a huge parking lot, and any change from that, will require significant city involvement.

The Bradley Center project has been in the works for several years. Unless they are able to land a major retail anchor tenant like Target, it probably wont happen, and I am guessing that their current plan for the location is to just tread water for another year or two before they start flashing a 'redesigned' proposal for the sites in an attempt to find tenants.


And nothing will happen if the Bradley Center loses the Bucks! It would be nice to see a new Arena along with all of that development. I actually think, it would be a huge mistake to locate any of this development near the current Bradley Center seeing as it will be uninhabitable in ~5 years, and even if the BC stays the Bucks might not, thus a lot less people traveling to the area.

Don't get me wrong I think that concept is great, and I'd love to see it, but nothing of that scale or half that scale is viable with the current BC.


http://media.journalinteractive.com/images/gatewaydistrict10pa.jpg
I'd like to see the new arena in the "middle" if you will, with development on either side, to the north and south!

And nothing will happen if the Bradley Center loses the Bucks! It would be nice to see a new Arena along with all of that development. I actually think, it would be a huge mistake to locate any of this development near the current Bradley Center seeing as it will be uninhabitable in ~5 years, and even if the BC stays the Bucks might not, thus a lot less people traveling to the area.

Don't get me wrong I think that concept is great, and I'd love to see it, but nothing of that scale or half that scale is viable with the current BC.


http://media.journalinteractive.com/images/gatewaydistrict10pa.jpg
I'd like to see the new arena in the "middle" if you will, with development on either side, to the north and south!

I will never drink the new arena koolaid. It's ridiculous. The Bradley Center is fine. It's great. It's better than great. It was FREE! it was a GIFT! There is absolutely no reason to replace it. At. All.
Rennovate it, sure, whatever. Fine. But this bullcrap story pushed by the bucks and the journal sentinel is based on pure rhetoric and propaganda. It's just a plea to get locals to invest in the team by forcing them to hand over money for an unnecessary building. A successful team is about a winning team, not the building in which they play (which is MORE than adequate).

I drink the new arena kool-aid. New arena, more revenue opportunities, larger budget for talent, better performing team. Look at the Brewers.

^^Two words: Mark Attanassio.

I drink the new arena kool-aid. New arena, more revenue opportunities, larger budget for talent, better performing team. Look at the Brewers.

And what new revenue opportunities would those be, exactly? And how are they not possible opportunities in the current building?

The need for a new arena is hardly the kind of thing cooked up by AM talk radio to whip it's listeners into a frenzy. It's the sad reality of the NBA's business model. Milwaukee fell victim to bad timing and poor design when the BC was gifted to the city. It wasn't too long after the doors opened that new arenas started taking advantage of opportunities the BC can never afford in its current configuration:

1. Too much Upper level seating. All new arenas offer the majority of their seating in the Lower bowl- or at least a combination of a lower bowl with an adjacent lower level.

2. Way too few luxury boxes, no club seating, etc... This is where NBA franchises generate serious revenue.

3. No integration of 365 day/per year features like restaurants and bars. If there's no event happening at the BC, it turns a city block into a ghost town.

With the exception of item 3, these issues are structural and would require significant cost to incorporate. Sadly, it would probably make more sense to demo the current building and start from scratch.

For further info, you can always look at Wikipedia's take:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Center

You don't have the like the fact that the BC is outdated (I certainly don't - it's wildly unsustainable). But if you want Milwaukee to turn into the next Des Moines or Omaha or Wichita, feel free to board the bus that's anti-new arena. Milwaukee will take yet another hit in desirability when the Bucks leave town - making it less attractive to new people, new talent, and new business trying to find a new place to call home. I for one don't think Milwaukee needs to find another reason to take its name off the map.

The need for a new arena is hardly the kind of thing cooked up by AM talk radio to whip it's listeners into a frenzy. It's the sad reality of the NBA's business model. Milwaukee fell victim to bad timing and poor design when the BC was gifted to the city. It wasn't too long after the doors opened that new arenas started taking advantage of opportunities the BC can never afford in its current configuration:

1. Too much Upper level seating. All new arenas offer the majority of their seating in the Lower bowl- or at least a combination of a lower bowl with an adjacent lower level.

2. Way too few luxury boxes, no club seating, etc... This is where NBA franchises generate serious revenue.

3. No integration of 365 day/per year features like restaurants and bars. If there's no event happening at the BC, it turns a city block into a ghost town.

With the exception of item 3, these issues are structural and would require significant cost to incorporate. Sadly, it would probably make more sense to demo the current building and start from scratch.

For further info, you can always look at Wikipedia's take:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Center

You don't have the like the fact that the BC is outdated (I certainly don't - it's wildly unsustainable). But if you want Milwaukee to turn into the next Des Moines or Omaha or Wichita, feel free to board the bus that's anti-new arena. Milwaukee will take yet another hit in desirability when the Bucks leave town - making it less attractive to new people, new talent, and new business trying to find a new place to call home. I for one don't think Milwaukee needs to find another reason to take its name off the map.

Bingo. The BC, while a generous gift, was designed for hockey first and basketball second. After we pulled out of the running to land an NHL team, the BC became mostly obsolete. Its sight lines are designed purely for the expanded floor view of hockey. If you're not in the sideline seats, you're constantly at a strange angle not quite looking towards the basket.

The modern NBA arena includes retail and entertainment options to continue revenue during non-event nights. The BC simply can't do this. I'm already prepared to lose the Bucks, and I'm afraid Milwaukee will realize they've made a huge mistake after its too late.

1. Too much Upper level seating. All new arenas offer the majority of their seating in the Lower bowl- or at least a combination of a lower bowl with an adjacent lower level.

2. Way too few luxury boxes, no club seating, etc... This is where NBA franchises generate serious revenue.

3. No integration of 365 day/per year features like restaurants and bars. If there's no event happening at the BC, it turns a city block into a ghost town.

With the exception of item 3, these issues are structural and would require significant cost to incorporate. Sadly, it would probably make more sense to demo the current building and start from scratch.

You don't have the like the fact that the BC is outdated (I certainly don't - it's wildly unsustainable). But if you want Milwaukee to turn into the next Des Moines or Omaha or Wichita, feel free to board the bus that's anti-new arena. Milwaukee will take yet another hit in desirability when the Bucks leave town - making it less attractive to new people, new talent, and new business trying to find a new place to call home. I for one don't think Milwaukee needs to find another reason to take its name off the map.

Amen.


The modern NBA arena includes retail and entertainment options to continue revenue during non-event nights. The BC simply can't do this. I'm already prepared to lose the Bucks, and I'm afraid Milwaukee will realize they've made a huge mistake after its too late.

I really hope a major effort is made to keep the Bucks. I agree that it would be a huge blow to the city. It's way more than losing just a sports team...it's losing a national spotlight, however big, from a city that needs to utilize every resource it has to market itself to the rest of the country as a destination and can't afford to give away much of what it has. People who laugh at Milwaukee being a "destination city" have no foresight to what Milwaukee could be. And it might sound silly but if you really get down to it, professional sports are a big part of what makes a city desirable. If they lose the Bucks, there will be only one major team left in town. How lame is that for a city with a metro of over 1.5 million. We lost out on landing the NHL 20 years ago, and certainly aren't in the running for a team now. We need to hold onto what we have, and cherish it, because Milwaukee not in a position to be losing the small spotlight that it already has. That includes the Bucks.

We need to replace the BC. We can all agree that Miller park has been one of the best investments that Milwaukee has made in some time. Sure, there are economists that may debate whether it brings in as much money as was advertised when it was built. What cannot be measured is civic pride. Arenas and Stadiums is where positive memories about Milwaukee are made. Other than isolated incidents (drunks at games, etc), it is a family friendly place to be entertained. if you go to a Bucks game, you will see Blacks, Whites, Latinos, etc all mixed together. Where else in Milwaukee will you find this? Furthermore, it provides our larger corporations a place to entertain guests, and in the middle of winter, Milwaukee does not have a lot to offer the potential out of town client. I would love if they rolled the Miller Park sales tax into the new Bradley Center tax. The Miller park tax is scheduled to have its sunset aound 2016. If Herb Kohl would put up a sizeable share, i am sure the sales tax to fund the reamining portion would pass.

You don't have the like the fact that the BC is outdated (I certainly don't - it's wildly unsustainable). But if you want Milwaukee to turn into the next Des Moines or Omaha or Wichita, feel free to board the bus that's anti-new arena. Milwaukee will take yet another hit in desirability when the Bucks leave town - making it less attractive to new people, new talent, and new business trying to find a new place to call home. I for one don't think Milwaukee needs to find another reason to take its name off the map.

I agree with all of your post aside from Milwaukee turning into a city like Des Moines or Wichita. If the Bucks leave, we would still have the Brewers and Marquette, who outdraw the Bucks and much of the NBA. I think we would be more along the lines of a city like Portland than the cities you mentioned. Losing the Bucks would be a huge hit to the psyche of this city though. This city cannot afford to keep on losing parts of its identity. Whether its small things like Atomic Records on the Eastside to bigger departures like the Bowling Congress, racing at the Milwaukee Mile, and the Miller headquarters.

The part that bothers me is how people in this city and state are apathetic towards the Bucks, unlike those other things. Just listen to your garden variety Wisconsinite and how they constantly say they wouldn't even care if the Bucks left Milwaukee. And as much as it pains me to say this as a diehard, we need these fools. Just like we needed all the phonies who jumped on the Brewers bandwagon when they finally became decent. We need those 22 year old girls who don't know anything about sports and the drunk and obnoxious bleacher college kids. Their appearance at Miller Park has spurred other nincompoops to pay admission and buy loads of Brewers gear.

As for the arena---MilwaukeeMax, you need to drink the Kool-Aid. The BC in its current state needs to go in order for the Bucks to survive. I understand it was a gift and the building itself doesn't appear to be terrible---but like others have said, it is outdated and was built in a different era of the NBA. It's either that or serious renovations of at least $100 + million. They need the club seating, better/more luxury boxes, major upgrades with the scoreboards/videoboards and speakers, year round resturants/team stores/entertainment, various repairs of the building, maybe another parking structure, and in my opinion, a redesign of plazas/walkways surrounding the arena.

@El Mariachi I'd love to see all of those things downtown, but they would have to be done right. i.e. no huge surface lots, no big box, in a mixed-use building.

yeah, I completely agree. I would like to see something like the Target in downtown Minneapolis or like in the pictures Max posted. I don't know if a big, mixed use development like that would be more preferable near the Bradley Center or around the Grand Ave/Wisconsin Ave. I am still holding out hope that the later can be a popular shopping destination in the future with a few changes and additions.

And what new revenue opportunities would those be, exactly? And how are they not possible opportunities in the current building?

PANTHERfan answers this great, but I work in the Bradley Center, half of the year and I see everything. The building is majorly out of date and has hardly been maintained since it was built in the 80's. A brief list of problems includes,
-necessary and costly roof repairs (yet to be done)
-repairs to seating and stands!
-serious cracks in floors and walls
-out of date ice flooring system (bringing about many close calls with the hardwood basketball floors that sit above the ice)
-stadium was designed to be a hockey arena for and NHL team, creating awkward sightlines for NBA basketball
-Extremely inefficient heating and cooling sytems
-Not to mention an obsolete Scoreboard/Jumbotron and seriously out dated video production equipment
And what money the Bradley Center does make it spends on smaller old age repairs like plumbing, tile replacement, elevator repairs....

This building was mismanaged from day one. If each of these repairs was taken care of we'd be 2/3rds of the way to the cost of a new arena!


The need for a new arena is hardly the kind of thing cooked up by AM talk radio to whip it's listeners into a frenzy. It's the sad reality of the NBA's business model. Milwaukee fell victim to bad timing and poor design when the BC was gifted to the city. It wasn't too long after the doors opened that new arenas started taking advantage of opportunities the BC can never afford in its current configuration:

1. Too much Upper level seating. All new arenas offer the majority of their seating in the Lower bowl- or at least a combination of a lower bowl with an adjacent lower level.

2. Way too few luxury boxes, no club seating, etc... This is where NBA franchises generate serious revenue.

3. No integration of 365 day/per year features like restaurants and bars. If there's no event happening at the BC, it turns a city block into a ghost town.

With the exception of item 3, these issues are structural and would require significant cost to incorporate. Sadly, it would probably make more sense to demo the current building and start from scratch.

I live in the south now so I'm wondering if ya'll can help me with this one... Do you know what this building functions as in its current state?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4257433509_1377db52b0_b.jpg

@MilwaukeeMark Nothing really. I thought Ruvin was going to put an office tenant in, and it was used for the ISITE temporary public art project.

@El Mariachi Well Target for the me the great spot would be backing up to 794 on the vacant surface lot on Michigan. Partially because I don't expect much of a building out of Target (remember Minneapolis is Target's headquarter so yeah better design) so the back would front the freeway.

The need for a new arena is hardly the kind of thing cooked up by AM talk radio to whip it's listeners into a frenzy. It's the sad reality of the NBA's business model. Milwaukee fell victim to bad timing and poor design when the BC was gifted to the city. It wasn't too long after the doors opened that new arenas started taking advantage of opportunities the BC can never afford in its current configuration:

1. Too much Upper level seating. All new arenas offer the majority of their seating in the Lower bowl- or at least a combination of a lower bowl with an adjacent lower level.

2. Way too few luxury boxes, no club seating, etc... This is where NBA franchises generate serious revenue.

3. No integration of 365 day/per year features like restaurants and bars. If there's no event happening at the BC, it turns a city block into a ghost town.

With the exception of item 3, these issues are structural and would require significant cost to incorporate. Sadly, it would probably make more sense to demo the current building and start from scratch.

For further info, you can always look at Wikipedia's take:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradley_Center

You don't have the like the fact that the BC is outdated (I certainly don't - it's wildly unsustainable). But if you want Milwaukee to turn into the next Des Moines or Omaha or Wichita, feel free to board the bus that's anti-new arena. Milwaukee will take yet another hit in desirability when the Bucks leave town - making it less attractive to new people, new talent, and new business trying to find a new place to call home. I for one don't think Milwaukee needs to find another reason to take its name off the map.

the only point you have here is about the upper level seating. as far as luxury boxes go, the BC has trouble filling the ones they have as it is, let alone building new ones! Miller Park opened 9 years ago with a losing team as a tenant.. a losing team that continued to lose until just the last few years. If you'll remember, the park started to reconsider their luxury box rates and even had said they possibly built too many of them. I think the BC could be upgraded to provide more "revenue building" (read: greedy) schemes.

I'd of course like to keep the Bucks in town but, to be honest, if it came down to it, I think I'd rather have an NHL team here. The NBA is full of a bunch of selfish egotistical maniacs, anyway. It's actually pretty ridiculous that cities like Phoenix and Tampa Bay have NHL teams when a city with such a wintery culture such as Milwaukee does not.

...and PERSONALLY, I am very displeased with the Bradley Center board, as they blocked the construction of a Wembley-esque soccer stadium a few years ago which would have brought an MLS team to Milwaukee. Soccer is better than basketball, hockey and american football combined-- I'd rather have an MLS team here than almost anything (other than the Brewers of course).

I live in the south now so I'm wondering if ya'll can help me with this one... Do you know what this building functions as in its current state?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4257433509_1377db52b0_b.jpg

a few years ago the Sydney Hih was full of leased spaces that were used by bands for practice, artists for studios and (oddly enough) doctors offices. it was bizarre and eclectic but pretty awesome. they kicked out all the tenants with the new owners and I think it's just sitting empty (sadly).

I didn't realize this was the Sidney Hih, thanks.

I'd of course like to keep the Bucks in town but, to be honest, if it came down to it, I think I'd rather have an NHL team here. The NBA is full of a bunch of selfish egotistical maniacs, anyway. It's actually pretty ridiculous that cities like Phoenix and Tampa Bay have NHL teams when a city with such a wintery culture such as Milwaukee does not.


I totally agree, but the reality is that the best chance Milwaukee ever had at getting an NHL team was when the Bradley Center opened. 20 years later, the NHL is looking to relocate a couple teams but Milwaukee is definitely not in the running. Cities in Canada such as Hamilton and Winnepeg are what's mostly being talked about. I'm a huge hockey fan and always wished we had a team, but I think the reason we don't is because our sports market is over-saturated for the amount of people we have in the area. Badger hockey also takes up a sizable proportion. If we lost the Bucks, then maybe the NHL could see an opportunity to locate here, but you certainly can't bank on that. I would much rather keep a team with a 40-year history than lose it with the slim chance of getting an NHL team, which if it ever did happen, wouldn't happen any time soon regardless.

nice. From a bird's eye, it reminds me a lot of the redeveloped retail and entertainment district in Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. I've always thought that Milwaukee needs to reclaim a lot of the city streets and create more public plazas that are pedestrian/cycle-only. That central canal I the rendering appears to be such. The more concrete and asphault we can squeeze away from the streets, the better. Right turn/left turn lanes at intersections do NOT belong in downtowns.

I'm pretty sure that would still be a road since you can see tiny little cars in the pic. I'm not sure that "the more concrete and asphault we can squeeze away from the tsreets, the better" since you'll make downtown much more congested which I'd assume makes it far less safe for bicylcists and pedestrians.

Same with the turn lanes... I don't have any studies to back this up, but arn't you afraid that if a car is waiting to make a left turn that other cars would pass on the right and potentially cross paths with a bicyclist?

I'm pretty sure that would still be a road since you can see tiny little cars in the pic. I'm not sure that "the more concrete and asphault we can squeeze away from the tsreets, the better" since you'll make downtown much more congested which I'd assume makes it far less safe for bicylcists and pedestrians.

Same with the turn lanes... I don't have any studies to back this up, but arn't you afraid that if a car is waiting to make a left turn that other cars would pass on the right and potentially cross paths with a bicyclist?

A common fallacy among engineers and the public alike. Congestion is actually a GOOD thing . It slows down traffic which makes the streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists both. Also, packed streets aesthetically look much better an more vibrant than empty ones in large cities. Congestion is a sign of economic health. I'm not saying that it works in reverse, necessarily--although I think that congested streets would definitely give an outsider the impression, anyway, that the area was booming.
As per your second question, this is easily remedied with a buffered cycle lane that is adjacent to the sidewalk or has its own curb segmenting it from the street.

A common fallacy among engineers and the public alike. Congestion is actually a GOOD thing . It slows down traffic which makes the streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists both. Also, packed streets aesthetically look much better an more vibrant than empty ones in large cities. Congestion is a sign of economic health. I'm not saying that it works in reverse, necessarily--although I think that congested streets would definitely give an outsider the impression, anyway, that the area was booming.
As per your second question, this is easily remedied with a buffered cycle lane that is adjacent to the sidewalk or has its own curb segmenting it from the street.

Very true. Think of Chicago and in particular Michigan Ave.

This probably only applies to surface streets though. Do you thinkthe rule (congestion = concentrated prosperity) holds true for freeways as well?

The freeway part I can answer. Congrestion on the freeway doesn't necessarily create prosperity, but it does reduce spawl. There can be arguments on both sides on whether thats good or bad, but at least we know that part to be true.

A common fallacy among engineers and the public alike. Congestion is actually a GOOD thing . It slows down traffic which makes the streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists both. Also, packed streets aesthetically look much better an more vibrant than empty ones in large cities. Congestion is a sign of economic health. I'm not saying that it works in reverse, necessarily--although I think that congested streets would definitely give an outsider the impression, anyway, that the area was booming.
As per your second question, this is easily remedied with a buffered cycle lane that is adjacent to the sidewalk or has its own curb segmenting it from the street.

Well, you named some positive impacts of congestion but that doesn't make congestion GOOD. I'm pretty sure the overall impact is negative, and although vibrant and economically booming cities HAVE it doesn't mean they want it. Just because they have it doesn't mean we do by artificially creating it. Thats like saying "Since all muscle cars have loud exhausts, I should have a loud exhaust too regardless of whether I have a musclecar or not." Assuming I want people to think I have a musclecar.

So some negatives off the top of my head:
-Congested downtown deters suburbanites from coming down
-Congestion uses more gas and pollutes more
-Congestion hurts area business' accessibility (people may see businesses easier if they are going slower, but if they are hard to access and they arn't within walkin' distance you will lose a lot of customers)
-Traveling becomes more expensive (especially for cab drivers, delivery trucks, etc)

and more I'm sure. :-)

Question about the buffered cycle lanes. How does that affect street parking? Like how is the street configured w/ car lanes, parking lanes, bycicle lanes etc?