November 15, 2010

Community & Economic Development Committee Meeting

November 15, 2010 9:00 am

The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.

The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, [...]

Historic Preservation Commission Meeting

November 15, 2010 4:00 pm

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) administers Milwaukee’s historic preservation ordinance, adopted in 1981, which provides certain kinds of legal protection for buildings or sites that have been declared historic by the Common Council. The HPC is responsible for designating historic landmarks and historic districts and for approving Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs) for permission to [...]

November 16, 2010

Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee Meeting

November 16, 2010 9:00 am

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.[...]

Is Milwaukee Ready for an Aerotropolis? (What’s an Aerotropolis)?

November 16, 2010 12:00 pm to 1:20 pm

Tom Rave, Executive Director of The Gateway To Milwaukee, will talk about the evolution of The Gateway and its role in leading the exploration and development of a new type of urban development called an “aerotropolis”. An aerotropolis reflects the interaction of airport-centered commerce, real-estate development and multi-modal transportation shaped by contemporary financial, marketing [...]

Menomonee River Open House

November 16, 2010 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), together with Alderman Michael Murphy, will be hosting an open house meeting for the public to learn about upcoming projects along the Menomonee River. on Tuesday, November 16th between 7:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. at the Marine Credit Union.

The meeting will focus on the removal of 1,000-ft of concrete channel [...]

November 17, 2010

Finance & Personnel Committee Meeting

November 17, 2010 9:00 am

The Finance and Personnel Committee considers appropriations, finances, taxation, revenues, labor relations, personnel, pensions and other benefits, insurance, audits and city budget.

The Finance and Personnel Committee meetings start at 1:30 p.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.[...]

Tom Rave, Executive Director of The Gateway To Milwaukee, will talk about the evolution of The Gateway and its role in leading the exploration and development of a new type of urban development called an “aerotropolis”. An aerotropolis reflects the interaction of airport-centered commerce, real-estate development and multi-modal transportation shaped by contemporary financial, marketing and strategic management processes.

The Gateway To Milwaukee is the brand name for an area around General Mitchell International Airport plus for three organizations, the lead one of which is the Airport Gateway Business Association (AGBA). Mr. Rave has been the Executive Director of AGBA since May, 2008 and was a director for the prior nine months. The other two organizations are Airport Gateway Business Improvement District #40 in Milwaukee and Milwaukee Gateway Aerotropolis Corporation, both of which are managed by AGBA.

The Gateway’s role is to improve the vitality in the aerotropolis footprint by actively impacting government direction, enhancing the area through security and beautification, marketing the area for economic development and creating mutually beneficial networking opportunities for businesses in The Gateway.

Mr. Rave’s previous career for 38 years in Milwaukee was with three banking companies, First Wisconsin/Firstar Banks, Norwest/Wells Fargo Banks and Tri City National Bank. Most of the assignments having were as an account officer and division head/manager in commercial banking, including one stint resolving “problem loans” to troubled organizations. Other functions during those years included training young bankers, private banking, business development for senior and subordinated debt in leveraged transactions, managing cash management and payroll processing businesses, systems development as a user, marketing and strategic planning.

The education of Mr. Rave resulted in an MBA from University of Wisconsin – Whitewater in 1980, a BS with psychology as a major from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH in 1967 and advanced studies in clinical psychology at the University of Florida and Loyola University in Chicago.

Related current involvements of Mr. Rave are:

• Steering Committee chair of the Coalition for Advancing Transit in Southeast Wisconsin
• Participant and Milwaukee Mark Subcommittee chair on the Milwaukee Image & Perception Task Force
• Ex officio director of Greater Milwaukee Hotel & Lodging Association

Location:

UWM Campus
AUP 345

The Finance and Personnel Committee considers appropriations, finances, taxation, revenues, labor relations, personnel, pensions and other benefits, insurance, audits and city budget.

The Finance and Personnel Committee meetings start at 1:30 p.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Agenda

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee reviews issues relating to city development, zoning, historic preservation, incremental tax financing, building codes and housing projects.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Agenda

The Community and Economic Development Committee hears matters relating to community development, block grants, job development, business improvement districts, city public relations, industrial land banks and revenue bonds, emerging business enterprises, recreation, cultural arts and the library system.

The Community and Economic Development Committee meetings start at 9:00 a.m. and are held in the Room 301-B, City Hall, unless otherwise noted.

Agenda

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), together with Alderman Michael Murphy, will be hosting an open house meeting for the public to learn about upcoming projects along the Menomonee River. on Tuesday, November 16th between 7:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. at the Marine Credit Union.

The meeting will focus on the removal of 1,000-ft of concrete channel liner that will be replaced with natural rock material and pool/riffle features.

Alderman Nik Kovac, whose district includes the East Library on 1910 E. North Avenue, held a public meeting on November 11th to solicit feedback on the proposal of converting the one-story, single-use library into a mixed-use building. The meeting, which was held in the East Library meeting room, attracted a standing-room only crowd, and included representatives from the Library Board (of which Kovac is a member), the Department of City Development, and the Mayor’s office. In addition to Nik Kovac, Common Council members Ashanti Hamilton and Milele Coggs were in attendance.

The Library Board has proposed transforming the way library services are delivered by introducing three different types of libraries, mixed-use facilities, area libraries, and express libraries designed to expand facility hours and modernize operations.

The first phase of the plan is underway with the construction of the mixed-use Villard Avenue Library, the library portion of which will replace an existing one-story facility, and will operate out of a 12,000-square-feet, first-floor condo below 47 apartments. The new apartments will pay property taxes. In addition to the new revenue from property taxes, the library will be open 45 hours a week instead of 35 thanks to cost-savings from implementing a more modern design (the ability to operate the facility with only one staff member instead of three at all times being the biggest savings). The new library will also include more flexible meeting rooms to better accommodate both large and small crowds, as well as a host of other improvements designed to increase the utility of the library.

The intent is for the second implementation of the mixed-use library concept to be done with the East Library. To-date three proposals have been made for the site including two hotels (one by Doug Weas, whose firm redeveloped the nearby Kenilworth facility for UWM, another by ASQ Center developer Bill Orenstein, Founding Principal of Williams Development Corporation) and an apartment building by Mercy Housing, who is currently proposing a nearby apartment building. Alderman Kovac also noted as a possibility that a potential request-for-proposals might be expanded to include the adjacent Continental Savings Bank building. After a presentation on the broad efforts of the Library Board and the increasingly smaller budget they’ve been dealt, feedback was solicited from attendees.

Similar to many East Side meetings, audience comments focused around design, parking, and building height. Written comments were collected, but of the 27 comments made before the group they focused on…

• 10 comments included concerns about design, many of which were aimed at the design of a potential parking garage, including one from Thea Kovac requesting that Spancrete not be used, an obvious reference to the unfortunate outcome of the Downer Avenue Garage design process.
• 6 comments included concerns about congestion and parking.
• 5 comments included concerns about with the height of the potential building, to which Kovac reassured the audience that a potential design review board would keep the height in scale with current zoning limits of 60 feet, similar to the recently completed Cambridge Commons.
• 3 comments included concerns about the perceived negative effects of privatization.
• 2 comments included concerns about the installation of solar panels or green roofs as cost-saving solutions.
• 1 comment was voiced in support of increased density
• 1 comment was voiced in full support of the mixed-use concept as put forth by the Library Board.

Assuming the Library Board elects to go forward with the process of converting the library to a mixed-use facility, the likely next step in the process is to prepare a request-for-proposals (RFP) to solicit official development proposals.

The East Library along North Avenue, with the parking lot immediately north of the building.

Related Links

• Background on Library Board plan

The Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) administers Milwaukee’s historic preservation ordinance, adopted in 1981, which provides certain kinds of legal protection for buildings or sites that have been declared historic by the Common Council. The HPC is responsible for designating historic landmarks and historic districts and for approving Certificates of Appropriateness (COAs) for permission to alter historic buildings.

The HPC meets monthly on Mondays in City Hall, Room 301A, 200 E. Wells Street at 4:00 P.M. unless otherwise indicated.

Agenda

More photos from featured photographer, Todd Montgomery.  His shots of Street Art.

Featured Photographer Todd Montgomery

Todd Montgomery has been photographing the life around him for more than 40 years. His diverse background experiences as a Naval officer during the Vietnam War, as an investment manager, an educator, an urban planner, and as a world traveler have given him a view of the world and its inhabitants from many perspectives. His photos cover the expanse of his travels and experiences all over the U.S., Asia and Europe. While the themes of his photography are as varied as his experiences, his work focuses on key moments that capture the essence of his subjects. Todd has exhibited his photos in many galleries, including the Agora Gallery in Soho, New York City.

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