At the December 1st, 2009 meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council the Cooperation and Development Agreement for the Bookends development was sent back to the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee. The agreement would of authorized a $3.45 million loan guarantee from the City of Milwaukee to the development team, of New Land Enterprises and Weichman Enterprises, for the Bookends apartment development.

The Moderne development received approval for $9.3 millions in loans from the City of Milwaukee that led developer Rick Barrett had been seeking. At last week’s Zoning, Neighborhood & Development Committee three significant concerns were expressed by committee members, all of which were worked out prior to today’s Common Council meeting.

The proposed snow and ice fee increase, the furloughs, the possible use of eminent domain for economic development, and the formation of a streetcar committee were topics of interest at this Common Council meeting.

Recently, with the encouragement and support of our readers, the help of graphic artist Kieran Sweeney, and the drive of Juli Kaufmann a conceptual idea for the redevelopment of S. 2nd Street, in Walker’s Point, was created and entered in to GOOD Magazine’s livable streets contest. Although it didn’t win, it did come in a strong second, validating the importance of a complete street redesign for S. 2nd Street.

The M.O.R.E ordinance was the most widely debated action taken at this Common Council meeting.  This ordinance lays out resident preference program requirements, emerging business requirements, and prevailing wage requirements for both public projects and private projects receiving over $1 million in direct financial assistance.  It is important to note the definition of direct financial [...]

The controversial M.O.R.E ordinance was the primary item of discussion at this meeting of the Common Council.  This ordinance proposed new requirements related to hiring City of Milwaukee residents, the utilization of emerging small businesses, and the paying of prevailing wages for all City of Milwaukee projects and private developments that receive $1 million or [...]

In April 2008 Alderman D’Amato, as one of his last acts in office, brought forward a resolution that stated the City of Milwaukee’s position that the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee should locate its College of Engineering and Applied Science, as well asUWM’s other satellite campuses, within the City of Milwaukee. This resolution received unanimous support and was signed by Mayor Barrett, but this didn’t sway or slow the efforts of UWM to expand inWauwatosa.

Both, New Land Enterprises’ apartment proposal and Mandel Group’s UWM dormitory proposal were approved without any debate on the floor and both are expect to break ground after winter.

The most notably items on the agenda were the Common Council’s actions regarding Mayor Barrett’s vetoes, the action taken regarding the sick leave legislation, and the movement towards the possible privatization of the Milwaukee Water Works. Alderman Murphy took the opportunity to explain that in all likely-hood the Milwaukee will face a significant budget shortfall next year. He pointed to the economic crisis, the state’s budget problems, and the expanding number of foreclosures in Milwaukee as the cause that will create this shortfall and will require more dramatic cuts.

Although only briefly discussed, the most controversial item approved today was the change in zoning for New Land Enterprises’ 26-story condominium tower to be built behind the historic Goll Mansion.