The historic Sydney Hih building, which city officials had intended to tear down, may have been saved for another day, due to a legalistic maneuver by alderman and attorney Bob Baumann at a Tuesday meeting of the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.

Eyes on Milwaukee this week focuses on the committee appointments by Milwaukee Common Council President Willie Hines, Supervisor Haas’ efforts for a Milwaukee County attraction pass, the restaurant coming to The Moderne, and more.

WIS27 LLC’s proposal to develop a 64,000 SF office building at the corner of 27th Street and Wisconsin Avenue was approved by the Milwaukee Common Council today. WIS27 will purchase the vacant lot from the city for $1, and intends to lease the new building to the State of Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.

At the April 4th, 2012 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee, two requests for zoning changes were approved, which will allow Potawatomi’s luxury hotel proposal to move forward.

Back for a second time, Dermond Property Investments’ request for a change in zoning for the properties 1601 N. Jackson and 522 E. Pleasant, the former Joey’s Restaurant location, from Local Business (LB2) to a Detailed Planned Development (DPD) was once again in front of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.

Welcome to the seventh installment of Eyes on Milwaukee. This week the focus is all on City of Milwaukee elected officials following yesterday’s election. I explore the likelihood that Willie Hines runs for Mayor, how the new Common Council will resemble the old Common Council, the wide disparity in vote totals between districts, Bob Donovan winning the war, the shocking number of votes Johnny Thomas got, and Spencer Coggs’ new job.

At the February 22nd, 2012 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee a previously held file was approved that will allow the City of Milwaukee to fund a short section of the riverwalk in the Historic Third Ward. The project will utilize $420,000 from TID #34, and construct 80 feet of new riverwalk and dockwall.

MSOE’s $28 million, 750 stall parking garage proposal received approval at the February 22nd, 2012 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee meeting.

Most of Milwaukee’s riverwalk system has been built as a public-private partnership as new developments occurred, but a file before yesterday’s Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development committee proposed that the City of Milwaukee fund a short section of the system. City staff determined that an 80-foot stretch along Erie St., between River Renaissance and Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, is unlikely to see new development in the foreseeable future.

A proposal from Nafiz Efe, owner of EFE Building and Remodeling, LLC, to purchase the city owned lots at 1922, 1924-26, and 1932-38 West Fond du Lac Avenue will go before the January 31st, 2012 Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.