The Daily Reporter has an article that takes a look at the recent events surrounding the proposed demolition of the Milwaukee Coast Guard Station near McKinley Pier.

It’s sad to see a landmark go, but the building is reportedly past the state of cost-effective repair. Most importantly, it’s essential that what replaces it encourages the embracing of the lakefront. The planned pavilion seems to largely accomplish this goal.

I think there is a still a market for a commercial development, even with the nearby Alterra. One that both embraces the lake and the nearby Lincoln Memorial Drive.

Most of the development on the lake is auto-dependent, and it would be nice to see pedestrian-centric development where the old station was, especially with the nearby Brady St pedestrian ramp.

You may ask why I’m so in favor of development with a planned park already on the drawing board, but I honestly think we have plenty of open space on our lakefront already. We need something to draw people to that open space outside of holiday weekends, and environmentally-responsible development would help achieve this. Alterra is a great start, but it needs to be paired with something else. Barnes & Noble with an all glass lake facing side? A clothing store? Parks are only useful if there are people there to use them, and all too often I think our Lake Michigan coastline is underutilized. We want people to have a reason to walk and enjoy the lake, not to drive by it at 45 miles an hour.