MCTS services changes as a result of proposed Bayshore - Airport Express

The meeting, held at the Bay View Library, was focused primarily on the changes that would occur to existing south side service (Routes 11 and 15) as a result of the new service. The meeting was led primarily by Thomas Winter, Director of Schedule and Planning at MCTS, who guided the audience through the key points of the proposed Bayshore – Airport Express route, as well as changes to existing routes within the corridor. Winter did not focus on the other proposed express service routes, but they will include a Fondy – National Express and a Capitol Drive Express (a 27th Street Express was applied for, but not awarded).

MCTS will be utilizing CMAQ funds from two different sources, the cancelled Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail service (which died when the latest state budget pulled the plug on the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority) and the never implemented bus rapid transit service along Fond du Lac, Greenfield, and National Avenues.

The short explanation, the Bayshore – Airport Express will connect Bayshore, UWM, Downtown, and Bay View with stops roughly every 1/4 of a mile, seven days a week, with headways of 10-15 minutes during the rush hours, and 15-20 minutes during off-peak times. The fare for the express service will be the same as standard service. It is intended to achieve between 20-25% time savings running the same route as traditional MCTS service.

Details – South Side

• Route 11 will be eliminated, but vast majority of service area will continue to have service via the express and other new or adjusted services. Some areas will actually see an increase as a result of the change.
• In some cases, riders will need to about one block further to get to a stop. Current MCTS service spaces stops at 1/8 mile, but express plans call for 1/4 mile spaced spots.
• Route 52 will be introduced to service one branch of the former 15 route on Clement, Pennsylvania, and 15th (pictured in map). It will terminate at Lincoln and Kinnickinnic.
• Route 56 will be introduced to service Greenfield Avenue from 2nd Street to 124th Street. This will replace an area formerly serviced by Routes 11 (to Miller Park Way) and 18 (70th to 124th). Service along Miller Park Way, previously provided by Route 11, will be eliminated.
• New Route 15 will still run unmodified on 1st Street, Kinnickinnic Avenue, Chicago Avenue, and Packard Avenue to Columbia Avenue.
• New Route 15 will run down Pittsburgh Avenue to Milwaukee Street through downtown. This will replace the service lost from the elimination of Route 11. The Bayshore – Airport Express will service Water Street.
• The Bayshore – Airport Express will divert from the current Route 15 at Lincoln and proceed south towards the airport on Howell. This will replace Route 11 service on Howell and Chase. Route 11 service on Boliver, Pine, and Layton will be discontinued. This new service supports the Aerotropolis concept.

Details – North Side

• Route 11 is being eliminated, but the stops on the north side of its route, Milwaukee Street, Ogden Avenue, Van Buren Street and Holton Street, will be serviced by new route 15.
• The new route 15, replacing the northern portion of Route 11, will continue north to Bayshore Mall instead of terminating at Capitol Drive. It will use Port Washington Road to get to Bayshore.
• The Bayshore – Airport Express will replace Route 15 service from Bayshore to downtown, running the same route to downtown as the 15 currently runs. Because of the express service, this will result in the elimination of some stops (from 1/8 mile spacing to 1/4 mile spacing), but stops will still be placed at all major destinations and transfer points.
• Route 68 is being eliminated. Limited 68 service on Green Tree, Lake Drive, and Brown Deer Road will be eliminated entirely. Route 68 service on Port Washington Road north of Bayshore will be replaced with Route 63, which currently terminates at Bayshore. Route 68 service south of Bayshore will be replaced by the new Route 15 to Capitol Drive. South of Capitol Drive to Keefe Avenue will no longer have service.

Following the introduction of the service changes by Thomas Winter, and brief comments in support by the Milwaukee County Supervisors in attendance, Supervisor Dimitrijevic led the question and answer session.

Questions from Audience

This is by no means a complete digest of the questions asked, but an attempt by myself to identify the most important and/or interesting questions and statements.

• When would the proposed changes go into effect? MCTS Manager Director, in attendance for the meeting, jumped in to note that the proposed changes would go into effect January 29th.
• One Howell Avenue resident noted that he liked the connection to the airport.
• Will the Bayshore – Airport Express run as late as other service? Yes
• Wifi in buses? Lloyd Grant – we are working with a local firm on in-bus advertising, this could happen. (My perspective – I don’t see it as likely, and I don’t believe that the new version of Transit TV proposed by Troy Shaw will produce the millions in revenue that has been projected, but I hope to be proven wrong.)
• Same commenter as wifi comment – Bus tickets should be handed out with tax receipts
• Same commenter as wifi comment – There should be park and ride areas on south side.
• Supervisor Jursik requested that Grant speak about the potential new farebox system. Grant mentioned that three years ago they received federal funding to help implement a new farebox system, and that he expected RFP responses this week. Supervisor Dimitrijevic noted that she hoped that a new system would utilize “smart cards” similar to those seen in other cities, which drew applause from the audience. Grant discussed a number of potential outcomes of the process, but noted that 40% of current fares are paid in cash.
• One commenter noted that park and rides should be installed across the south side to alleviate congestion at UWM and listed a number of potential locations including the airport. Supervisor Jursik noted that she didn’t think the airport would be likely, given its potential for abuse.
• How is service impacted from Brady and Farwell to downtown? Lloyd Grant noted that service would actually improve because of the switch from the 15 bus to express service.
• Will bike racks be on express route? Yes (drew applause from audience)
• MCTS driver – 1. Freeway Flyers being favored over local routes, not good. 2. The farebox is a trouble spot with the union, specifically the transfers. 3. How does it connect with streetcar? – Kris Martinsek, of Martinsek & Associates who is involved in the creation of the Milwaukee Streetcar, noted that streetcar project is in preliminary engineering and is being designed to have seamless connections with existing transit service.
• One life-long non-driver asked about smaller buses or vans to preserve service. Lloyd Grant responded that MCTS has retired their smaller vehicles over time as they aren’t as cost efficient given that they can’t be used on many routes.
• Express part of existing fare structure (following a comment thanking MCTS for their hard)? Lloyd Grant noted that this is the first time he has been asked, and that yes it would cost the same as a standard fare.
• Will Freeway Flyers stay the same? Yes.
• Multiple people noted the challenges in getting home from the airport to Bay View, that taxis frequently refused to give rides because of the airport fee structure. Where will the stop be at the airport? Where the Route 80 currently stops, at the south end of the Baggage Claim.
• Any change to Route 51? No changes at this time. This question was offered apparently in response to a neighborhood issue with bus noise, with people in attendance on both sides of the issue. Supervisor Haas remarked he was happy they have now met and could sit down to talk about it, which drew a laugh from the audience.
• What is the possibility that the CMAQ funds are not approved? Lloyd Grant said that rejection is not expected for any reason, and that it is up to Secretary of Transportation Gottleib to approve now.
• Samuel Jensen, representing the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union offered perhaps the most amusing remarks of the evening. He remarked that he was happy about the new service, but not happy to learn about it so late and that it was done in secret. He remarked that “we are not living in the Soviet Union or a third-world dictatorship.” During his comments he repeatedly said “this is absurd,” asking what other cuts were hidden (claiming the audience first learned of the Route 68 cuts today). He noted the lack of a real long-term funding solution for transit in Milwaukee, and asked when the Milwaukee County Board is going to do something about this? Supervisor Jursik downplayed his remarks, noting that he was attacking local politicians for an issue created by the state. She noted that she wasn’t pleased with being in the dark on the proposals before they were submitted. Her response ended with applause from the audience. Lloyd Grant noted that there were no unpublished cuts. Jensen responded by noting that Jacqueline Janz, MCTS Marketing Director, would do the USSR (Soviet Union) a service with her PR skills.
• After a few more questions, the meeting ended at 8 promptly because the Bay View Library closed.

Conclusion

Milwaukee County and MCTS have clearly been dealt a tough hand with the funding cuts to transit coming from the state budget. Despite the fact that the CMAQ funds at this point are only a two-year solution, and will result in some areas losing service, the solution is a creative one to stave off major cuts including the elimination of all Freeway Flyers, special event service (Summerfest, State Fair, Miller Park, etc, etc), and service reductions on many routes. In an ideal world, existing service would be maintained and new express service would be added on top, but given the circumstances this is a great solution to a terrible problem.

MCTS services changes as a result of proposed Bayshore - Airport Express

UWM

Having an educated populace is good for society, it increases the earning of all workers, it helps to generate wealth and fuels innovation.  Subsidized parking doesn’t.

UWM recently announced that the school will no longer be utilizing the parking lot on Milwaukee’s lakefront for remote student parking, in part because the university had acquired the former Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital parking garage adjacent to campus.

As part of this change the university had planned to charge students $4 per day to park at the garage, and end the student subsidy of parking.  Oddly, the UWM Student Association fought to continue the subsidization of parking for some students, at the cost of non-driving students.  These efforts apparently moved the university’s position, as Steve Schultze is reporting that UWM has “cut a tentative deal to charge all students $15 per semester to subsidize parking in the former Columbia-St. Mary’s Hospital ramp.”  This continued automobile subsidy isn’t a big one, but it is one example of how our institutions and policies, encourage people to drive, by hiding the true cost.

There are of course numerous services that all students contribute to, and as a society we often choose to subsidize certain priorities.  For example, we as a society subsidize economic development through TIF, government loans, and for decades now the mortgage interest deduction.  UWM students all put in for safety programs as well as many on-campus programs.  An argument can be made for or against many of these being subsidized, but this particular parking subsidy is not inline with the mission of the university, and brings with it hidden costs and negative impacts.

As an urban university, UWM should be encouraging students to live on or near campus and become part of the community.  By doing this UWM would be helping to fulfill its mission as an urban university while helping the neighborhood.  It would actually reduce parking needs and congestion, as students could walk, bike, or take transit to get to class instead of circling the neighborhood or garage in hopes of finding a spot.  In the long run, encouraging more students to make the East side of Milwaukee their home would help to keep demand strong for apartment development, help to fill rental vacancies on the East Side, and draw further retail development to the area.

For too long UWM has muddled in their commitment to being an urban university, it’s time for that to change.

Marquette University

Location: Avenues West, west of downtown.

Students: 8,012 (undergraduates), 3,587 (postgraduates)

Affect on Neighborhood: Marquette defines Avenues West. In addition to the buildings themselves, there are signs visible every which way you look, as well as students.

Recent Projects: The school has recently opened a new home for the Law School in Ray and Kay Eckstein Hall. The $85 million building is highly visible from the adjacent Marquette Interchange. Journal Sentinel art and architecture critic Mary Louise Schumacher details some of the challenges with the site. Under construction along Wisconsin Avenue, thanks to a $25 million anonymous donation, is the Discovery Learning Complex. The $35 million building will be five-stories tall and include 115,000 square feet of space for the College of Engineering.

On the Horizon: Marquette is working to enhance their existing investment in the Valley Fields athletic complex in the Menomonee Valley, a development that the school could have just as easily placed in a suburb. The school is planning to invest $1.2 million to add a 3,000 square-foot facility that includes dressing rooms for teams and officials, medical treatment areas, as well as public restrooms.

Grade: A. Marquette could have ran from Milwaukee like Concordia, but instead of fleeing they kept investing in their campus, and as a result have a great urban campus that keeps getting better.

Milwaukee Institute Art and Design

Location: Historic Third Ward

Students: 630

Affect on Neighborhood: Today MIAD has a minimal affect on the built environment of the Third Ward, though it does play a key role in the area’s art scene. Unlike Marquette and UWM, you can miss it as the college doesn’t possess a lot of public signage, with the exception of recently added sign on the school. It’s minimal affect also has a lot to do with how much else is going on in the Third Ward. If you placed it in the neighborhoods that the other schools call home, it would certainly have a much bigger impact.

On the Horizon: The college is seeking to build a new 250 bed residence hall. An RFP was issued and General Capital’s property was selected at 252 E. Menomonee Street . The school must now raise the funds to complete the residence hall.

Grade: B. MIAD students inject life into the neighborhood, without the town versus gown debate that makes UWM neighbors pack public meetings, and helped spur the art scene. At the same time the school hasn’t actually broke ground on the new residence hall yet. As the school continues to expand and improve its facility, increased visibility will follow.

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Location: East Town

Students: 2,438 (undergraduates), 210 (postgraduates)

Affect on Neighborhood: MSOE defines area around the few blocks it occupies, but with the exception of a couple way-finding signs you could miss it if you passed the campus only a block or two away.

Recent Projects: MSOE has added two new facilities to their campus in the past six years. The Kern Center, a large athletic and wellness facility paid for by Robert and Patricia Kern which is one of the few developments to actually happen in the Park East corridor. More recently the university opened the Grohmann Museum to house the General Studies Department and Man at Wok art collection. The rehabilitated building was paid for by Eckhart Grohmann, and operational costs are covered by revenue from the adjacent building, which Grohmann also owns. The buildings act as bookends for the campus along Broadway.

On the Horizon: Recently the school has proposed building a 500-stall parking garage in the Park East land immediately north of the Kern Center (to be funded by the Kern’s). The catch? A soccer field on top of the garage. The facility won’t be an architectural marvel, but being built into the hillside should help hide the garage (similar to how Juneau Village Towers and Yankee Hill Apartments work).

Grade: B-. MSOE has added two urban buildings since 2004, both of which help better define the campus and add to the attractiveness of the neighborhood. Unfortunately the university still possess a number of large surface parking lots on some of Milwaukee’s most valuable, and otherwise well developed, land. The proposed Park East parking garage should give the school flexibility to reduce or develop their parking lots into better assets for school and city.

University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee

Location: Upper East Side

Students: 25,239 (undergraduates), 5,216 (postgraduates)

Affect on Neighborhood: UWM currently dominates the Upper East Side, although much of that effect is achieved by the large amount of off-campus housing in the form of duplexes. The campus itself is well contained with a couple block area. You get the feeling you’re on a college campus many blocks from the school itself though as large numbers of students can be seen walking to and from class.

Recent Projects: The university, through the UWM Real Estate Foundation, has recently added three facilities along North Avenue, all of which include a sizable student housing component. The first UWM development in the North Avenue corridor was the Kenilworth Square Apartments, which includes apartments that can house approximately 330 students as well as street-level retail. The east side of the facility also includes facilities for the Peck School of the Arts. RiverView Residence Hall opened in January 2008 and is located along the Milwaukee River just off North Avenue in Riverwest it includes space for approximately 475 students. Most recently, the school opened the Cambridge Commons residence hall which includes space for up to 700 students and is expected to be LEED Gold certified.

On the Horizon: The university has plans to build three satellite campuses to house graduate-level schools. A School of Public Health is planned for the former Pabst Brewery on the northwest corner of downtown, thanks to a donation from the late Joseph Zilber. The university plans to expand upon their Freshwater Research Institute to build a new facility for the School of Freshwater Sciences. The water school was originally proposed for the lakefront, but plans for that location were ultimately dropped. The latest plan has split facilities between a Reed Street Yards site and the Great Lakes Research Facility on Greenfield Ave. Their most controversial plan is the one already underway, the construction of a new engineering school on the Milwaukee County Grounds in Wauwatosa. While we applaud the school’s efforts to build a new engineering school, we’ve written extensively that the location and proposed development style are misguided.

Grade: B. The university has a contract with Milwaukee County to purchase suburban land and develop it in a suburban fashion. That alone wouldn’t be so egregious, but as the school continues to invest in all kinds of “green” and urban developments across the city, the Engineering School in western Wauwatosa appears to be even more of a paradox. If the university follows through on plans to build the suburban engineering campus, it’s easy to believe that future grades on the schools urban qualities would be lower. On the upside, the school’s new residence halls have been successful in reducing pressure on non-student neighbors by reducing the number of students living in off-campus housing. They also, thanks to their good urban design, are part of what continues to make North Avenue vibrant. The Public Health and Freshwater Sciences Schools are certain to be assets to the city when they’re completed.

UWM

Recently, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago announced his resignation from UWM to become the Chief Executive Officer of the Hispanic College Fund in Washington, D.C. I imagine our long time readers would expect us to be dancing a jig or throwing quite the party at the possibility that his departure could derail the Wauwatosa expansion, but believe it or not, we’re disappointed he’s leaving UWM. Despite our long disagreement with Chancellor Santiago over the expansion in Wauwatosa, his vision of growth and research, as well as many of the initiatives put forward under his leadership are commendable, worthy, and should move forward.

During his time at UWM, the university has seen more development than under many of the previous administrations. The recent acquisition of the Columbia St Mary’s site literally expands UWM’s main campus, will alleviate some of the parking ‘problem’, could allow for more on-campus housing, and provides for more classroom space. UWM has also been pursuing the construction of new student housing on the East Side, which now will provide university housing for over a thousand students that previously had to be denied because of a bed shortage. The Kenilworth Square Apartments, RiverView Hall, and the soon to be open Cambridge Commons have all made UWM a bigger part of Milwaukee and the community, quite literally.

His vision of turning UWM into a first-rate research university is vital for UWM and for Milwaukee. This vision has lead directly to the creation the School of Public Health and the School of Freshwater Sciences, while also driving the desire to expand the Engineering School. In the short run, it has lead to formation of the Southeastern Wisconsin Energy Technology Research Center, which for the first time brings the colleges of engineering from UWM, MSOE, and Marquette together to collaborate on a significant research initiatives. These universities are already working together on cutting-edge research in areas such as wind turbines, Li-Ion Batteries, and CO2 recycling and sequestration via algae.

The School of Public Health will play a role in improving the health of Milwaukee’s inner-city population, while at the same time helping to revitalize downtown Milwaukee. The choice of locating the program at The Brewery will allow UWM to serve the needs of Milwaukee residents, while keeping the program  within a short bike ride or bus trip to the main campus.

A vastly expanded Engineering School is certainly a key part of helping UWM raise its level of research and will allow it to better collaborate with other institutions and industry partners. Our issue is how and where this expansion should occur, not that it shouldn’t occur. It simply would serve Milwaukee and our region better to build on relationships with MSOE and Marquette as that would create a strong engineering core within the region, while building a stronger urban core. Further, this alignment would allow UWM to stake out more of a niche, possibly within advanced manufacturing, energy technology, or possibly nanotechnology, rather than becoming one of hundreds of schools chasing the biotech dream. That said, the goal of increasing the role, size, and scope of the Engineering School is a laudable one that needs to be successful.

Finally, the proposed School of Freshwater Sciences is truly visionary. The School of Freshwater Sciences has a chance to put Milwaukee back on the map as a world leader. This school is a key part of the M7 Water Council’s goals, which despite detractors claims, might be an area where UWM and Milwaukee could differentiate themselves from their peers. The Water Council is already spurring collaboration between UWM and Marquette, and has received funding by area companies including Badger Meter Inc. and A.O. Smith Corp. Although the idea of splitting the school in to two facilities isn’t ideal, the Reed Street Yards location has already gained interest from American Micro Detection Systems Inc., a water industry company, to possibly locate a facility with up to 300 jobs near the school.

Chancellor Santiago brought about many great changes and set a grand vision for UWM. We can only hope that his efforts to establish the School of Freshwater Sciences, his most game-changing initiative, continue to move forward in his absence.

Cambridge Commons

The view from across North Avenue of the soon-to-be complete residence hall.

New UWM Residence Hall
Location: Intersection of North Avenue and Cambridge Avenue along the river
Size: 700 beds
Opening: late August/early September 2010

The building will bring 700 students to the neighborhood, as well as introducing another coffee shop (The Grind) to the area. The UWM Real Estate Foundation will move their offices to the building. We’ve profiled Cambridge Commons extensively here before.

Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital

Rendering of the new Columbia St. Mary's hospital

Combing the operations of Columbia Hospital (Maryland and Kenwood) and St. Mary’s Hospital (existing site) in a new $417 million facility.
Location: Eastern end of North Avenue
Opening: October 2010

Columbia St. Mary’s is combining their two namesake East Side operations into one modern facility with the goal of saving $19 million annually. The new hospital will introduce a number of new potential customers to North Avenue area businesses.

Latitude Apartments

Latitude Apartments under construction on Kenilworth and Farwell.

Originally proposed by New Land Enterprises, the approved project was ultimately sold to Dermond Property Investments before construction. Construction is nearing completion on the apartment building.
Location: Southwest corner of the intersection of Kenilworth Place and Farwell Avenue
Opening: August 2010
Size: 90 units (71 one-bedroom, 19 studios)

The apartment will include 90 residential units and 7,500 square-feet of retail space.  It includes 90 parking spaces for residents, as well an additional 14 spaces for the retail tenant.

Park Lafayette

Park Lafayette before completion.

Condos turned apartments
Location: Northeast corner of the intersection of Lafayette Place and Prospect Avenue)
Opening: Now
Size: 281 Units

After a significant amount of turmoil around it’s near-empty opening as condos last summer, this project appears headed for better days. Over 70 units are now occupied, primarily as rentals, and a steady stream of moving trucks can be spotted entering the building. Additionally, there is now a fair amount of foot and car traffic going in-and-out of the towers. Well Warren Barr and Amalgamated Bank are likely going to lose a lot of money on the project, but Mallory Properties appears poised to buy the property and run the buildings mainly as apartments.

St. John’s on the Lake – The Expansion

The Expansion under construction at St. John's on the Lake.

Massive expansion of  the St. John’s on the Lake housing facility.
Location: 1840 N. Prospect Avenue (block south of Kane Place)
Opening: Early 2011
Size: 88 units starting at 1,140 square-feet

The Expansion at St. John’s on the Lake will include a number of different service offerings including independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing care.  The Expansion was almost entirely pre-sold before construction started. The property tax loophole for developments like this has been closed.

The view from across North Avenue of the soon-to-be complete residence hall.

In August UW-Milwaukee will begin occupying Cambridge Commons, their new 700-bed residence hall. Owned by the UWM Real Estate Foundation and developed by the Mandel Group, the near-complete residence hall raises the bar for Milwaukee student housing when it comes to quality and ecological sustainability.

The building utilizes a number of green features beyond being a dense, urban building, which should help it become LEED-certified upon completion. Starting at the top, it will feature two green roofs, one each at the north and south wings of the U-shaped building.  Connecting the two wings is the 6-story core of the building, which will feature solar panels on the roof. One immediately noticeable feature of the rooms themselves is the inclusion of full size refrigerators  (one per suite), which replace the assorted mini-fridges that plague dormitory power systems and end up consuming more power than centralized units through their inefficiency. An additional building-wide power monitoring system will allow students to observe the total power consumption of the building (and for the university to program challenges with similarly monitored Riverview located just across the river). Under the courtyard lies the key to the building’s sustainability efforts, a 20,000 gallon tank to contain all rain water collected on site. The collected water will be used on-site.

In addition, the residence hall will not significantly disrupt the extensive number of trees along the bluff (although other groups are exploring replacing invasive species with native trees). A revamped and accessible public access way will connect North Avenue and Cambridge Commons with the East Bank Trail located at the bottom of the bluff.

As was done with RiverView, UWM has designed Cambridge Commons as a “live-learning community” targeted at a specific subsection of students. First-year students in ecologically-centric majors will have the option to live in the facility, and take select required classes for their degree programs with only fellow residence hall residents in the class (the class would also be offered on-campus at a different time).

One of the full kitchen's located on every floor for student use.

As with UWM’s other residence halls, the rooms are setup in a suite style that is becoming increasingly common on college campuses. Benefits of the suite system include a reduction in the number of people one must share a bathroom with, as well as additional common area space and a more well-defined set of neighbors and potential friends. All rooms include two beds, which (and likely will) be lofted to create more space. There are a handful of corner suites, which include a full kitchen and more common area space for an additional cost (and with an additional room attached for two more suitemates).

Numerous amenities are available for students beyond the standard dorm-fare. Next to the entrance desk, a sound proof practice room is available for students to practice a musical instrument without fear of assault by an annoyed roommate. Down the hall, numerous technologically-equipped rooms will be available for students to collaborate on presentations and projects with peers. Adjacent to these rooms is the building’s cafeteria, with food that will initially be prepared at the Sandburg dorms on Maryland Avenue and transported to Cambridge Commons for final preparations (similar to the system in place at RiverView). The upper-floors of the hall, where students are housed, contain one full kitchen on every floor as well as a lounge and study area.

The university will extend its existing private transit system to Cambridge Commons. The iconic yellow buses, which currently serve Riverview and Kenilworth will be stop on Cambridge to pick students up. The university is purchasing more of the buses to accommodate the increased load and number of stops. Service operates every 15 minutes for much of the day with more frequent service during early morning peak periods. The system features an online component to monitor bus schedules and position that will send a text message upon bus arrival.

The retail stall along North Avenue will be utilized by UWM's The Grind coffee shop.

The community features of the building are really what separate the facility from RiverView. One of the university’s Grind coffee shops will open in the retail stall facing North Avenue. Residents will be able to access the building without stepping outside (but will need to check-in at the security desk to gain re-admittance), while the public will have access from North Avenue. In addition the UWM Real Estate Foundation will occupy the office space in the building on the first floor at the south end of the inner-courtyard. Conference rooms are available along the newly-rebuilt Cambridge Avenue spur for qualified community groups (such as: the East Side BID, neighborhood associations, etc, etc). These ground level features ensure that the building will add to the growing urban fabric of North Avenue.

While the building is not quite finished, it’s clear that UWM has a new, attractive housing option for freshman students in the Cambridge Commons.  The fact that the building interfaces with the public through its off-campus location and on-site retail offering should allow residents to be part of both the UWM community as well as the neighborhood. The 700 beds will reduce the number of students (especially freshman) living in duplexes throughout the neighborhoods surrounding UWM, which should alleviate some of the parking and partying concerns held by non-student area residents.  In short, I wish the residence halls I lived in college were this nice.

Past Coverage:

• Project Renderings (and an additional set)
• Building and Site Design Meeting
• Traffic, Transit and Parking Meeting
• Neighborhood Safety and Security Meeting
• Environmental Initiatives Meeting
• Initial Hometown Site RFP Meeting
• Final Three RFP Site Meetings
• Final Three RFP Sites Announced

Part of this evolution is actually a strong athletic program.  Regardless if the emphasis on athletics at institutions of higher learn is good or not, it’s true.  The public face of a university is its athletic program.  When people think Ohio State they think football.  When people think North Carolina they think basketball.  Although UWM won’t realistically ever reach those lofty levels, athletics play a role, so much so that some schools have increased enrollment after NCAA Tourney appearances.  Simply, a successful athletic program could lead to more national recognition, increased alumni giving, increased exposure potential students, and in the long run help raise enrollment.

A first, albeit small step, in building a strong athletic program would be to return men’s basketball to campus by building a new on campus arena.  The construction of a new arena would send a clear signal that the school is committed to athletics, and strengthen the bond between school and student.  Just the ability for students to walk to the game, attend pep rallys, and events on campus will create a better student experience and lead to higher involvement.

Certainly, there are potential issues, such as the availability of land, how to fund the construction, the real or perceived issue of the lack of parking, and the U.S. Cellular Arena becoming even less utilzed.  But a growing UWM is good for all of Milwaukee and building a new on campus arena would be one, small step that UWM could take to continue growing.

Suburbia is where the developer bulldozes out the trees, then names the streets after them.

- Bill Vaughan

As both Milwaukee County and UWM are driving forward with their plans to pave their way to the future, the last days for the Milwaukee County Grounds are unfortunately fast approaching.  The land sale was approved this past year, but many details regarding UWM’s commitment to preserve the Monarch Butterfly migratory land was left unfinished.  On Tuesday the Milwaukee County Committee for Parks, Energy and Environment will take action on the Restoration Plan for the NE Quadrant of the Milwaukee County Grounds, despite not holding any public hearings on the topic.

The goal of this plan is to protect this migratory land, the Monarch Trail, which seems like a nice gesture, but it’s likely the only sign of the Monarch Trail that will be visible once this project is built out, will be a road bearing its name.  I’m not saying this is the only reason that UWM’s development of the Milwaukee County Grounds shouldn’t move forward.  The impacts to students, the weakening of the region’s core, the bigger environmental picture, factor in as much, if not more significantly.

But, I do wonder when the new hotel opens, the office boxes go up, the grass is paved over, and the Monarchs are long gone, if they will in fact name the main street the Monarch Trail?  To top it off maybe they could name one of the streets, Kubala Washatko Way, in honor of a green space plan that was put together, and is now being trampled on.

To meet this need and potentially house some or part of these initiatives UWM’s acquisition of the former Columbia Hospital site is without a doubt a key piece of the expansion puzzle. It is likely that East Side residents will find this distressing and likely oppose any effort by UWM to purchase and develop this site, but expanding on this site makes the most sense for UWM, East Side residents, and the City of Milwaukee.

This site would provide space for the thousands of additional beds that UWM desperately needs, benefit students, alleviate pressures on the neighborhood, and help Milwaukee to thrive. Students living on campus is good for students because they generally receive higher GPA’s, and often graduate in a shorter period of time. Students that live under UWM’s managed housing have more constraints and rules regarding their behavior which should be of benefit to neighbors concerned about student behavior. Another issue that faces East Side residents is a real or perceived lack of parking brought on by commuter students parking on city streets. This issue would be alleviated if UWM could purchase the Columbia Hospital site as it includes a parking garage that would provide students and staff additional parking. Finally, a growing UWM moves Milwaukee forward because it will help to create the critical mass of talent, that is key to growth in today’s economy.

What are the alternatives? Now that private development plans have fallen through it is possible that this site might sit vacant for years, or worse yet being demolished for a surface parking lot. Hopefully neither of these alternatives will play out and UWM will be able to move forward on plans to acquire the former Columbia Hospital.

There of course were some who supported the expansion plans in Wauwatosa, but clearly the vast majority of feedback regarding the expansion in Wauwatosa was in voiced in opposition.  The reasons were varied, and included environmental and sustainability issues of the proposed site that don’t fit with the sustainability goals of the overall Master Plan and UWM.  Others argued that that UWM should engage in urban infill development, to avoid the destruction of green space.  Another commenter aptly pointed out that Chancellor Santiago himself has argued that the “city is a big draw.”   Take a minute to read just a handful of the comments yourself.

A student points out how this plan seems to be inconsistent with UWM’s School of Urban Planning.

The plan inspires me to go into planning.  I am curious about the roll the Urban Planning program at UWM played in this.  I disagree with putting “Innovation Park” out west.  Doesn’t seem to fit in with the environmental sustainability portion of the plan.  Seems to me a car is required.

A graduate student argues that we need to protect our green space, and conduct infill development.

Why should UWM be hypocritical in eliminating green spaces in MKE county for the sake of an engineering school facility?  If UWM believes in being responsible to the vitality of future generations and our own society’s survival, we shouldn’t endorse plans that result in net loses in green space.  Protect the county grounds and develop in an under-utilized, abandoned sector of the city of Milwaukee.  There are tons of places like this that our own urban planning students research all the time, make the purchase and build at a neglected urban site.

This alumni believes as I, and Chancellor Santiago supposes to, that the city is a big draw for the school.

I would strongly urge against building an engineering campus out in the suburbs.  As Mr. Santiago himself says, the city is a big draw for the school.  As an alumni who now lives in the city because of my positive experience while attending UWM , I agree.  So why would you want to put a building in a location that has absolutely none of the draw of an urban environment?  That engineering building belongs downtown.

This community member points out that sprawl is a “blight on our landscape and culture,” and that “what makes UWM an attractive place to go to school is its setting in Milwaukee not ‘anyplace-USA’ suburbia.”

As a native east-sider and son of a former UWM professor, I very much feel a part of the UWM community.  Though I attended UW-Madison (graduating in 2001) I audited several UWM courses in subsequent years.  I am vehemently opposed to expansion plans that entail a satellite campus in Wauwatosa and see it as a giant boondoggle.  Downtown Milwaukee offers abundant room to expand as well as the opportunity for numerous synergies  existing infrastructure, businesses, hospitals, and other institutions. UWM is an urban school and should remain such.  Suburban sprawl is a blight on our landscape and culture, and it strikes me as outlandish that Milwaukee’s premiere public university would consider subsidizing it.  Furthermore, as a young(ish) individual, I feel that I am still in touch with the mindset of today’s students, and I am extremely doubtful of the appeal that a suburban campus would have to them.  What makes UWM an attractive place to go to school is its setting in Milwaukee  not “anyplace-USA” suburbia.  Young people are increasingly flocking to the cities, and no one is going to want to live in Wauwatosa.  This would leave long commutes as the only option  an unsavory prospect.

A graduate student in urban planning, points out the problem of the Wauwatosa site being an auto-centric location, argues that these partnerships don’t require being located in Wauwatosa, and is concerned that by breaking the Engineering School in parts it could disrupt the continuity between the programs.

Throughout the plan it refers to connectivity, however there is little mention of how a campus located in Wauwatosa will be accessible to the rest of the school.  Other than driving I don’t know a way to get to the Wauwatosa campus.  While here is a bus line that travels to the county grounds it is an hour ride from the main UWM campus.  The partnerships that UWM hopes to create at the county grounds are theoretical at this point and there is no reason that these partnerships could not be created without the Wauwatosa campus.  From what I understand the graduate program would be in Wauwatosa and the undergrads still atUWM .  What about the continuity between the two programs?  How are undergrads better served by being separated from graduate research and expertise?  There is plenty of land in the downtown and harbor area to fully fit all the buildings planned for the Wauwatosa campus.  The only benefit I see from a Wauwatosa campus is cheap land and cheap labor provided to companies located at the county grounds in the form of graduate students.

A student points out that investing $150 million in Wauwatosa will only continue to encourage urban sprawl, while the university should be working to bring people back to the City of Milwaukee.

I really like the plans for the most part.  Especially all of the new proposed buildings on the southwest part of campus.  The one thing that I really do NOT agree with is investing $150 mil. in Wauwatosa.  I firmly believe that UWM should do everything in its power to keep the campus as cohesive as possible, and as close together as possible.  I see far more bad than good in locating the research so far away from the main campus.  Downtown would definitely be a alternative.  Instead of encouraging urban sprawl in the Greater Milwaukee Area, we should be luring students and families alike back into the City of Milwaukee.  Commuting is already an issue in Milwaukee, don’t make the problem worse by spreading out the campus so much.  Thank you for your consideration.

To be clear, there were some comments that spoke positively of the Wauwatosa site.  A graduate student thought the project might “be achievable if reduced in scale, or maybe becomes a strictly virtual connection for the near term, while one staff member argued that as freshman come from areas outside the city it’s fine to expand UWM in Wauwatosa.

It is doubtful that these comments will impact the final decision as much as the potential lack of adequate funding or the will of Chancellor Santiago, but it is good to see that the alumni, and students of UWM, that took the time to comment, felt UWM should expand within Milwaukee, albeit downtown, or on the existing campus.  Further it is not that they were opposed to the project because it was in someones backyard, in this case the opposition to the project was generally because it wasn’t in UWM’s backyard.

Instead of contributing to the decline of the Milwaukee by drawing investment, students, and potential residents out of the city, UWM could use the city to draw in investment, and talent.  If UWM were to work with the Milwaukee, to grow the university within the various neighborhoods, it could in fact become a talent magnet, a draw, for the city.  Recently UWM professor Marc Levine wrote in opposition to the UWM’s proposed Wauwatosa expansion in a Journal Sentinel op-ed, UWM as economic engine? Dream on.  Specifically, he argued that, “by investing an estimated $150 million outside Milwaukee, UWM will help spearhead a further outflow of capital and workers from a city that has been buffeted over the past 30 years by growing joblessness, poverty and the suburbanization of industry – hardly a positive contribution to local economic development.”  Clearly, if UWM were to invest that $150 million within Milwaukee, it could revitalize neighborhoods, spur development, provide jobs, and help build a stronger Milwaukee, all the while using the city as a “big draw.”

If you’d like UWM, to become a “big draw” for Milwaukee, and for Milwaukee to continue to be the “big draw” for UWM, the UWM Campus Master Plan is still taking input.  You can add your comments here.

Maybe, now Chancellor Santiago can take a closer look at the master plan that UWM has been developing, and reconsider downtown Milwaukee as an option for the new school of engineering.  A downtown campus would be closer to other universities and major companies conducting research.  In fact, it was recently announced that UWM, Marquette, and MSOE will be working together on energy related research projects though the forming of the Southeastern Wisconsin Energy Technology Research Center.  This partnership appears to be just the start and will be an ongoing endeavor that could only be strengthened by proximity.

In addition to UWM’s School of Engineering, potentially being back in play despite statements from UWM representatives, the other impact is the future of the lakefront.  During the debate over the School of Freshwater Sciences there primarily was discussion of two options other than the university for the Pieces of Eight site.  Many people thought that bringing back a high-end restaurant would be good for Milwaukee, and others fought passionately for preserving or creating new green space.  So I have two questions.  When does the new Bartolottas open?  And, how soon will the parks groups begin raising funds to buy out the lease?

On a more serious note, I do wonder, now that Michael Cudahy has withdrawn his funds for the Wauwatosa expansion, where will the $13.5 million to purchase the land come from?  Taxpayers?