The Moderne

As the US economy continued its slow recovery from the Great Recession, Milwaukee was left with a couple of failed development projects to complete, a changing real estate market, the opportunity to make small infrastructure changes, and questions about the future of transit.  In 2011, some of these ‘failed projects’ moved towards becoming successes, while the developers in town shifted from condominium development to apartments and hotels.  Small changes to the built environment came in the form of new bike infrastructure, and the conversion of streets to two-way traffic.  Although the Milwaukee County Transit System once again faced budget cuts, there was movement in bringing new modern transit service to Milwaukee in the form of express busing.

First Place on the River, Park Lafayette, and The Residences on Water all ended up in serious financial trouble, and in some cases in drawn out legal battles.  Park Lafayette, which had been considered by many a failure, became a turnaround success under the guidance of the Mandel Group in 2011 as it was converted from high-end condos to luxury apartments, and today it is 93% occupied.  Equally as impressive of a turnaround story is The Point on the River (formally First Place on the River).  The developer had run out of funding, and once the lending bank took over they brought in the  Mandel Group to complete the project.  Ever since, Mandel Group and Garrison Partners have been steadily selling units in the project, and while there were over 45 units available this time last year there are only 11 available for sale today.  The one significant project that has yet to be resolved is The Residences on Water, but signs indicate that the drawn out legal battle surrounding it is coming to a close.

The apartment market saw continued development through a strong reliance on WHEDA tax credits and other forms of  government financing (due to the weakened financial industry).  The construction of the Beerline B Apartments, which is being funded with WHEDA tax credits, nears completion.  Another WHEDA funded project, the 73-unit National City Lofts in Walker’s Point, began accepting tenants in October.  Although Mercy Housing Lakefront’s East Side apartment proposal received various city approvals, and appeared on the verge of moving forward, it failed to obtain WHEDA tax credits to support the funding of the project.  The second phase of The North End development, which will include two buildings and 155-units, gained approval for a $4.6 million loan from the City of Milwaukee and will utilize $26.9 million in WHEDA bonding to construct the project.  The most visible development in 2011 has been the construction of  the 30-story 203-unit apartment building, The Moderne.  It was financed with a $42.4 million loan from the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust (HIT), a $9.3 million loan by the City of Milwaukee, and $5 million private equity, and expects to be topping off in early 2012.

Hotel development became a hot area of development and controversy in 2011.  The controversial Marriott Hotel project was approved by the city, and in part because of the debate more of the historic buildings than originally proposed will be saved.  Unlike the Marriott project, two other downtown hotels are being developed within historic structures without significant demolition.  A proposal that would develop a Hilton Gardens Hotel within the Historic Loyalty Building in downtown Milwaukee worked through legal issues allowing for construction to get underway.  At The Brewery, Gorman & Company has started the redevelopment of the former brewhouse building into a boutique hotel.

Alterra's On-Street Bicycle Corral

The built environment saw small, but important improvements in 2011.  Wells Street was finally converted to two-way traffic and carmaggedon didn’t follow.  The streetscaping of Broadway in the Historic Third Ward, which will tie the district together, is finally being completed.  Bay View saw Milwaukee’s first raised bike lane built, and on-street bike corrals began popping up on streets around the East Side.  S. 2nd Street, in Walker’s Point, re-opened with the new street redesign, and quickly saw numerous establishments add cafe seating, and a the construction of a new building, the Milwaukee Fix, get underway.

Transit both made steps forward and steps backwards in 2011.  As we believed would happen, cuts to mass transit funding were deep at the state level, and threatened to push MCTS off the cliff.  Although new County Executive Chris Abele worked to maintain transit service by converting some routes to express routes to save money, this still represented a net reduction in service.  At the same time, the Milwaukee Streetcar project was approved by the Common Council on a 10-5 vote this year and has now proceeded into final engineering.  Though as we feared a challenge is being made to Milwaukee’s local control.  Brett Healy, of Oconomowoc, has petitioned the Public Service Commission to rule that, despite local ordinance, the City of Milwaukee must pay the cost to re-locate utilities operating in the public rights-of-way necessitated by the streetcar construction.

In 2011 Milwaukee continued to face a difficult financial and political environment, but managed to move forward on improvements to the built environment, transit, and many significant development projects.

Two-way Wells St.

It has been more than a week since Wells Street was converted to two-ways, and it has indeed been Carmaggedon.  Drivers have been confused by the unusual street configuration.  Two-ways, really?  The fear generated by being able to turn right and go East on to Wells St. has caused mass hysteria causing more than a few people to quickly park in available parking spots.  In fact just the other day there was a three-car-and-one-bicycle backup getting around a FedEx truck.  And now there are more cars than one can count driving close to the speed limit.  Yes, it has been Carmageddon!

Well no, much like the overhyped L.A. Carmageddon.  Similar to when the 405 expressway was closed temporarily, or when the Park East Freeway spur was removed, the conversion of Wells St. to two-way traffic has actually not brought about mass confusion, traffic jams, or a significant increase in congestion.  In fact it appears drivers are quickly becoming accustomed to the new configuration.  Drivers are now turning right onto Wells St. instead of driving around the block to get to a parking spot, driving closer to the speed limit down Wells St., and are trying new routes to get to their destination.

As this two-way street conversion has once again not brought Carmageddon to the streets of Milwaukee, it is clear the continued effort to rebuild the two-way street network is on the right path in downtown Milwaukee, but is far from complete.  The incomplete conversion of State St. needs to be rectified in the future, Broadway is just one block short of better connecting the Historic Third Ward with downtown Milwaukee, and Jackson St. still becomes a race track after crossing Wells St.  These three are just some of the segments left to convert to two-way traffic in downtown Milwaukee, but if recent history tells us anything, it is that Carmageddon won’t be around the next corner.

During the lunch hour on Wednesday, there will be a design charrette for the Brighten the Passage project. If you’re like to stop by to contribute, the group will be meeting on-street at the corner of Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue.

The Brighten the Passager project will create a more attractive connection between the Historic Third Ward and downtown by improving the space underneath the elevated Interstate 794.

As a background on charrettes, they’re a planning technique that consults with all stakeholders to bring all ideas to the table and rapidly reach a solution to a design problem.

Please stop by and contribute. Your suggestions will be shared in advance of the upcoming design competition.

Event Flyer (PDF)

This event is just one of many Landscape Architecture events occurring across the the country on the 17th.

New Stoplights on Wells St.

Wasting no time, the Department of Public Works has already began work on the conversion of Wells Street to a two-way street throughout downtown.  In particular, new street lights have gone up at the intersections of Milwaukee Street and Wells Street, and Jefferson Street and Wells Street

The city is evidently moving quickly to insure the street is ready before the Wisconsin Avenue bridge closing, because this two-way conversion will provide better access to multiple businesses in Westown that would otherwise be difficult to access during the closing.  This short-term need is certainly important and was the impetus for the change, but the long-term need is just as significant.

Eliminating this multi-lane, one-way expressway will improve downtown Milwaukee’s pedestrian and retail environment, while also improving access for people driving to their destinations.  As has been seen after the conversion of E. State Street, it will significantly reduce the rampant speeding that occurs regularly on Wells St. which will make the street more comfortable to cross and walk along.  Additionally, two-way streets eliminate the need to endlessly circle the block, while improving accessibility for people unfamiliar with the area.  Further, in conjunction with lower traveling speeds it will improve visibility to businesses along Wells Street making the street more desirable to retail locations, and in turn to pedestrians.  All are good reasons to consider converting the street back to two-ways, and when it’s all put together it is a simple choice, Wells Street can be oriented for speeding and a handful peak travel days or for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and business owners daily use.

Although there is a small possibility the street could revert to one-way travel after the Wisconsin Avenue bridge rebuild completion, it is more likely people will forget it was ever a one-way street.  Much of  State Street, Milwaukee Street, Jackson Street, Van Buren Street and Broadway have been converted to two-way streets in the past twenty years, and all have helped to improve downtown Milwaukee’s built environment, for the pedestrian, business owner, and even the person behind the wheel.  Seeing that none of these streets have been converted back to one-way streets, it is more than likely that Wells Street will have the same success.

A View from Underneath I-794

Walking from downtown to the Historic Third Ward can be an uncomfortable experience.  I-794 and the sea of surface parking lots on Water St., Broadway, and Milwaukee St. create an isolated and intimidating dead spot that deters pedestrians from walking between the two districts.  At night, it’s worse, because the bridge creates a darkened tunnel that fosters the perception of danger and distance.  Quite simply, I-794 disconnects the Historic Third Ward from downtown Milwaukee.

Thankfully, there is an effort underway to resolve the issue.  The City of Milwaukee in collaboration with the Historic Third Ward and the Milwaukee Downtown BID will be launching a design competition, known as Brighten the Passage, with the goal of turning this unforgiving wasteland in to an asset.  This concept of turning a blighting freeway overpass into somewhat of amenity is not unheard of, in fact Toronto recently broke ground on a $4.7 million project, which will create an urban park.  The park will have landscaped walkways, sports playgrounds and even cafes under the overpass creating an inviting environment for pedestrians to traverse.  On a smaller, more affordable, scale this is what the Brighten the Passage effort is intending to do.

The competition is open to students and design practitioners of any discipline and experience.  Design solutions could include ideas such as lighting, public art, landscaping, various forms of programming, while being creative, cost effective, and requiring minimal maintenance.  The solution should create an inviting pedestrian experience that feels safe at all hours, and shortens the perceived distance between the neighborhoods.

788 N. Jefferson St.

Two small projects, one in East Town and the other on the East Side, are currently taking an existing poor design situation and attempting to activate the street through new designs.

The 788 N. Jefferson St. building, in East Town, has long been a closed system, unwelcome to pedestrians, and disconnected from the street.  Even after the recent remodeling of the building’s facade the building still failed to connect to the street particularly well. The new design, by Matt Rinka of Rinka|Chung Architecture, will add light and visual interest to the facade.  Additionally, a section of the building, which will be opening as a new bar called Belmont Tavern, will feature doors that, much like the doors at Taylor’s across the street, better connect the indoor and outdoors.  This design invites pedestrians into the building, while extending the bar into the public realm.

Crank Daddy's

On the East Side Crank Daddy’s is moving from Farwell Ave. to 2170 N. Prospect Ave., and is redefining the existing building’s connection to the street in the process.  The existing structure was either built during a time of little zoning, or simply with little consideration for the street as the building is setback from the street behind a surface parking lot.  The new design, by Chris Socha, of Kubala Washatko Architects, attempts to correct for this mistake by creating a bicycle court to activate the space with customers and bicyclists.  Further, the design includes a small covered bike parking structure which helps to create a partial street wall along the sidewalk. The store will open this week.

Both of this projects are small, but interesting as they attempt to take an existing building and make it better.

Milwaukee’s most densely populated neighborhoods have shown that they can support a number of these small health clubs. The East Side has a Snap Fitness and an Anytime Fitness (within a couple blocks of each other on Farwell Avenue). The Historic Third Ward has a Snap Fitness near it’s southern tip. Bay View has a Snap Fitness as well on Kinnickinnic Avenue. Just north of the East Side, there is an Anytime Fitness on Oakland Avenue near Capitol Drive.

These no-frills, 24-hour gyms contribute greatly to the urban environment. They occupy street-level retail stalls of a couple thousand square-feet each. The gyms don’t require much, if any parking. They’re open and well-lit 24-hours a day providing a constant use generator  that generates activity in the neighborhood and delivers safety by placing “eyes on the street.” The gyms also encourage healthier lifestyles by area residents.

Informal observation of the current assortment of 24-hour gyms in Milwaukee indicates that the clubs see their highest traffic after people return home from their 9-5 jobs. The gyms are packed with treadmills, elliptical trainers, stationary bikes, weight lifting equipment, tanning beds (depending on the gym), and other assorted athletic equipment.

Could downtown use one of these use generators? Given the amount of empty storefronts, the answer is clearly yes. A 24-hour gym could utilize an empty storefront or two, generating traffic that would increase the safety and vitality of the area. It would also serve as an amenity to encourage more downtown housing and office tenants.

The bigger question is, could downtown Milwaukee support a no-frills, 24-hour gym? The answer likely is, it depends. Given the lack of amenities a Snap Fitness or Anytime Fitness provides, it’s unlikely they would poach customers from one of the downtown full-service gyms based on a value proposition based around a single gym.

What a downtown 24-hour gym can offer though is shared membership with the other family of facilities throughout the region. If a Snap Fitness opens downtown, existing Snap Fitness members will be able to access it at no additional charge. For downtown employees that are already Snap Fitness members, this will provide a mid-day workout opportunity. It also may encourage additional members to sign-up. Yes, all of the other downtown gyms previously mentioned offer this service, but none have the number of facilities that Snap or Anytime have.

The additional members alone that are encouraged to sign-up because of an additional gym close to their place of employment likely wouldn’t be enough to keep a 24-hour gym in business though. The gym would need to be well-located to take advantage of the existing downtown population. A location north of Wisconsin Avenue in East Town would be desirable to draw in the existing downtown population, especially those without in-building workout rooms.

If the right location is chosen, a 24-hour gym should have no problem working in downtown Milwaukee. Because of the relative lack of amenities (swimming pool, actual running track, basketball court, parking) a Snap or Anytime would likely not compete for many customers with one of the existing gyms.

Wisconsin Ave. Facade

Two controversial development projects received key approvals at the January 19th, 2011 meeting of the Common Council.

First, the development team for the $50 million Marriott Hotel project, which will be located near the corner of E. Wisconsin Ave. and N. Milwaukee St., won an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s ruling that would have required a 15 foot setback for the upper floors of the building.  While the facades of some buildings along Wisconsin Ave. will be preserved or restored, this essentially approves the demolition of five buildings located in the East Side Commercial Historic District.  The 200-room hotel being developed by Jackson Street Management LLC. is expected to create 200 permanent jobs. It is being financed through the foreign investment via the federal EB-5 program, and if granted will utilized New Market Tax Credits.

Alderman Kovac discussed how the Historic Preservation Commission actually moved the process along quickly saying it moved “more quickly than your own front porch”.  He also reminded other council members that in 1983 the Common Council unanimously recommended these buildings for protection.

One significant change to the proposal was pushed by Alderman Wade.  He worked out an agreement with Jackson Street Management LLC. to a meet a level of EBE and RPP requirements on the project, following the pattern of the M.O.R.E. ordinance.

The appeal was approved on a vote of 13-2, with Alderman Bauman and Kovac voting against the appeal.

Corner Perspective

Also included in approvals at the January 19th 2011 Common Council meeting was an approval for the land sale and zoning for Greenwich Park Apartments. The $8.5 million apartment building, located near N. Farwell Ave. and Thomas St., will be 5-stories tall with 54-units, ranging from studios to 3-bedroom units, and include approximately 100 parking spots, of which 48 will be available for the general public.  This approval will allow Mercy Housing Lakefront, the project developer, to apply for WHEDA tax credits to assist in funding the project.

With these approvals in place, and likely support from Mayor Barrett, both projects appear to be poised to break ground this year.

Wisconsin Ave. facades

At yesterday’s meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee  Jackson Street Management LLC won an appeal of the Historic Preservation Commission’s ruling regarding their request to demolish five buildings within the East Side Commercial Historic District to make way for a new Marriott Hotel.  The developers have agreed as part of a compromise put forward by HPC to save and restore the facades along Wisconsin Ave., though they will save none of the facades along Milwaukee St.  As part of yesterday’s approval the committee added an additional condition that no demolition can occur until construction is ready to begin. Alderman Hines explained the importance of this requirement saying “none of us want an empty lot at this location.” A requirement that HPC had requested, to have the new building setback 15 feet from the datum of the McGeoch Building was rejected by the committee.  Douglas Nysse, the architect and a principal at Kahler Slater, explained that within the proposed design if they set the building back it would reduce the number of rooms available, or require a significant additional cost. Despite not accepting the setback requirement, Mark Flaherty, of the development group, spoke about how Alderman Bauman’s suggestions had in fact “made a better project.”

Many community members spoke in support of the project arguing that “we need jobs.”  There were also community members concerned about the project and in particular the way historic preservation was being distorted.  Anna-Marie Opgenorth, Executive Director of Historic Milwaukee Inc., and past contributor to UrbanMilaukee.com, didn’t directly oppose the project but explained that “it does a disservice to the community to pit preservation versus jobs,” because as she pointed out integrating preservation into a project actually creates more jobs than new construction.

“Do I think the balance has been reached at this time, I do,” said Alderman Murphy as he explained his thought process regarding the appeal, but he too was quick to point out that because of the process “in many ways [it is] a better property for Marriott.” Alderman Bauman explained that the developer’s essentially got everything they wanted, because this approval for the most part allows the “demolition of five buildings,” He explained that the process had in fact been fairly quick and went on to explain that “so long as that ordinance is on the books, it is my opinion that every member of the council is obligated to follow it.”  Alderman Bauman and Zielinski voted against the appeal, which passed on a 3 to 2 vote.

We are pleased to see that despite the differing viewpoints and heated debate, the process led to a better project, and at least the Wisconsin Avenue facades will be saved. We have concerns that this will set a precedent which could encourage more demolition, and that disinvestment may be further rewarded in the future.

Washington Square

Godfrey & Kahn could soon anchor a 22-story class A office tower, known as Washington Square, in downtown Milwaukee.  The project is being developed by a joint venture between Van Buren Management Inc. and Irgens Development Partners LLC, and would be located across the street from the Pfister on a surface parking lot currently owned by Joel Lee (of Van Buren Management).

Designed by Rinka Chung Architecture the high-rise will include class A office space, first-floor retail, and multiple floors of structured parking.  Also visible from the renderings is a skywalk connecting across Mason St. connecting to additional structured parking.  Although the  renderings show a building of more than 22-stories, the number of stories will be determined by the development teams ability to land additional tenants for the building.

Related Articles

• 22-story office tower planned
• ‘Washington Square’ office tower name has roots in ’80s proposal
• New Milwaukee office tower planned
• New office tower to be built near Pfister

Sheldon Oppermann, of building owner Compass Properties, took us on a tour of the nearly complete facility. Oppermann detailed the creative solutions that were needed to connect the two buildings to act as one, as well as the challenges of dealing with the need for tenant parking at a building that predates the mass proliferation of automobiles. In addition to The City Center at 735′s 300-stall parking garage across Water Street, Compass will lease at least 100 more spaces nearby connected by a valet service operated out of the first floor of The City Center.

As detailed in the photos in the gallery below, Oppermann explained to us how creative solutions were found to link the buildings together as one at the first-floor level to allow the building to have one clear lobby, as well as at the skywalk level that facilitated the opening of retail spaces on the second floor of the building (one of which is very close to being leased).

The floors available above the gym feature a riverview patio space, fireplace, large spiral staircase, and high-ceilings. Compass has originally intended this space to be condos up until 2007. They are currently marketing the space to the Harmony Initiative.

Tenants at The City Center will have a host of amenities at their disposal beyond the gym and valet parking. The building includes indoor bike parking and showers, 24/7 concierge service MyAssist (co-owned by Compass Properties’ owner The Noel Group), a proposed connection to the skywalk system, a connection to the riverwalk, and a restaurant along the riverwalk.

It’s encouraging to see The City Center at 735 take full advantage of the nearly 100-year-old building it occupies. Thanks to the cornice repairs that took place over the past few years, the Burnham-designed building maintains all of it’s historic appeal. And due to the recent investments made by Compass Properties, The City Center maintains all of the amenities and quality of a top-tier office building in Milwaukee.

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.