Milwaukee Talkie, the blog of the Public Policy Forum, examined the urban retail market and how to best utilize the hiring of Deanna Inniss as a business recruiter by BID #21, Milwaukee’s Downtown Business Improvement District. They noted that one large thing wasn’t on her task list, the inside of Grand Avenue Mall.

The $11 million Hide House project was the most hotly debated development project at the July 28th meeting of the Common Council, though the most significant action in terms of dollars was the approval of the Rivianna. Additionally, the $10 million mixed-use Villard Square project, which will include space for 47 rental units and the Villard Avenue library, was approved for construction.

Harry Drea, one of the developers of the Rivianna project, was before the committee to request an amendment to the previously approved General Planned Development, and approval of the Detailed Planned Development. The change to the original General Planned Development was to include the building’s parapet, it was an increase of four feet three inches to the buildings height, but overall the massing of the project stayed essentially the same.

The developer, Rivianna LLC, was seeking three approvals for the $80 million Rivianna development proposal at Monday’s City Plan Commission meeting. The building would contain a maximum of 236 hotel rooms and 186 apartments, and 430 parking spaces, of which 276 parking spaces will be reserved for the residential component.

Rivianna, proposed by Developer Bob Schultz, will go before the Milwaukee City Plan Commission on July 13th, 2009. Schultz is attempting to gain approval of his detailed plan development as well as an amendment to general planned development and riverwalk design approval. If approved, the development will go before the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee, and then onto the full Common Council.