At the December 13th, 2011 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee, a zoning change and a proposed Development Incentive Zone (DIZ) overlay were approved to allow for future development of the Reed Street Yards. The 17-acre property, located between South 6th Street and South 3rd Street, is being redevelopment into a water research and development park in a collaborative effort between City of Milwaukee, the property owner Peter Mead, and General Capital Group.

Much like cities around the world, Milwaukee owes its existence to water. Access to fresh water allowed it to become the Brew City, fueled its development, and was quite literally why it is located where it is, at the gathering of waters. This history has given the Milwaukee area a firm foundation in water technology and research that can be applied to water issues facing the world.

It was recently reported that UWM is considering the Reed Street Yards as a potential site for the School of Freshwater Sciences. Although. I still think the lakefront site offers the most prominent location which would have played well with the re-branding of Milwaukee but, the Reed Street Yards site does have many positives that make it a suitable location. Simply put, if UWM were to build on the Reed Street Yards it could play a significant role in the revitalization of a neighborhood.

“It has been vacant for decades,” said Dan Casanova, of the Department of City Development.

The 17-acre property known as the Reed Street Yards is located between South 6th Street and South 3rd Street just across from the Harley-Davidson Museum in Walker’s Point. This property has been targeted by the City of Milwaukee as the potential epicenter of Milwaukee’s water industry. The property itself, despite being centrally located, has sat vacant for years, and currently has no infrastructure, such as roads and sewers that are necessary to support future development.