Committee on Economic and Community Development

Public Hearing on the Offer to purchase from UWM Innovation Park, LLC for a portion of the northeast quadrant of the County Grounds for the development of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) campus, to be known as the Michael J. Cudahy Innovation Park. Location: Zoofari Conference Center 10001 W. Bluemound Road Milwaukee, WI

City Moves Forward With Water Initiative

Planning for the future of Milwaukee as the Fresh Coast appears to be moving ahead.

MARCH MADNESS ROLLER DERBY

The Rollettes now have the best record this season with 4 wins and 1 loss. Rollette jammer Jackie O’Nihilate tore up the track with 31 big points, followed closely by her team mates Reina Pain and Rhoda Ruin, both with 29 points. Ruin says the Rollettes are the team that just keeps going.

Milwaukee Skywalk Map

We attempted to create a map of all the skywalk connections in Milwaukee, including the longest line that runs through The Shops of Grand Avenue.

While from an urbanist's perspective we still would prefer you choose the sidewalk, here's a map for those of you looking for other connections. Next up is mapping the empty retail spaces that are on roads paralleling a skywalk route.

Milwaukee Streetcar Map

We've unveiled a Google Maps implmentation of Mayor's Tom Barrett's proposed streetcar system for downtown Milwaukee. Take a look yourself, we think it's a little more exciting than a PDF. The route is likely to change as the planning process continues, and we'll track those changes on our map.

Episode #2 – Shakespeare & Copyrights

Shakespeare and Copyrights – This week on the ThirdCoast Podcast, Mark Metcalf sits down with former Milwaukee Shakespeare artistic director Paula Suozzi to discuss the closing of Milwaukee Shakespeare last October.  The voice of the Brew City Bruisers, Tea Krulos shares his displeasure with copyrighting names and phrases, and Nick Schurk interviews Lee Darrins, a young philanthropist who helps disadvantaged youth with indie rock compilation CD’s. Play Here Subscribe with iTunes Featured Music: The Loose Crew – “Background Check” and “Introspective”  www.myspace.com/loosecrew612 First Aid Kit – “Our Own Pretty Ways”   www.myspace.com/thisisfirstaidkit Amen and the Hell Yeahs – “1820 Columbus Avenue”   www.myspace.com/amenandthehellyeahs Uncle Jerry – “See Rock City Rock”   www.myspace.com/unclelarry  ——————————————————————————————————————————————— Next Week:  Words from Adam Carr on canvassing for Obama and the issue of race, Noah Therrien reports on Captel, a captioned phone service, and the concentration of Riverwest residents employed there, and Fan-Belt gives us their bi-weekly musical report. Hosted by Amy Elliott

Five Reasons to Look Forward to Summer in Milwaukee

What did I miss?

Friday Photos Friday, 20. March 2009

The Edge The Edge The North End The North End Aloft

It’s time to change the conversation

Newspapers are too often confused with news. But if the container no longer works, it's time to find one that does. This is a re-post (with additions) of an earlier story.

You’ll Never Drive Drunk If…

St. Patrick's Day is always one of my favorite days of the year, though often the day after is one of my least favorite, because everybody comes out and has a good time.

Could MORE Ordinance mean fewer jobs?

As of this writing, the City of Milwaukee Common Council has yet to hold its full Council meeting on March 25. This will be a hugely important session to many for two reasons – one legislative and one symbolic. Actually, both are symbolic in some ways. First, assuming it passes the Finance & Personnel Committee (which is likely), the Council will take up the emotionally contentious MORE ordinance. Actually, It was originally dubbed MORE – “Milwaukee Opportunities for Restoring Employment” – but now it has a different name: CPO, “Community Participation Ordinance.” Whatever the latest name happens to be, this legislation is the latest incarnation of “Community Benefits,” which was passed for Milwaukee County’s portion of the Park East (still a desert) but was denied for the City’s portion. (Joe Zilber’s “The Brewery,” Gorman affordable housing, etc.) In terms of grassroots activism, there aren’t many who can compete with the MORE/CPO backers. Good Jobs Livable Neighborhoods and MICAH are two big proponents. And alders Hamilton, Wade, Coggs and Kovac are spearheading the Council effort. The Mayor, perhaps trying to atone for his take on paid sick leave, has even vowed to sign it. But, as always, there is one sticking point: prevailing wage. Most of the central city and left-leaning aldermen (and alderwomen) are in support of large development projects receiving City financial assistance (at least $1 million) being required to pay a prevailing wage to all workers. Sounds good, right? But as with most of life, it’s a little more complicated than that. Alone on an island, Pres. Willie Hines – a former roofer and economic specialist for the Milwaukee Urban League – is opposing his central city colleagues, because he’s afraid a “100-percent prevailing wage mandate,” as he calls it, will actually hurt minority developers and push jobs out into the suburbs. He may have a point. Melissa Goins, Kalan Haywood, Carla Cross and other smaller, minority developers – as well as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Milwaukee Urban League – have also been vocal in their opposition to the prevailing wage mandate. They say that they already pay a “family-sustaining wage,” and that the prevailing wage would give all business to the (mostly white) unions. Smaller and minority companies usually compete on price. They may pay slightly lower wages, but they have skilled workers just like the unions. Naturally, the business community – and large developers – are also against the 100-percent prevailing wage mandate. (Currently these projects pay mostly a prevailing wage anyway. And public works projects are 100 percent prevailing wage.) They say that it’s tough enough to for them to create jobs in this economy, and if the measure passes it will give them even more reason to build out in the suburbs. Idle threat or profound wisdom? No matter whose side you’re on, there will surely be plenty of fireworks at the Council meeting on March 25. It will be the place to be for activists, construction firms, unions, minority-owned developers and […]

Inaugural post not-quite-brought to you by St. Pat’s Day

Introductions are so far and few between, aren’t they? Ironically, in an age of iPhones and social networking, it’s getting a little tougher to meet new people. Sure, you could befriend a friend of a friend on Facebook because you think their comments are witty, then spend the afternoon poking the hell out of them, but there’s a good chance you won’t recognize them sitting next to you – whilst tweeting your brains out – at your preferred coffee haunt. I’m talking about really meeting someone. In a rush of insanity I thought I would use a St. Patrick’s party I was invited to as a catalyst to introduce you to the concept of this new column. That’s right, I thought why not use the most drunken night of the year – New Year’s Eve aside – as an opportunity to introduce you to a few creative types (artists, photographers, writers, etc.) and take you to a few places (studios, galleries, White Castle) you may not have the time to visit? This also relieves my wife of the pressure of being the sole audience of my incessant ranting. Well, once the party started, the food was too delicious, the beer too cold and the BS of too high a quality to be a buzz kill and start talking shop – who wants to be that guy? So an “official” start will have to wait a few days – or at least till St. Patrick stops dancing on my head. In the upcoming weeks look forward to meeting new people – artsy types, entrepreneurs, and local mucky-mucks – vicariously, while I have all the fun shaking their hands and talking to them. I’ll try to be gentle, but I ain’t making any promises.