Eyes on Milwaukee
New 18-Story Downtown Building Breaks Ground
The $102 million, 18-story tower at 833 E. Michigan is huge development, with no city financing. The full story, with photos and building renderings.
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The $102 million, 18-story tower at 833 E. Michigan is huge development, with no city financing. The full story, with photos and building renderings. Back to the full article.
Photos - Page 4
It’s good to make sure contracting programs are open to all, that bidding opportunities are widely publicized beforehand, and that no one gets discriminated against because of skin color, national origin, or sex. But that means no preferences because of skin color, etc. either–whether it’s labeled a “set-aside,” a “quota,” or a “goal,” since they all end up amounting to the same thing. Such discrimination is unfair and divisive; it breeds corruption and otherwise costs the taxpayers and businesses money to award a contract to someone other than the lowest bidder; and it’s almost always illegal—indeed, unconstitutional—to boot (see 42 U.S.C. section 1981 and this model brief: http://www.pacificlegal.org/document.doc?id=454 ). Those who insist on engaging in such discrimination deserve to be sued, and they will lose.
Roger, you can use your money to buy whatever you want, why do you want to meddle in another business person’s affairs?
Thank God for another reason to be optimistic about DT Milw. We must have a vision and a great long range plan or we will miss out. Even now it may be too late to draw a national political convention to this town in 2020, because there is nothing at work to expand the convention hall, add several more important hotel rooms, without which an enlarged convention space would be futile. Get that done, then consider a few more radical ideas such as : tearing down the buildings around the old greyhound bus station, clearing that bottle neck into the DT area and building the new arena there. Tear down even the Wells Fargo Bank Bldg. and open that space with the rest and allow the bank the naming rights to the new arena. Re landscape that region to make it more inviting and appealing to want to visit this space. By doing so it will spur more development on the west side of Milwaukee. Allow Boston Store to vacate their space and bring in a Nordstroms. Why pay Boston Store to stay in a space that does not afford them good sales. Stop the madness of routing a streetcar to nowhere and reconfigure the destinations to go up to Miller Park, State Fair, The VA, Tosa, Waukesha,, up to UWM, The train station, parts of DT, even the lake front, perhaps wrapping along the old north shore route, heading up as far as Mequon eventually. You get the point. It’s an insanity to insist on the current limited mind set that merely wants the image without the practicality or utilitarian factors !! How about getting leadership back into the Mayor’s Office. Now there’s a thoughtful idea ! The businesses that would benefit from an enlarged convention and hotel package deserve to see this happen in our life time. “Without a vision the people perish.”
Gerald, a larger vision for sure. You will be heartened to know that the Streetcar is only beginning (money in hand allows the City to start this project).
http://www.milwaukeestreetcar.com/route.php
Awesome to finally see this building begin to come together. A few more years, and we’ll finally have some new Class-A rentable office space on the lakefront.
Also, can’t wait for that Westin hotel to start. Here’s to hoping it’s as tall as it can be!
As far as gerald’s vision, this is pretty far reaching and imaginative. Love new ideas, but leaders will only listen if they’re realistic. Tearing down a bunch of Westown buildings (including a hi rise!) seems kind of wasteful with the excess of open space on both sides of the river. Plus, I don’t think tearing down Wells Fargo’s offices will spur them to donate enough to a new arena to get naming rights.
It may also be a little difficult to ‘bring in a Nordstroms’ at a location that doesn’t even make money for Boston Store.
Like the streetcar idea. Only limiting factor is $$.
Downtown Milwaukee needs a new tourist draw. Perhaps a Downtown Ikea store, a 30 screen movie complex, a new 21 st century Public Museum, a National Museum of American Music, and a National Monument honoring the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Something big and grand. THINK big Milwaukee.