30th Street Corridor Could Win $50 Million Grant
Milwaukee plan for old industrial corridor and nearby residents a finalist for federal grant.
Aerial view of the Century City business park. Photo courtesy of the Redevelopment Authority City of Milwaukee.
A coalition focused on bringing advanced manufacturing jobs to the 30th Street Industrial Corridor could soon be on the receiving end of a $50 million federal grant.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) announced that the “Grow Milwaukee Recompete Coalition Plan” is a finalist for its Distressed Area Recompete pilot program, funded by the CHIPS and Science Act.
The national program aims to create jobs where prime age employment (for those 25 to 54 years old) “significantly trails the national average.” In Milwaukee, the study area has a 62.1% prime-age employment rate and trails the national average by 16.3%.
The announcement comes the same day President Joe Biden travels to Milwaukee to promote small business growth at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, 2900 W. Vliet St., just east of the corridor.
The Milwaukee proposal was one of 22 selected from a field of 560 applications. The EDA said it plans to make grants with an average value between $20 and $50 million to four to eight finalists. The finalists will each receive $500,000 to develop their plans further.
A nine-page application says the Milwaukee effort would focus on preparing industrial land for development, business expansion and paid pre-apprenticeship programs.
“This will catalyze racial equity in economic opportunity, with accessible pathways for minority entrepreneurship and firm ownership, shared employee equity models, and resident connections for job placement,” says the submission.
The area, known today for the Century City business park, was previously home to several major manufacturers that employed thousands of workers. Employers that have left the area or folded include A.O. Smith, Cutler-Hammer (later Eaton), Briggs & Stratton, Perlick Corporation and Leonardo DRS.
Earlier this year, another company said it would leave. Master Lock announced it is closing its plant and eliminating 330 jobs. The announcement came the day before Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan traveled to Milwaukee to announce a $5.5 million grant to clean up a former industrial site in Century City, create a larger cleanup plan and seed a brownfield remediation loan fund.
The Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC) is the lead applicant on the Recompete submission. Partners include the City of Milwaukee, WRTP/BIG STEP, Milwaukee Area Labor Council, the Milwaukee Bucks, Froedtert Health, Rockwell Automation, Jonco Industries, MobiliSE and the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
The application notes there are 197 acres of land in the 30th Street Corridor awaiting redevelopment and that the corridor is well-suited to connect residents to jobs. “The walk-to-work and transit accessibility of the 30th Street Corridor is unparalleled in Milwaukee,” says the application.
NWSCDC is led by Willie Smith. The organization has now worked against macroeconomic forces for several decades to improve the area. Its office is in Century City Tower, 4201 N. 27th St., originally built by Cutler-Hammer and one of several buildings in the area left behind as legacy manufacturers have left.
The Bucks and Froedtert are participating through their equity-focused D.E.E.R Accelerator initiative, which Urban Milwaukee covered extensively in March.
The news of Milwaukee’s inclusion drew praise from Senator Tammy Baldwin.
“I voted for the CHIPS and Science Act to bring home manufacturing jobs and open the door to economic opportunity for Wisconsin families,” said Baldwin in a statement. “I am thrilled that Milwaukee has been selected for this program, putting us on the path to connect more people with good-paying jobs, grow our Made in Wisconsin economy and ensure that no community is left behind.”
The 2022 CHIPS Act drew headlines for its focus on developing semiconductor manufacturing capacity in the country, but includes billions of additional spending for other economic-growth initiatives.
“Recompete helps fulfill President Biden’s promise that no community in America will be left behind as we continue to grow our nation’s economy and invest in American workers,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in a statement. “These Recompete finalists and grant recipients have presented a wide range of inspiring solutions to create jobs, develop long-term economic growth, and realize the full potential in communities that for too long have been overlooked or counted out.”
The Milwaukee application says the Zilber Family Foundation has already made a $600,000 commitment to the plan.
Wisconsin Also Competing For Regional Tech Hub Grant
A separate partnership is also vying for a $75 million EDA grant as part of the Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs program.
The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is working to make Wisconsin a “global leader” in personalized medicine.
The coalition includes governments and partners in the Milwaukee and Madison areas. In October, the partnership was named one of 31 finalists and received a $350,000 planning grant.
The application is being led by BioForward Inc., a Madison-based association of biotech, digital health and medical device companies and associated businesses.
The CHIPS and Science Act also funds the program.
A copy of the Milwaukee Recompete application is available on Urban Milwaukee.
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I wonder– could maybe 5-10 acres of this 197 be reserved for individual housing units for the poor and homeless? Rental or tiny homes for sale at low rates to help with the need for housing?!