City Seeks Development of Long-Vacant Bay View Site

Army Reserve site development plan. Image from Bay View Neighborhood Plan.

The City of Milwaukee is gearing up to advance a key component of the 2023 Bay View Area Plan.

The Department of City Development is again advancing the development of the Army Reserve Site, at 2372 S. Logan Ave.

The 5.4-acre, city-owned site currently functions as a passive green space. But the 2023 area plan called for it to be developed with housing of varied density and income levels.

A DCD-led community workshop will take place on July 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. at South Shore Pavilion. “The purpose of the meeting is to gather input that will help inform a future request for proposals for development of the site,” says the meeting website.

Then-Alderman Tony Zielinski was overruled by his colleagues in 2017 when he attempted to get the site designated as parkland, and DCD did not advance a compromise RFP that would have left a portion of the site as green space.

The 2023 area plan conceptually calls for E. Linus Street to be extended through the property and for a 14-story tower at the northeast corner to afford lake views. Lower-density homes would be located on the Logan Avenue (west) side, facing existing homes.

The site sits just north of Beulah Brinton Park, which includes a playground, community center and several outdoor athletic fields and courts.

Area Alderwoman Marina Dimitrijevic endorsed the planning process, which includes two other catalytic sites, in 2023 when it was reviewed by the City Plan Commission. “This plan reflects a truly collaborative approach to placemaking. While we may not agree on every single aspect of it, we can be proud of it because all voices were heard and all positions were respected,” Dimitrijevic said.

“We had unprecedented levels of engagement,” said DCD planner Monica Wauck Smith in 2023 of the two-year process. She said 646 people attended the seven workshops and events, and even more people participated online.

Now all of the voices will get another chance to be heard.

Wauck Smith, in 2023, said the plan would guide a future RFP, including pushing for lower-density development along S. Logan Avenue near existing homes, green space and higher-density development on the east side near Interstate 794. “We want to have a variety of different housing styles,” she said.

Development of the park has been a long time coming. The site was previously identified as a key parcel in the 2008 Southeast Side Area Plan.

The Army Reserve site is named for its former use: temporary military housing after World War II.

The Bay View Area Plan also includes recommendations for redevelopment of a Kinnickinnic Avenue site and a large site on S. Chase Avenue.

More information on the meeting is available on the EngageMKE webpage for the project.

Photos and Conceptual Rendering

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