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UWM Program Nurtures Latino Leaders

UWM Program Nurtures Latino Leaders

Many graduates of 9-month program now serve on non-profit boards.

Much To See at Doors Open Milwaukee

Much To See at Doors Open Milwaukee

Doors Open Milwaukee runs all weekend, with free open houses across the city.

Eyes on Milwaukee: 27 Miles of Bike Lanes
Eyes on Milwaukee

27 Miles of Bike Lanes

Lots of new bike lane segments add up to 27 miles of new lanes within Milwaukee.

New Violence Prevention Center Opens

New Violence Prevention Center Opens

Mayor calls it a "gigantic step" for the South Side.

How to Improve the City’s Quality of Life

How to Improve the City’s Quality of Life

South side organizer helps implement improvement plans in several neighborhoods.

Eyes on Milwaukee: World Naked Bike Ride Coming!
Eyes on Milwaukee

World Naked Bike Ride Coming!

Next July Milwaukee strips down to join 70 cities globally that hold naked bike rides.

House Confidential: Ald. Pérez’s Tiny, Former Jesuit Home
House Confidential

Ald. Pérez’s Tiny, Former Jesuit Home

His tiny lot and 840 square-foot home make him a true man of the people. And not much of a gardener.

City Business: Ashley’s Que
City Business

Ashley’s Que

A geographic first: Offering southern-style BBQ from the North Side at a Walker’s Point location.

Plenty of Horne: Greater Milwaukee Committee to Move to Water Accelerator
Plenty of Horne

Greater Milwaukee Committee to Move to Water Accelerator

All the news on the GMC's new home, as well as odds and ends around the East Side and beyond (plus a bicycle tour).

Plenty of Horne: St Paul Bridge Will Be Rebuilt
Plenty of Horne

St Paul Bridge Will Be Rebuilt

Seventh bridge reconstructed on Barrett's watch will include streetcar tracks.

Eyes on Milwaukee: A Giant Step for Radio Milwaukee
Eyes on Milwaukee

A Giant Step for Radio Milwaukee

An in-depth look and photo tour of the new 88Nine headquarters, which will transform the station.

Taverns: O’Lydia’s Keeps It Irish
Taverns

O’Lydia’s Keeps It Irish

The successor to Slim McGinn’s offers a feminine twist on the Irish pub.

Where the Buffalo Roam

Where the Buffalo Roam

A new art project honoring Native American history will be constructed on the new Downtown to Bay View Bikeway

City People: Dan Baker
City People

Dan Baker

He’s a small business owner, art activist and Christian, not necessarily in that order.

Plenty Of Horne: Clark Rockefeller’s Bag Job
Plenty Of Horne

Clark Rockefeller’s Bag Job

UWM bag with severed head leads to murder rap for ex-Milwaukeean with phony name.

Eyes on Milwaukee: Bike Sharing and Permeable Pavement
Eyes on Milwaukee

Bike Sharing and Permeable Pavement

City committee approves spending $100,000 on bike sharing in Walker’s Point, and the MMSD will experiment with permeable pavement.

Plenty of Horne: Residents Reject Freshwater Name
Plenty of Horne

Residents Reject Freshwater Name

Contest to rename Pittsburgh Ave. to honor water institute didn't convince street's residents, who nixed Freshwater Way.

Plenty of Horne: Ahoy! Pirate Party Will Rally Downtown
Plenty of Horne

Ahoy! Pirate Party Will Rally Downtown

The Wisconsin affiliate of the populist-flavored party, organized by political activist Joe Klein, will rally on June 29th.

Targeting South Side Crime

Targeting South Side Crime

Police department is increasing foot and and squad car patrols to combat summer crime on South Side.

Plenty of Horne: World’s Straightest Parade?
Plenty of Horne

World’s Straightest Parade?

No parade has a straighter route, or a gayer crowd, than the annual Pride Parade, coming Sunday.

16th Annual Mayor’s Design Awards Announced

16th Annual Mayor’s Design Awards Announced

Which are the best designs? You be the judge.

Taverns: La Cage, the Pioneer Gay Bar
Taverns

La Cage, the Pioneer Gay Bar

Now 29 years old, it’s helped make gay bars cool for straights.

Eyes on Milwaukee: Riverwest 24 Registration Gets Huge Turnout
Eyes on Milwaukee

Riverwest 24 Registration Gets Huge Turnout

Hundreds began arriving as soon as 5:30 a.m. to sign up for the event. And as we stood in line more new developments for Milwaukee were announced.

Exhibit Tells Stories of Latino Immigrants

Exhibit Tells Stories of Latino Immigrants

New show at Latino Arts Inc. gallery documents experience of Milwaukee's immigrant families.

Friday Photos: UWM’s New Freshwater School Makes Progress
Friday Photos

UWM’s New Freshwater School Makes Progress

The $53 million, UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences is rising along the waterfront.

City People: Frank Ford
City People

Frank Ford

For 40 years he’s shot photos of everyone from Mayor Maier to Paul Cebar to Divine to Richard Avedon.

Newaukeean of the Week: Christian Ott
Newaukeean of the Week

Christian Ott

A Director of "Coffee Education" learns the city isn't dangerous.

Plenty of Horne: Mystery Behind the MU Law School Poll
Plenty of Horne

Mystery Behind the MU Law School Poll

MU's pollster calls Ald. Kovac's radio show. Is she from the "East Coast," as MU says, or India?

City People: Dimitri Topitzes
City People

Dimitri Topitzes

A Greek orphan brought to Milwaukee, this UWM professor studies how children can be permanently harmed.

Eyes on Milwaukee: A Historic Milwaukee Celebration
Eyes on Milwaukee

A Historic Milwaukee Celebration

Plus: A national green award for The Brewery; and bringing fruit trees to Walker's Point.

City Business: ReStore East
City Business

ReStore East

You’ll find a wonderful variety of restored and reclaimed items. And the profits help build homes for the needy.

The Story of Fund Milwaukee

The Story of Fund Milwaukee

A remarkable group of small fry investors have raised $300,000 to fund start-up businesses in the city.

Plenty of Horne: Pridemore Thrown Out of School
Plenty of Horne

Pridemore Thrown Out of School

State Superintendent candidate ejected for interfering with vote at Washington H. S. polling place.

Up From Bigotry

Up From Bigotry

Tatiana Joseph overcame prejudice against Latinas to earn her Ph.D and teach at UWM, and is now running for the school board.

Helping Homeless Children

Helping Homeless Children

Hope House offers a home and after-school programs for homeless children.

New City Program Conserves Water

New City Program Conserves Water

Innovative new company helps city create website where homeowners and businesses can track, manage and reduce their water usage.

City People: Juli Kaufmann
City People

Juli Kaufmann

The developer and “Innovator of the Year” is more about people than buildings.

Eyes on Milwaukee: Pizza and the Park East
Eyes on Milwaukee

Pizza and the Park East

Pizza Man and The Couture win approvals and a Park East hotel is also likely to be okayed.

City People: Gary Tuma
City People

Gary Tuma

The one-time political activist and civil rights leader now runs the Walkers Point Center for the Arts.

Happy Cranksgiving

Happy Cranksgiving

Milwaukee's fifth annual “Cranksgiving” sends cyclists on a race to donate to needy folks.

Friday Photos: The Old Made New
Friday Photos

The Old Made New

Three projects near downtown are helping to rebuild a neighborhood and regenerate a river.

Photo Gallery: Blow Up a Car?
Photo Gallery

Blow Up a Car?

Milwaukee's film industry attempts to set the world on fire.

Soundslide: Gala Gallery Night
Soundslide

Gala Gallery Night

Our new format captures the sights and sounds of Gallery Night and Day, with photo slides and accompanying audio.

Bank of America Hit With Discrimination Complaint

Bank of America Hit With Discrimination Complaint

Federal complaint claims homes owned by bank in city's minority neighborhoods are more poorly maintained than its homes in white areas.

Streetcar Meeting on Tuesday

Streetcar Meeting on Tuesday

Public invited to ask questions about project.

The New Arts Teachers

The New Arts Teachers

As MPS dumps arts classes, community groups now offer arts programs for 49,000 students.

Plenty of Horne: New Journalists in Town
Plenty of Horne

New Journalists in Town

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service could be the future of journalism.

Murphy’s Law: The $74 Million Gamble
Murphy’s Law

The $74 Million Gamble

Can Milwaukee become a world water hub? It’s betting $74 million it can.

Plenty of Horne: Water Council is “Absolutely Unique”
Plenty of Horne

Water Council is “Absolutely Unique”

Rich Meeusen applauds the group's progress. And Tom Barrett shouts it from the rooftop.

Newaukeean of the Week: Tim Syth
Newaukeean of the Week

Tim Syth

The director of Bucketworks is featured in our new weekly column highlighting city newbies and their views of Milwaukee.

Friday Photos: Water Accelerator Center
Friday Photos

Water Accelerator Center

Walker's Point will soon be home to the Water Accelerator Center.

Name a Milwaukee Street

Name a Milwaukee Street

The City is holding a contest to rename a Fifth Ward street. What's your suggestion?

City Business: Clock Shadow Creamery
City Business

Clock Shadow Creamery

How Milwaukee got its first cheese-making factory.

Photo Gallery: Clock Shadow Building Grand Opening Celebration
Photo Gallery

Clock Shadow Building Grand Opening Celebration

Community members join together to celebrate The Clock Shadow Building's grand opening.

Envisioning the Seen: Milwaukee’s Future – Today, June 18th
Envisioning the Seen

Milwaukee’s Future – Today, June 18th

The Pabst Theater plays host to Envisioning the Seen: Milwaukee's Future tonight, June 18th. Ten Milwaukeeans and two moderators will hold an open-ended, fireside-style discussion, followed by an audience question and answer period.

15th Annual Mayor’s Design Award Winners Announced (Photo Gallery)

15th Annual Mayor’s Design Award Winners Announced (Photo Gallery)

The winners of the 15th annual Mayor's Design Awards have been announced with projects ranging from a high-rise housing tower to a complete street redesign taking home awards.

Eyes on Milwaukee: Hines for Mayor, Coggs for Life, Thomas for 34%, and More City Politics
Eyes on Milwaukee

Hines for Mayor, Coggs for Life, Thomas for 34%, and More City Politics

Welcome to the seventh installment of Eyes on Milwaukee. This week the focus is all on City of Milwaukee elected officials following yesterday's election. I explore the likelihood that Willie Hines runs for Mayor, how the new Common Council will resemble the old Common Council, the wide disparity in vote totals between districts, Bob Donovan winning the war, the shocking number of votes Johnny Thomas got, and Spencer Coggs' new job.

Eyes on Milwaukee: Historic Preservation, Miller Park Sales Tax, The War on Bob Donovan, and More
Eyes on Milwaukee

Historic Preservation, Miller Park Sales Tax, The War on Bob Donovan, and More

Welcome to the sixth installment of Eyes on Milwaukee. This week I take an initial look at Alderman Witkowski's attempt to redefine Milwaukee's historic preservation ordinance, the Miller Park sales tax's sunset, the ugly turn Juarez versus Donovan has taken, and more.

2011 Milwaukee: A Year in Review
2011 Milwaukee

A Year in Review

As the US economy continued it slow recovery from the Great Recession, Milwaukee was left with a couple of failed development projects to complete or redefine, a changing real estate market, the opportunity to make small infrastructure changes, and questions about the future of transit.

Reed Street Yards Zoning Change Approved at Committee

Reed Street Yards Zoning Change Approved at Committee

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.

Reed Street Yards Redevelopment Funds Approved at Committee

Reed Street Yards Redevelopment Funds Approved at Committee

At the November 22nd, 2011 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee funds for the construction of new infrastructure within the Reed Street Yards were approved. The 17-acre property, known as the Reed Street Yards, is located between South 6th Street and South 3rd Street, and has been targeted by the City of Milwaukee and the Water Council as the future center of Milwaukee’s water industry.

HMI Doors Open 2011 Recommendations

HMI Doors Open 2011 Recommendations

Imagine this for a moment -- you’re a kid in a candy store, and as things go, this candy store is opening for the first time ever and only for one weekend. Oh gosh. You’ve dreamed of this cornucopia of confections so many times before, you know every name and shiny wrapper in the store... but your eyes are bigger than your stomach. How can you pick just a choice few, knowing your slight allowance won’t let you have all that you want? It’s the best and worst kind of agony.

Groundbreaking Events on S. 2nd Street this Thursday.

Groundbreaking Events on S. 2nd Street this Thursday.

Not only is there a planned ground breaking ceremony this Thursday, May 19th, for the Milwaukee Fix, but also a ribbon cutting for the redesigned S. 2nd Street. Both of these developments are ground breaking events for Milwaukee.

Walker’s Point Senior Housing Development Project Renderings

Walker’s Point Senior Housing Development Project Renderings

As we reported yesterday, Mercy Housing Lakefront's planning a senior-housing apartment building to be located at the Southeast corner of 1st St. and Pittsburgh Ave. in Walker's Point. At press time these additional renderings, by Korb Tredo Architects, weren't available for publication.

Mercy Housing is Planning a Walker’s Point Building

Mercy Housing is Planning a Walker’s Point Building

Mercy Housing Lakefront is proposing a five-story apartment building, which would be located at the Southeast corner of 1st St. and Pittsburgh Ave. in Walker's Point. This 55 unit apartment building is intended to serve independent adults 55 and older with incomes ranging between 30% and 60% of the area median income.

Momentum Building on South 2nd Street?

Momentum Building on South 2nd Street?

Momentum, development, and a touch of new life on South 2nd Street in Walker's Point? Yes. The complete street redesign for S. 2nd St., was just the start. Although there is still work to be completed, the street has re-opened to two-way traffic, the bike lanes have been painted, the grass has been planted, and the wider sidewalks are in place. And now there are signs of new life on the street.

MPD, MPS, and Open Data

MPD, MPS, and Open Data

Bradley Tech, a fight, gangs, guns, and more squad cars than you can count. And no news. Why? What happened?

Green Development Planned for S. 2nd Street

Green Development Planned for S. 2nd Street

Kaufmann LeSage, led by Juli Kaufmann, plans to develop a four-story 30,000 square foot environmentally-friendly commercial building, located at 538 S. 2nd Street in the Historic Walker's Point Neighborhood. The project, known as the Milwaukee Fix,will take green development to the next level, going beyond LEED standards.

Milwaukee Apartment Update

Milwaukee Apartment Update

What apartment projects are currently proposed, under construction, or have recently opened in Milwaukee? A little over a year ago we did a similar exercise, so it will be good to take a look and see what has changed in the past year.

Much Like Milwaukee’s Past, Its Future Can be Fueled by Water

Much Like Milwaukee’s Past, Its Future Can be Fueled by Water

History has given the Milwaukee area a firm foundation in water technology and research that can be applied to water issues facing the world.

S. 2nd Street Update and Happy Hour

S. 2nd Street Update and Happy Hour

After years of working with the Department of Public Works, neighborhood residents, property owners, and business owners were able to convince the City of Milwaukee to redesign S. 2nd Street to fit the needs of the neighborhood.

Reconstruction of S. 2nd Street Starts Today

Reconstruction of S. 2nd Street Starts Today

The S. 2nd Street project, which was approved in December 2009 by the Common Council despite Alderman Dudzik’s last minute attempt to derail the project, officially gets going today.

S. 2nd Street Redesign Approved by the Common Council

S. 2nd Street Redesign Approved by the Common Council

The proposed improvement of S. 2nd Street, in Walker's Point, was up for approval at the December 22nd meeting of the Milwaukee Common Council.

S. 2nd Street Street Re-design Approved at Committee

S. 2nd Street Street Re-design Approved at Committee

For over a year business owners, property owners, and residents in Walker's Point have worked to have S. 2nd Street rebuilt with people in mind. The plan, as UrbanMilwaukee.com has covered in past, includes narrowing the street from 58 feet to 50 feet, removing travel lanes, and adding bike lanes, street trees, and new lighting with the goal of creating a street conducive to multiple modes of transportation, be it walking, biking, or driving.

Streets are for People

Streets are for People

"The right of way doesn't just belong to cars," he said. "It belongs to pedestrians and bicyclists as well." - U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

The Reed Street Yards is Worth the Investment

The Reed Street Yards is Worth the Investment

"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.

S. 2nd Street Complete Streets Effort Moves Forward!

S. 2nd Street Complete Streets Effort Moves Forward!

This past Friday a public meeting was held to discuss the reconstruction of S. 2nd Street in Walker's Point from National Ave. north to the train tracks.

Street Food… Finally.

Street Food… Finally.

Great cities have great street food.

Gridlock Film Premiere at Transfer Pizzeria & Cafe

Gridlock Film Premiere at Transfer Pizzeria & Cafe

See the premier broadcast of Gridlock: Public Transit in SE Wisconsin this Thursday July 2nd, at 6 PM on WMVS Milwaukee Public TV. Viewing party at Transfer Pizzeria & Cafe.

S. 2nd Street Redevelopment Concept Gains Momentum

S. 2nd Street Redevelopment Concept Gains Momentum

The June 24th, 2009 Public Works Committee Meeting was a good day for the efforts to rebuild S. 2nd street as a complete street. The Department of Public Works presented three options as possibilities for the rebuilding of S. 2nd Street. The first option was to simply resurface the street, with essentially no pedestrian improvements. The second option would resurface the street at the same width, but would included painted bike lanes, reduced travels lanes, and street trees. However it is the third option that is closest to a complete street.

Walker’s Point Comes Together and Can Move Forward

Walker’s Point Comes Together and Can Move Forward

Unfortunately, S. 2nd Street has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently.

S. 2nd Street Redesign Concept is a Pretty GOOD One

S. 2nd Street Redesign Concept is a Pretty GOOD One

Recently, with the encouragement and support of our readers, the help of graphic artist Kieran Sweeney, and the drive of Juli Kaufmann a conceptual idea for the redevelopment of S. 2nd Street was created and entered in to GOOD Magazine's livable streets contest.

Complete Street Makeover for S. 2nd Street?

Complete Street Makeover for S. 2nd Street?

S. 2nd St., in Walker's Point, is another street in Milwaukee that is more than ready to go on a diet.

Commission Approves Near South Side Area Plan

Commission Approves Near South Side Area Plan

Although this meeting of the City Plan Commission was light on large scale development projects, there were two items of interest on the agenda.

Who Lives in Milwaukee’s Condos?

Who Lives in Milwaukee’s Condos?

The UWM Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR) undertook the first comprehensive study on Milwaukee's "condo boom" to understand who was actually living in the condos stretching from the northern part of Walker's Point up to North Avenue on the East Side.

Watch The Lake Express High Speed Ferry Dock

Watch The Lake Express High Speed Ferry Dock

While the title may not sound that exciting, the Lake Express High-Speed Ferry docks in the Menomonee River valley for the winter. So to get there, it must travel in from Lake Michigan. They created a time-lapse photography video to show the journey and published it online. If you've got two minutes, it's interesting to watch the bridges rise and see what your view would be like if owned a yacht (or coal barge).

Hard Hat Tour: South Water Works Tour Photos
Hard Hat Tour

South Water Works Tour Photos

Tom DeMuth of Lighthouse Development gave Urban Milwaukee a tour of his company's redevelopment of the former Transpak facility in Milwaukee's Walker's Point neighborhood.

South Water Works Project Renderings

South Water Works Project Renderings

Located at the corner of E. Pittsburgh Street and S. Water Street the South Water Works development is the process of converting the former Transpak buildings into a mixture of retail, residential, and office space.

Fullhouse Moving to Walker’s Point

Fullhouse Moving to Walker’s Point

Fullhouse, a growing interactive marketing agency, is leaving their crowded Third Ward office space for 23,500 square feet across the river in Walker's Point.

Photo Gallery: A Peek Inside the Iron Horse
Photo Gallery

A Peek Inside the Iron Horse

The Iron Horse just opened on September 15th and we were able to get in for a quick peek.

One Way to Replace The Hoan Bridge and Build a Better Milwaukee

One Way to Replace The Hoan Bridge and Build a Better Milwaukee

The replacement of the Hoan Bridge and its associated freeway ramps with a grade level route offers many opportunities but will also require the rerouting of a portion of the 40,000 motorists that travel over the Hoan Bridge each day.

City Plan Commission Approves 52-unit Residential Care Complex

City Plan Commission Approves 52-unit Residential Care Complex

Resolution 080422 would advance the development known as Kilbourn Square. This project is proposing the development of a 52-unit residential care complex to be located at 2195 W. State St. that would house adults 55 and older.  This resolution stood out primarily because it showed the difficulties of developing property in the City of Milwaukee.  Although the developer presented a project that respected the historical nature of the site and had worked with the City of Milwaukee to put together a logical infill development it still faced a hurdle.  This hurdle wasn’t due to zoning or regulations but a neighboring citizen wishing to maintain the status quo.  This resident complained about, the loss of two trees and green space, and the potential of more traffic.  The commission heard these issues but voted to approve the resolution despite the concerns.  This resolution will now go before the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee.Another item of note was resolution 080262 which vacated land along South Alexander St. and West Nicholas St. between South 5th St. and South 6th St. to the neighboring property owner.   This was done to allow for construction of a retaining wall to built on the property in support of The Iron Horse Hotel project.  This resolution was approved and will now go before the Public Works Committee.

Milwaukee Vodka Maker Moving to Walker’s Point

Milwaukee Vodka Maker Moving to Walker’s Point

FO BEVERAGES A HOBBY Originally uploaded by strobist Great Lakes Distillery, Milwaukee’s local vodka distiller, is moving their operations from Capital and Holton to 616 W Virginia St in The Tannery complex of buildings. This has been picked up by a lot of other sources (including the JS, The Daily Reporter, RNN, and the Business Journal) so I’m not going to bore you with details on what it includes, but the tours sound great. I’m more concerned with what it means for the city. Guy Rehorst wanted more space, and he could have went anywhere in the metro-area and still called got away with calling it Milwaukee’s vodka. He chose to stay in urban Milwaukee though. Why? I haven’t talked to him directly, but here’s a couple guesses. It’s nice being close to your customers. It’s also a plus when you’re located by a Harley museum to generate a steady stream of customers for your tours. Being in a historic tannery building feels cool too, one could imagine. What does his business mean to Milwaukee? Realistically, not a lot of jobs directly, but there are other benefits. Everyone involved in local alcohol production deserves a huge round of applause from me, as do the people that drink it. Milwaukee is going to drink it’s share of alcohol, so it’s best that it’s made in Milwaukee. Every time you sip Rehorst compared to Absolut more money is staying in Milwaukee. Same with Lakefront, Water Street, and Alehouse beers vs Budweiser (and yes, even Miller). So while none of these distilleries create massive amounts of jobs, they keep wealth from leaving the city, and hopefully long-term bring wealth in (as they ultimately sell outside 124th Street). They also have this huge marketability asset that makes all of them being so close together so great. They’re great places to go. Now Guy’s tour is not running yet, but I imagine it’ll be something people talk about. It’s yet one more thing for people to do in urban Milwaukee (see: Fonz statue) that isn’t enough to draw people to come here on their own, but adds to a mixing pot of great things that make Milwaukee special compared to somewhere huge like Atlanta or small like Janesville. Milwaukee is a great place to be and with entrepreneurs like Guy Rehorst, isn’t anywhere close to losing it’s alcohol heritage, even with Miller moving to Chicago or Dallas (yeah, I said it).

5th Ward’s Growth Continues

5th Ward’s Growth Continues

Work has begun on at the former Transpak buildings located at 235 E. Pittsburgh Ave. The first is a smaller more recent building which had significant structural problems and is in the process of being demolished. The second is a larger warehouse building that is in the process of being gutted for a mixed-use redevelopment. To accommodate a first floor retail component the City of Milwaukee recently vacated the turning lane adjacent to this property. The new 102-room Iron Horse Hotel located at 500 W. Florida St. has been under construction for several months and should open during the summer of 2008. It will be run by Miami boutique hotel operator Desire Hotels. Desire Hotels operates numerous high-end hotels throughout the country including the The Strand and The Sagamore. The Iron Horse Hotel will bring this same level of style to Milwaukee by featuring exposed brick and timber, down pillows, high-end linens, walk-in showers, flat screen TVs, Wi-Fi and covered parking for motorcycles. Additionally, the redevelopment of 234 W. Florida is making good progress. New windows have been installed throughout half of the structure and the gutting and reconstruction of the second half is well underway. The 5th Ward has shown to be one of the emerging neighborhoods in Milwaukee and these project are just a small portion of the redevelopment efforts that have been ongoing.

Status of Kinnickinnic River Dredging

Status of Kinnickinnic River Dredging

Abandoned Wreck Originally uploaded by Retinal Fetish Previously, I had mentioned that a Kinnickinnic River Trail is in the works that would link up areas south and west of the Port of Milwaukee that don’t have good non-car access to downtown and the rest of urban Milwaukee. A key part of making that trail more attractive is the dredging of the Kinnickinnic River which would make it cleaner and more appealing for fish and trail-users alike. The dredging will ultimately help encourage development along the river corridor and hopefully a Riverwalk extension to the area. The deal currently is contingent on the EPA chipping in roughly $2 million from its Great Lakes Legacy Act program to cover the costs of expanding the Army Corps of Engineers’ disposal facility next to the ferry terminal. The Port of Milwaukee is set to pick up the remaining 35 percent of the costs to expand the facility. If the EPA doesn’t pick up the expansion costs, the deal is supposedly dead in the water. My bets are on it happening, one way or another. I’m looking forward to a cleaner Kinnickinnic already.

Public Works Committee Criticizes DPW Commissioner

Public Works Committee Criticizes DPW Commissioner

As part of resolution, 071488, a portion of the street from S. Barclay St. – E. Pittsburgh Ave. to S. Water St./E. Seeboth St. will be rebuilt resulting in an improved environment in around the Fifth Ward neighborhood. Although a minor improvement to the physical infrastructure this should help spur further development in the area. Jeff Mantes, the Commissioner of Public Works, presented a communication regarding the recent news indicating the funding for the Milwaukee Connector study is longer available. Throughout the discussion Alderman Robert Bauman asked a series of specific questions of the Department of Public Works (DPW) to make it clear that the Common Council was not informed of the situation. He expressed his outrage by stating bluntly that “in my opinion this is a big deal”. He was quickly reinforced by Alderman Robert Puente‘s pointed remarks to DPW when he said “you’ll keep the Common Council in the dark until you need us”. In the end this file simply served to point the blame at DPW and allow the Common Council to put it on the record that they weren’t informed of the situation. Unfortunately the problem still exists and new mass transit options are further postponed until the situation can be resolved.

Condominium Sales Update

Condominium Sales Update

A sampling of projects in varying states of completion showed that over 200 recently completed or under construction condominium units have not been sold. A look at the data indicates that In many cases the high priced units have gone un-sold. Clearly the market downturn has slowed sales but this may also indicated a demand for units priced at an affordable level. Development # Units % Sold Status City Green 44 20% Ready to Move In First Place on the River 184 56% Ready to Move In Park Terrace Bluff Homes 16 56% Ready to Move In Park Terrace Row House 21 71% Ready to Move In Residences on Water 31 29% Under Construction River Renaissance 81 55% Ready to Move In 601 Lofts 83 61% Ready to Move In Sterling 112 98% Ready to Move In University Club 56 89% Ready to Move In Data was not available for the The Breakwater, Park Lafayette, Flatiron, Union Point, The Edge, and Kilborn Tower

Kinnickinnic River Trail

Kinnickinnic River Trail

Kinnickinnic River Spillway Originally uploaded by Retinal Fetish Julie Lawrence at OnMilwaukee.com drew my attention to this excellent community development taking place along the Kinnickinnic River on the south side of urban Milwaukee, the Kinnickinnic River Trail. The trail is in the early stages of development and will have a southern terminus at the river and 6th Street (near its intersection with Cleveland St) and at Water St and 1st Street on the northern end. The trail, while still in its infancy, will hopefully include a restoration of the river to a more natural state with the removal of the concrete channeling. Like many other developments occurring in Milwaukee (the Riverwalk, Menomonee Valley restoration, and the Beerline neighborhood come to mind), the KK River Trail is just one of many ways in which Milwaukee is learning to embrace its natural assets. The developments are all the more special because they’re actual functional ways to move around the city without a car, which is due in large part to the dense development surrounding the rivers. Groundwork Milwaukee has provided a PDF with all you could ever want to know about what was discussed in planning for the trail. I’ll try to learn more over the next few days as to what the actual status of the trail is (it’s a little bit hard to figure out with the information online). I took the map out of the PDF and put it online as a JPG image in case you wanted to see the proposed route.

Committee Approves Minor Modification to Downer Avenue Redevelopment Plan

Committee Approves Minor Modification to Downer Avenue Redevelopment Plan

Just a couple of quick items of note from today’s ZND meeting. File number 070873 was a report on the redevelopment of the 440th Airlift Wing’s land. The consulting firm, RKG Associates, provided three proposed alternatives noting that they all include the airport’s plan of building a new runway in the future. Basically the plans break down as aviation re-use for entire site, split aviation with commercial, and non-airport use. Comments allude to the fact that the most likely outcome will be the aviation re-use for the entire site. File number 070964 was approved and authorized a “minor” modification to the DPD known as the Downer Avenue Redevelopment. Unfortunately this file isn’t truly minor as it is response to a lawsuit brought against the city claiming the city shouldn’t of issued a building permit and that the city didn’t take the state’s historic recommendations into consideration. Oddly, the changes to the DPD came about in attempt to further “appease” the neighbors. And I believe Alderman Willie Wade summed it up by saying “basically we are in this position because we were trying to be accommodating.” File number 070844 was approved and authorized the sale of a city owned vacant lot at 530 West Florida St to Rider Hotel, LLC. It will be sold for $1 as it has environmental challenges and will be capped to create a parking lot for the $23 million Iron Horse Hotel. File number 070935 was approved and authorizes the Land Disposition Report which basically allows HSI Development Partners, LLC. to acquire the land and construct a building for Derse, Inc. Derse, Inc. was founded in Milwaukee and originally made signs for Miller, Schlitz, and Pabst. They now specializes in tradeshow exhibits and have expanded throughout the U.S. and internationally. Mike D’Amato commented saying, “Now that you’ve expanded everywhere else let’s talk about Milwaukee,” and he’s right on point as this project bring 125 jobs back into the city.

Milwaukee Ale House Construction Cam

Milwaukee Ale House Construction Cam

JOY’S BUILDING Originally uploaded by JoetheLion After yesterday’s announcement I did some investigating of the Milwaukee Ale House website and came across this handy little construction webcam cam of their new brewery on 2nd street.

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