Thomas “Tom” Barrett served as mayor of Milwaukee from 2004 through December 2021. He resigned to become U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.
Barrett, a resident of the Washington Heights neighborhood, is married to Kris Barrett. The couple has four adult children.
Content referencing Tom Barrett - Page 20
Barrett Seeks Business Supporters for Residency Requirement
Mayor addresses 300 business execs, says ending residency requirement could depress city property values.
Mar 22nd, 2013 by Andrea Waxman
Can Fallone Beat Roggensack?
Pat Roggensack leads the Supreme Court's conservative bloc and may be its most powerful justice. Ed Fallone blames a "dysfunctional court" on her.
Mar 21st, 2013 by Bruce Murphy
Rocky’s Throne of Stone
Neighbor and boss Tom Barrett says DCD head Rocky Marcoux worthy of Nobel Prize, but is his house?
Mar 15th, 2013 by Michael Horne
New Front Door for Lakefront
Dramatic plan moves freeway ramps and creates a grand boulevard that connects downtown and the lakefront.
Mar 11th, 2013 by Jeramey Jannene
Super Scott
Democrats continue to underestimate Walker, even as he radically transforms the state.
Feb 28th, 2013 by Bruce Murphy
A Historic Milwaukee Celebration
Plus: A national green award for The Brewery; and bringing fruit trees to Walker's Point.
Feb 28th, 2013 by Urban Milwaukee
Every Politician in Town
Well, not quite, but the City's Birthday Party had a big turnout of politicians and insiders.
Feb 5th, 2013 by Michael Horne
Marina Lee
The creator of Snail's Crossing park in Riverwest brings her art directly to the people.
Feb 4th, 2013 by Judith Ann Moriarty
America Discovers Sheriff Clarke
Clarke appears on Piers Morgan with Tom Barrett and gets beat up by both Morgan and the mayor.
Jan 30th, 2013 by Bruce Murphy
Hines Would Reduce Fire & Police Commission Power
Council appears to back radical change, Barrett seems lukewarm.
Jan 29th, 2013 by Bruce Murphy
Evers Vs. Pridemore
The battle between State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers and challenger Don Pridemore.
Jan 28th, 2013 by Michael Horne
Bill to Cut Supervisor Pay Likely
Despite Republican delays and opposition by the board, the bill has a good chance of passage.
Jan 17th, 2013 by Bruce Murphy
A Redesign for Hi Hat Garage
A cooler Garage, more delay on Two Parks proposal, and progress on East Library redevelopment.
Dec 13th, 2012 by Urban Milwaukee
The Incredible Flip-Flop
Did the Fire & Police Commission bend to mob mentality or act as a responsible policy maker?
Dec 12th, 2012 by Mark Doremus
Quiet Company Could Build City’s Tallest Building
An examination of the who, what, where, and when of the new Northwestern Mutual office tower.
Dec 6th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
Mayor Backs Flynn, Slams Newspaper
Journal Sentinel’s series on data errors “takes crime fighting officers off the street,” Barrett charges.
Dec 6th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Walker’s Freeway Farce
After blaming Barrett for "delaying" the Zoo Interchange, Walker is now stalling it, while rejecting a gas tax hike to pay for it.
Dec 4th, 2012 by Dave Reid
How State Aid to Cities Has Plummeted
Milwaukee is getting killed by declining shared revenue, violating a century-old state agreement.
Dec 3rd, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Home Contest is a Big Winner
Most Improved Home Contest offers $7,000 in prize money, generates $164,000 in home improvements.
Nov 20th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
The High Cost of the County Board
We could save millions and improve efficiency by cutting the county board and its huge staff.
Nov 14th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
The Wounds of War
A new peer network program gives support to Vietnam veterans.
Nov 14th, 2012 by Heather Ronaldson
Peter Buffett Comes to Town
Buffett helps Radio Milwaukee, Barry Mandel makes a bundle selling East Pointe and Gwen Moore crows about cave men.
Nov 9th, 2012 by Michael Horne
City Decides Election
More than 80 percent of Obama’s victory margin in Wisconsin came from Milwaukee.
Nov 8th, 2012 by Jack Norman
Comings and Goings
A veteran union leader steps down, a new post for Nikiya Harris and Glorioso's tries, of all things, beer.
Nov 2nd, 2012 by Michael Horne
New Journey House Football Field
An NFL landing: The Green Bay Packers donate a practice field to the the Clarke Square neighborhood.
Oct 30th, 2012 by Grace Fuhr
The Rise of MU Law School
How it became the state's leading pollster and a high profile place for public forums.
Oct 19th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
The Holton Bridge Swings
Kinetic sculptures enliven the gathering place below the Holton Bridge. And Weird Al holds court in MKE.
Oct 15th, 2012 by Michael Horne
Is Chief Flynn Off the Hook?
The federal investigation could cool calls for Flynn's resignation.
Oct 14th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Power Play
A city committee resists heavy lobbying and forestalls a special taxing district for Juneau Park and Cathedral Square.
Oct 14th, 2012 by Dave Reid
Water Council is “Absolutely Unique”
Rich Meeusen applauds the group's progress. And Tom Barrett shouts it from the rooftop.
Oct 9th, 2012 by Michael Horne
The public is “understandably horrified.”
Chief Flynn frankly discusses the death of Derek Williams in police custody.
Oct 9th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Should Chief Flynn Resign?
The city is divided over the chief. But is it all his fault?
Oct 5th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Too Many Cops in Milwaukee County?
The high cost of a huge sheriff’s budget and 19 local police departments.
Oct 3rd, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
The Voter Suppression Game
Both parties are devising strategies to discourage voting. But Republicans are using government power.
Jul 25th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu Visits Ingeteam
On Thursday U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu toured Ingeteam, and announced Milwaukee's acceptance of President Barack Obama's Better Buildings Challenge.
Jul 16th, 2012 by Dave Reid
Clock Shadow Building Grand Opening Celebration
Community members join together to celebrate The Clock Shadow Building's grand opening.
Jun 27th, 2012 by Dave Reid
Rocky Road
Some aldermen want to dump DCD head Rocky Marcoux, but Mayor Barrett disagrees.
Jun 26th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Will Allen Goes Viral
From ABC News to Colbert, everybody is celebrating Will Allen.
Jun 20th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Why Walker Won’t Compromise
He now says he will bring us together. But don’t bet on it.
Jun 14th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Why Walker Won
Democrats blame money, but might examine their muddled message.
Jun 8th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
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.
May 30th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
Did Walker or Barrett Win Debate?
Barrett was punchy, Walker was cool. Which strategy will convert more voters?
May 29th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Milwaukee Could Decide Race
Without a high county turnout, Tom Barrett is toast.
May 25th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Did Donovan Make Bauman Soil His Pants?
Another week, another Ald. Donovan anti-streetcar press conference. Plus: will the Bucks get a new owner and new arena? And: East Side zoning changes and the return of the Downtown Trolley loop.
May 24th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
The Barrett-Walker ‘Hood
The candidates are worlds apart politically -- but practically neighbors.
May 22nd, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Will Abele Run for Mayor?
That's one way to consolidate city and county government, by grabbing both executive positions.
May 15th, 2012 by Bruce Murphy
Herb Kohl’s Arena Commitment, The Second Downtown Strip Club, Northwestern Mutual’s New Downtown Building, and More
This week's Eyes on Milwaukee column explores Herb Kohl's commitment to a new arena, the idea of another downtown strip club, Northwestern Mutual's potential new downtown building, and a whole lot more.
May 9th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
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.
Apr 4th, 2012 by Jeramey Jannene
Kohl’s, The Moral of the Story
For over a year the City of Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, and various regional entities worked together in attempt to bring Kohl's corporate headquarters to downtown Milwaukee. Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. Some have been quick to judge saying the moral of the story is, the city is a failure, and Mayor Barrett can't get the job done. Now, it is true the city didn't win, this time, but is the moral of the story, failure?
Feb 21st, 2012 by Dave Reid
Mixed-Use East Library Proposals Meet the Neighbors
Wednesday night, Alderman Nik Kovac held a public meeting to allow feedback to be voiced regarding the three proposed alternatives for the redevelopment of the one-story East Library into a mixed-use facility. The meeting was a follow-up to a meeting last November discussing the potential of issuing a request-for-proposal (RFP) for the redevelopment of the East Library site. Attendees at the meeting were provided with an update on the process and allowed to ask questions about the process and proposals. The predictable East Side public meeting questions were aired, but which, if any, of the proposals will be selected?
Sep 15th, 2011 by Jeramey Jannene
What can Milwaukee look forward to in 2011?
Numerous signs point to a national economy that is recovering. Hiring has started to pick up, banks are starting to lend again, and locally 'failed' projects are slowly filling up. But everything isn't great just yet, as here in Wisconsin there is a 14 month supply of homes available on the market, and nationally unemployment sits at 9.4%.
Jan 10th, 2011 by Dave Reid
It’s Bike to Work Week in Milwaukee!
Even if it just once this week, give it a try as biking to work might just be the most fun you have all summer.
Jun 7th, 2010 by Dave Reid
Milwaukee to Contract Nationally Recognized Transit Expert
At the May 4th, 2010 meeting of the Common Council, Alderman Bauman brought forward an item that would allow the City of Milwaukee to enter into a contract with an expert consultant, Jeffery Boothe, for the purpose of facilitating the next steps of the Milwaukee Streetcar project.
May 5th, 2010 by Dave Reid
Mayor’s Hand Will Require Further Surgery
Barrett Announces New Manufacturing Plant in Valley
Feb 15th, 2010 by Michael Horne
Water for Jobs Application Approved by City Committee
At the January 6th, 2010 Public Works Committee meeting the first step was taken towards creating a special water rate that could be given to businesses in return for job creation within the City of Milwaukee.
Jan 7th, 2010 by Dave Reid
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.
Dec 23rd, 2009 by Dave Reid
The Moderne Gains Common Council Approval for City Loans
The Moderne development received approval for $9.3 millions in loans from the City of Milwaukee that led developer Rick Barrett had been seeking.
Nov 3rd, 2009 by Dave Reid
What Would Alderman Donovan Do?
The 2010 City of Milwaukee budget faces a series of hurdles. There is the $50 million pension fund contribution, brought on because of the stock market crash. There is also the $33 million decline in property tax levy due to declining home values.
Oct 7th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Ex-Trustee Phinney, Figure in Workplace Boy Porn Case, Pleas Guilty
Phinney's wife, Lisa Froemming, filed for divorce last month.
Sep 29th, 2009 by Michael Horne
Milwaukee Streetcar Routes Unveiled by Mayor Barrett
On Friday, Mayor Barrett unveiled three streetcar routes under study to the attendees of UEDA's Community Development Summit. The Mayor walked through the three possible routes and numerous possible future extensions. He broke down how successful systems in cities such as Seattle, Portland, and Tacoma have started with routes similar in length to the proposed for the Milwaukee Streetcar system (2 to 3 miles).
Sep 21st, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Doyle’s Decision Could Send Ripples Through Milwaukee’s Political Landscape
Governor Doyle's announcement that he will not be seeking a third term could send ripples through Milwaukee's political landscape. The most commonly mentioned named Democratic Party members that may run for Governor include, U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, State Sen. Jon Erpenbach, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
Aug 19th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Expect The Hoan Bridge Debate To Heat Up
Like the temperature outside, the Hoan Bridge reconstruction debate will heat up over the next few weeks. Alderman Robert Bauman, who represents downtown Milwaukee and the north end of the bridge, recently issued a press release that details how the city will likely position itself on the issue with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).
Jun 24th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
KRM and RTA Update
The Wisconsin state budget is now at a point where it will go to a conference committee after the Senate approved their version of the budget yesterday. The conference committee will reconcile the difference between the Assembly and Senate versions, and send the budget off to Governor Doyle. Doyle will then use his line-item veto power on certain language he doesn't like, and Wisconsin have a budget.
Jun 18th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Close the Libraries? Lease the Water Works?
Massive layoffs, extended furloughs, service cuts, significant tax and fee increases all are possibilities in the next year for the City of Milwaukee. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with the gap in the pension fund, a decline in the assessed value of property in the city, and a likely decline in state shared revenue the fiscal picture for the City of Milwaukee doesn't look so bright. At today's Common Council meeting the debate around a snow and ice fee increase and the furloughing of city employees were brought about by this startling economic outlook for the City of Milwaukee.
Jun 16th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Milwaukee Streetcar Round-Up
The Milwaukee circulator streetcar is moving forward, but there is still confusion in the mind of many. We've covered the issue in the past, but this article attempts to bring everything together in one place, the history, the frequently asked questions, and the proposed route.
Apr 19th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Design Your Own Streetcar Route
UrbanMilwaukee would like to issue you a challenge. With the announcement that Mayor Tom Barrett with the help of Congressman David Obey and Senator Herb Kohl managed to get 60% of the $91.5 million for his streetcar vision, it’s time to think about what the final route may be. There is a simple reality any Milwaukee streetcar proposal must deal with though, there is only enough money for an initial 3 miles. So here’s the game. 1. Create a Google Account or use an existing one. 2. Create a route (not longer than 3 miles) using Google Maps. Don’t know how to do this? There is an introductory video. 3. Paste a link to your route in the comments of this post. 4. Wait until Wednesday afternoon, at that point we’ll put together a poll so we can vote for the best one. Can’t wait to see what you come up with, whether it’s a line to Bay View or UWM, or perhaps a completely different loop around downtown.
Mar 23rd, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
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.
Mar 21st, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Milwaukee’s Stimulus Request
Yesterday the U.S. Senate approved the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and although it still has conference committee changes to go through prior to arriving on President Obama's desk it's interesting to see what items the City of Milwaukee would like to see funded.
Feb 11th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Palomar or Streetcar?
Tom Daykin did some digging and was able to uncover that the final request from Gatehouse Capital Corp. was $18 million in public money for the Palomar.
Jan 22nd, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Committee Plans to Lobby UWM to Expand Downtown
In April 2008 Alderman D'Amato, as one of his last acts in office, brought forward a resolution that stated the City of Milwaukee's position that the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee should locate its College of Engineering and Applied Science, as well asUWM's other satellite campuses, within the City of Milwaukee.
Jan 22nd, 2009 by Dave Reid
Fine, Let the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Expand in Wauwatosa
Back in March, 2008 I started an organization that worked to convince the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that expanding into Wauwatosa was the wrong choice for the university, the City of Milwaukee, and Southeast Wisconsin. T
Dec 30th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Committee Quickly Approves Road Projects
Although this meeting finished in record time due to Alderman Robert Bauman's auctioneer style meetings, there were a couple of items of interest.
Dec 4th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Common Council Retains Five Member Firefighter Crews
The most notably items on the agenda were the Common Council's actions regarding Mayor Barrett's vetoes.
Nov 26th, 2008 by Dave Reid
The Solution – Update
Recently, we advocated for the formation of a regional transit authority that has a dedicated funding source as a solution to the transit issues facing the Milwaukee region. Following that editorial we wrote an open letter to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett encouraging him to vote on the morning of November 10th for the sales tax proposal.
Nov 15th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Open Letter to Mayor Barrett Concerning Transit
On Monday, November 10th, your representative to the Regional Transit Authority (RTA), Sharon Robinson, will cast an important vote for the future of transit in our city and region. We write to you to encourage her to vote "yes" to any sales tax funding proposals. While we have recently outlined why we think RTA's are an efficient way to deliver regional services, we have a few more things we think you should consider.
Nov 6th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
2009 City Budget Cuts Firefighters
Each year the City of Milwaukee goes through a public lashing as Mayor Barrett attempts to create next year's budget.
Oct 21st, 2008 by Dave Reid
It’s Pedestrian Safety Week
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee Brewer's Polish Racing Sausage kicked off "Pedestrian Safety Week" today.
Oct 6th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Common Council Passes Vehicle Registration Fee
Senator Russ Feingold presented his upcoming legislation which focuses on encouraging innovation, growth in small business, creating jobs in green energy, linking business with education and capitalizing on research in the fresh water science. He received input into this legislation from local business leaders, Sheldon Lubar and Joseph Zilber, with the hope of finding solutions that can work nationally but also locally in southeast Wisconsin. The other item of note was the Common Council’s vote to override Mayor Tom Barrett‘s veto of the controversial $20 vehicle registration fee. The override needed ten votes and received eleven so the vehicle registration fee will be enacted. The vehicle registration fee will eliminate assessments, which have averaged $2500 per household, related to road reconstruction projects within the City of Milwaukee.
Sep 2nd, 2008 by Dave Reid
What is the True Value of Water?
Or as Common Council President Hines put it "What is Water Worth?" This question has been on the minds of local officials and citizens as of late because of the City of Milwaukee approving an agreement to sell water to New Berlin.
Aug 15th, 2008 by Dave Reid
Barrett, Walker to Debate Transit
Facts have never been of much interest to the anti-rail forces.
Aug 6th, 2008 by Michael Horne
The Technologies
It's absolutely critical to understand the different transit technologies available if one is to understand and evaluate the merits of the various transit proposals for Milwaukee. Technologies include Bus-Rapid Transit (BRT), Express Bus Transit, Electric-Guided Bus, Standard Bus, Street Car, Light Rail and Heavy Rail. This article examines the technologies, largely with regard to how they would be implemented here in Milwaukee.
Jul 14th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
The Game and The Players
Understanding the discussion around Milwaukee transit requires an understanding of who has the keys to unlock the federal funds to improve and expand the existing system. We need to lay some groundwork before any discussion on the actual proposals can start.
Jul 7th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Public Works Committee Holds Up Appointments
The reappointment of Jeff Mantes to the position of Commission of the Department of Public Works and the reappointment of Jeff Polenske to the position of City Engineer were held to the call of the chair to start off this meeting. As numerous reappointments have flown through as of late it appears this may be in response to friction the Common Council has had working with the Department of Public Works. Specifically the Common Council has expressed their concern with how DPW handled snow plowing, leaf removal, and various street improvements. File number 080238 is a grouping of numerous assessable public improvements that included items such as street and alley re-construction. Similar files have experienced an ongoing problem whereas approximately half of individual projects are deleted because property owners are unwilling to pay exorbitantly high assessments. This has lead to the slow crumbling of city streets and ever increasing maintenance costs. Alderman Bob Donovon expressed his displeasure at Mayor Tom Barrett‘s unwillingness to replace the current assessment system with a recently proposed vehicle registration fee, by stating “I am hoping that this administration and the alderman in this community have the guts to move forward and do the right thing in changing the way we pay for paving projects.” This file was approved with numerous deletions and will move on to the Common Council for approval. File number 080195 is an ordinance relating to storm water management regulations. Alderman Michael Murphy argued that this resolution is important to because the “leading cause of pollution to our water system is really through non-point water sources” and this resolution targets those sources. Those sources includes streets and parking lots and this resolution address ways to reduce the amount of paved area which improves the grounds ability to absorb storm water. This resolution was passed and will go before the City Plan Commission for approval.
Jun 21st, 2008 by Dave Reid
Whitney Gould Day (May 29th, 2008)
Mayor Tom Barrett today utilized his power of mayoral proclamation to declare it Whitney M. Gould Day in honor of the long-time Milwaukee Journal Sentinel urban landscape and architecture columnist who recently accepted a buy-out from Journal Communications and now serves as a Commissioner on the Historic Preservation Committee.
May 29th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Milwaukee Intermodal Station re-opening signals new start
The new Milwaukee Intermodal Station officially re-opens on Monday November 26th and it exemplifies the good that can come about when Milwaukee’s leaders take a stand and push for something better. The original plan was opposed by mayor Tom Barrett and Alderman Bob Bauman as they felt it wouldn’t do anything to change perception of transit or the station. The old station had been referred to as “scary”, “dark”, and even “Communist,” whereas the new station lights up the night, welcomes you to Milwaukee and gives you the feeling things are changing in this city. The new building’s combination of transit modes adds additional benefits and is the starting point for improved transit service in Milwaukee. First much like the old Amtrak station the old Greyhound depot was not inviting and so Greyhound gains the added bonus of being housed in an inviting space which could improve ridership. Secondly this shared space should allow for better connection between the various modes of transportation. Finally two additional transit systems under consideration would be centered around the Milwaukee Intermodal Station further improving transit options in Milwaukee. Photos Milwaukee Intermodal Station Articles Milwaukee Intermodal Station sets grand opening Amtrak, Greyhound now at same location Latest Amtrak station design a clear winner Editorial: Just simply refreshing
Nov 23rd, 2007 by Dave Reid
The Brewery Kickoff Video
Old Machines Originally uploaded by compujeramey I was poking around The Brewery website after writing the last post on Mark Chmura and friends purchasing Building 14 and found that Towne Realty has released a video synopsis of the coverage surrounding the initial groundbreaking of the development. It’s a neat little video to watch about the start of the redevelopment project. NOTE: I suggest right-clicking and watching the video in full screen. The viewing size they give you is really small and has some annoying broken HTML surrounding it.
Nov 19th, 2007 by Jeramey Jannene
City Hall Is Worth Every Penny
City Hall Originally uploaded by compujeramey Mike Nichols has an article in the Journal Sentinel lambasting politicians for their failings in properly estimating the cost of projects. Nichols gives me the feeling that he’s upset at Mayor Barrett for the expense of the City Hall and the coming need for a lift of the building (covered earlier on this site). Nichols acts as if City Hall is some giant sink hole that we as Milwaukeeans throw all our money into for no return and that is not an asset to Milwaukee anymore. He imposes upon me that his feeling is that we should have spent millions years ago to remove the wood pilings underneath and replace them with something else. As if the pilings that have lasted more than 100 years were a bad idea from the start, and that people should have known better. That politicians are continually draining Milwaukee of money to fix this building that’s fundamentally flawed. To paraphrase a recent Barrett quote I saw in the Shepherd Express ” it’s not like we’re putting hot tubs in”. Barrett is simply spending the money it takes to keep one of Milwaukee’s greatest landmarks operating and available for future generations. Nichols apparently disagrees with that idea.. It’s also a place some were already calling outmoded back in 1954, one that is now dwarfed by surrounding buildings and will continue to suck up money that could have been used on something new and inspiring.There’s at least the possibility that if taxpayers knew a few years ago what they were about to spend, they would have considered another, fully accessible, internationally admired Calatrava instead. We’ll never know because taxpayers have already made the leap that is now about to carry them all the way into the pilings under the basement. Only, I wouldn’t really call it a leap. It looks more like, without any real discussion at all, they were given a firm, silent, chicken-hearted push. If he’s so upset about City Hall and the money being spent, why doesn’t someone run for Mayor that is for a new City Hall? The simple reason is that a new City Hall would have the same cost overruns without the old world charm and history of the current building. The investment in City Hall is one that will preserve one of Milwaukee’s greatest landmarks. You can’t build 100+ year old buildings whenever you want. The building has stood the test of time and helps give downtown Milwaukee a distinct look and feel that is welcoming to visitors and respected by residents. City Hall doesn’t feature the glass casing like many new urban buildings or the massive parking garage that accompanies many of the large buildings in downtown Milwaukee. The building instead is a tribute to what Milwaukee has grown from, while pointing to the sky to demonstrate where Milwaukee is going to. As each new building rises around City Hall, the value of the distinct look of the building increases. It is […]
Oct 30th, 2007 by Jeramey Jannene
Michael Cudahy Proposes His Transit Solution
A Milwaukee County Transit System Bus Originally uploaded by Sebastian Joseph While County Executive Scott Walker and Mayor Tom Barrett continue to debate over the use of the $91.5 million the federal government has earmarked for transportation, entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Michael Cudahy has proposed his own solution. Walker advocates an express-bus only approach, while Barrett advocates a system that utilizes downtown streetcars and express buses to expand the area. Cudahy advocates a plan that uses only streetcars. When it comes to quality of service and area covered, Cudahy’s proposal is the best. The first would resemble the 30 bus route, but ultimately head west towards the County Grounds (where UWM plans to build their new engineering campus) after meeting up with Marquette. The second would link the redeveloped Milwaukee Intermodal Station (formerly Amtrak) with MATC, The Brewery (Pabst Redevelopment), and head up Fond du Lac Ave to North Ave. When it comes to getting people to work from the central city and linking urban dwellers with surrounding areas, Cudahy’s plan seems the one most likely to generate long-term success. The only weakness is the apparent lack of a southern spur from downtown, but the proposed KRM solution would cover the gaps. I definitely support a sales-tax funding source as long as there is a long-term growth strategy including the addition of stops along Fond Du Lac Ave, west towards (and into) Waukesha County, and north into the northern suburbs. A light-rail streetcar system is far more marketable as a sales piece for relocating businesses and residents, and tourists coming to the city. Cudahy’s proposal best utilizes previous investments (Grand Ave Mall, Midwest Airlines Center, UWM, Marquette, County Grounds), while linking with new high-growth areas (The Brewery and Park East Neighborhood) and providing a reason for logical redevelopment of some previously less-attractive areas (Fond du Lac Avenue). Hopefully Mayor Barrett jumps on board behind the Cudahy proposal and Walker eventually comes on board.
Oct 21st, 2007 by Jeramey Jannene
Wi-Fi Deal Dead
"City will court other Wi-Fi providers" -- Ald. Michael J. Murphy
Sep 8th, 2006 by Michael Horne
Doyle, Gard in University Club Sandwich
Rivals Host Simultaneous Fundraisers in Swanky Downtown Club
May 26th, 2006 by Michael Horne
City Moves to Dismiss Rico Suit
A Milwaukeeworld Scoop
Nov 4th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Buffett Tour on Hold
“Spirit – The Seventh Fire” has been put on hiatus.
Jun 27th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Chest of Drawers Nets $1,808,000
Exclusive to milwaukeeworld.com
May 16th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Jeff Stone Punk’d?
Seems like somebody is messing around with Rep. Jeff Stone's campaign identity.
May 2nd, 2005 by Michael Horne
McGee’s Folly
If you want to get a chuckle and a “no comment” out of a Milwaukee alderman these days, just tell him that Ald. Michael McGee, Jr. “certainly has a way with words.”
Feb 21st, 2005 by Michael Horne
At it Again
Alderman asked to make big money decision on 24 hour notice.
Feb 7th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Scott Walker and the Milwaukee Curse
Milwaukee has not been the home of many of Wisconsin’s governors.
Jan 24th, 2005 by Michael Horne
City Image Logo to be Unveiled Soon
The nonprofit Spirit of Milwaukee is undertaking an image rebranding for the community.
Jan 10th, 2005 by Michael Horne
