Vanessa Koster

Amendment Would Shift Money From Demolishing Homes To Fixing Them

And deconstruction effort again on the drawing board.

City Wins $15 Million To Demolish Northridge, But Still Must Prevail In Court

Federal funds, long anticipated, provide major boost to city's redevelopment effort.

Northridge Mall’s Fate Hinges On Appeals Court Ruling, Second Attorney Quits

Plus: Trespassing has returned to vacant property.

Deer District Venue Downsized, But New Hotel Could Join It

Plus: Wine distributor sets up shop on Bradley Rd. and a recap of week's real estate news.

Milwaukee Company Backs Out of Buying Northridge Mall

Phoenix Investors had secured the troubled property, but city opposed its redevelopment plans.

New ‘Healing Spaces’ Created In Vacant Lots

Program, championed by Alderwoman Coggs, aims to turn blight to beauty.

Northridge Mall Lawsuit Keeps Dragging On

Will it ever be razed? New issues add to legal mess while city awaits appeals court ruling.

Can Menomonee Valley Project Attract Tenants?

Style of industrial development common in suburbs draws questions at City Hall.

Brown Appointed To City Plan Commission

City Hall veteran, former DCD Deputy Commissioner Martha Brown to fill vacant seat.

New Hotel for 124th and Bradley

City envisions hotel on vacant site near Sam's Club and Woodman's

Demolition Underway for Adams Hotel

Plus: DCD gets new leadership team

Rite Hite’s New HQ Approved

Plus: Walker's Point apartment plans dropped, while another neighborhood building sells.

City Rezoning Lot for Future North Side Trail

Future trail would run along Lincoln Creek.

World’s Tallest Timber Tower Gets First Okay

City Plan Commission approves increase in Ascent's height to 25 floors.

Commission Okays Rezoning for Wantable

Company to double in size, add public cafe to new Walker's Point headquarters.

A New Design Vision for Villard Avenue

UW-Milwaukee will lead design charette to envision future of commercial corridor.

Racist Policy? Committee Rejects Hotel Sign

Comfort Suites hotel simply wanted a new sign. Then things got strange.

Admiral’s Wharf Sails Through Committee

City committee okays zoning for 11-story, 133-unit apartment complex in Walker's Point.

Commission Okays Admiral’s Wharf Project

11-story, 133-unit apartment building planned for S. Water St. along Milwaukee River.

Commission Holds Carleton School Redevelopment

Former MPS school proposed to become 62 units of housing.

The Couture Changes Financing Plan

Developer misses funding deadline, plans to apply again. Baird & Co. now working on the deal.

Commission Approves Komatsu Design

60-acre, $285 million campus gets approved after City Plan commissioners push for better pedestrian design.

Council Grabs More Design Oversight

Bauman reaches compromise with Marcoux. Council gets some say on new overlay zones.

Commission Okays Hotel Rezoning

135-year-old building near Fiserv Forum could become 50-room Wyndham boutique hotel.

Cheeseheads Maker Adding Event Space

Hidden in Walker's Point, manufacturing facility does tours, now plans space for events

Wangard Advances Harbor District Plan

Plan Commission approves rezoning request for 200-unit apartment complex.

Can City Combat Food Deserts?

City panel hears report on many residents living far from full-service grocery store, but takes no action.

Who Gets Design Oversight?

Bauman wants council control over overlay zones, while DCD, local developers object.

Construction Moving Along at St. Rita Square

Did DCD and alderman save the project from being value engineered?

Bay View Proposal Gets Smaller, Shorter

After meeting with neighbors, developer reduces project's size by 10 percent, but Zielinski will vote against plan.

Return of The State Theater

City committee advances group's plan to buy theater building on State St. by end of 2018.

King Dr. Streetcar Extension Plan Released

City and King Drive BID offer final plan for streetcar expansion and economic development.

Wangard, City Again at Odds on Freshwater Plaza

Size of sign at issue. Meanwhile developer planning two more developments at the plaza.

Is Bucks Live Block Good Urbanism?

Council committee debates merits of new building for Old World Third St., gateway to arena.

City Panel Okays Oak and Loc Complex

Unanimous vote allows controversial East Side apartment project to move forward.

190 Apartments for Sherman Park

$60 million, multi-phase development planned for former factory near 33rd and Center.

New Bay View Park Denied, For Now

“It looks like Mayor Barrett won,” says Ald. Zielinski.

Contribution to Tom Barrett of $40

Bay View Park Proposal Rejected

Zielinski wants to create park next to another park. But Plan Commission denies zoning changes.

Commission Approves 27-Story Tower

Madison developer revives 27-story proposal on Prospect next to Goll House.

Brewers Hill Apartments Approved

Luxury Commons development moves forward after another public meeting.

Huge Project Proposed for Bay View

Six-floor, $25 million project with 144 apartments and 15,000 square feet of retail.

City Plan Members Love Couture

Commissioners laud the project, but possible second tower raises concerns.

Design By Committee

Or how Ald. Kovac and the Historic Preservation Commission bedevil architects.

Black Husky Brewing Opens

See inside the new Riverwest brewery.

Contribution to Tom Barrett of $100

Contribution to Michael Murphy of $40

New High Rise for East Side

It's a 13-story, 153-unit apartment building and neighbors seem to love the idea!

Two apartment projects advance on northern edge of Bay View neighborhood

The City’s $30 Million Design Project

National competition for lakefront bridge could have huge impact, but city’s process raises questions.

Redoing Gateway to Bay View?

Ald. Zielinski and designer of proposed 5-story, 72-unit complex on Kinnickinnic offer new version.

Paying for the Plaza: Lakefront Gateway could be built over time as sponsors step up

Bay View’s Golden Age?

A proposal for five new apartment buildings in Bay View. And will At Random be razed?

Big Dreams for Menomonee Valley

Second redevelopment plan for area envisions Riverwalk and food and beverage manufacturing district.

Planning and a Pint Series Takes on Lakefront Planning and Development

Please join the Urban Planning and Public Administration Chapters of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Alumni Association onWednesday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m

Architects Develop Plans for Near South Side

Charette creates architectural plans for underdeveloped parts of Clarke Square and Silver City neighborhoods.

A Woman in a Man’s World

Vanessa Koster is only the city's second woman planning manager.

Ground Breaking Day in the Park East

A flock of public officials turned out to celebrate the Avenir, a $20.7 million, 104-unit mixed-use building that begins construction.

City Authority Okays New Beerline Buildings

RACM approves two apartment buildings with 113 units that will increase density on N. Commerce St.

Zoning Committee Votes for Approval of MSOE Parking Garage

MSOE's $28 million, 750 stall parking garage proposal received approval at the February 22nd, 2012 meeting of the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee meeting.

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?

Downtown Plan Approved by City Plan Commission

The preparation of the Downtown Plan Update involved various public input sessions, countless hours of community and stakeholder input, resident surveys, the involvement of the business community, and the work of city staff.

Zoning Committee Approves Bookends Proposal

Resolution 071392 would authorize $1.25 million of additional funding from Tax Incremental District #48 for development of a riverwalk and associated public improvements located at 202 West Juneau Ave. $858,042 of the funding will go towards construction of a riverwalk, dock wall, public boat slip and public plaza with pedestrian access.   This work is part of the $42 million Aloft development and should pay off the TIF in seven years. The remaining portion of $278,160 will be used to purchase the right of way to construct the extension of Ogden St. and Market St. This resolution was approved by the committee and will now go before the full Common Council. Resolution 071500 would change the zoning for the properties located at 700 East Kibourn Ave. and 711 East Kibourn Ave. to General Planned Development and would specify the maximum height and density of the project. New Land Enterprises intends to build two mixed-use buildings with up to 20-stories, 230 residential units each and approximately 4000 square feet of retail space. The combined value of this project would not only add an estimated $120 million to the city tax base but would not utilize any city financing. A few neighboring business owners spoke in opposition to this project focusing their complaints mainly around height, density and potential parking issues. Specifically Margaret Gintoft, of Therapies East Associates, spoke at length repeatedly asking some form of the question “do you really want to have a high-rise on every corner, dwarfing these little buildings in between”? The land’s current zoning has no height limitation and as Vanessa Koster, from the Department of City Development, indicated “if he developed it under the current zoning parameters he could come in off the street and pull his permits and we would have no control over the design of the building, the materials, the location of the parking, and driveway access, so this gives us control over the design”. Although this change in zoning allows for more density than the current zoning, it also allows the City of Milwaukee input into the development process and now limits the building’s height. During the discussion Alderman Mike D’Amato responded to Margaret Gintoft’s question when he said “you spoke earlier about does the city want high-rises and do we want a high-density city. And I think the answer in some areas. In some areas the answer is yes”. This resolution was approved by the committee and will now go before the full Common Council.