Proposed housing development in 9th District would be a detriment to surrounding community

Tomorrow the Common Council’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee will hear a proposal to build a 200+ unit housing development at 9050 N. Swan Rd. in the 9th Aldermanic District. The residents of the area have made it clear to me that they do not want this development in the district, and to that end, I will stand with them in opposition to the proposal from Royal Capital.

The trepidation residents are feeling is justified. Look no further than Royal Capital’s Madison apartment complex The Harmony. In 2023, two homicides occurred at The Harmony within four months of each other. Beyond just those incidents, the track record at The Harmony also includes a long list of incidents requiring police presence, as well as building code enforcement notices and violations that were never handled in a proper or timely manner. If this is how Royal Capital intends to operate their proposed development in the 9th District and treat residents, it is not a welcome addition.

Additionally, while Royal Capital has scaled back their initial request from 1,125 units over three phases of development to the current plan, I believe their intent is to request future additions to this site to achieve their original goal of more than 1,000 units. This is not what the neighbors want, and I agree with their stance.

We need a developer who is conscientious about the community as a whole and who offers a development with the residents’ well-being in mind. The track record of Royal Capital doesn’t instill that confidence or trust with the community. We cannot afford to import a known liability, the risk to residents, city staff, and public safety is simply too high.

All those interested in this development can attend tomorrow’s committee meeting at 9 a.m. in room 301-B at City Hall, 200 E. Wells St. Additionally, the meeting will be broadcast live on the City Channel, available in the city on Spectrum cable channel 25 and on AT&T U-Verse (channel 99), and streamed live at www.city.milwaukee.gov/citychannel.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.