Transform Milwaukee Strategic Action Plan Receives Award By American Planning Association – Wisconsin Chapter

MILWAUKEE (September 19, 2016) – The Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) and GRAEF are proud to announce the Transform Milwaukee Strategic Action Plan has been awarded an outstanding achievement in planning award from the American Planning Association – Wisconsin Chapter (APA-WI). The award recognizes the exceptional work of the Transform Milwaukee Planning Team, comprised of WHEDA, GRAEF, WEDC, Gruen Gruen + Associates, HNTB, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Prism Technical.

GRAEF, a Wisconsin-based engineering, planning and design firm is being awarded for outstanding achievement in planning by APA-WI for its work on the Transform Milwaukee Strategic Action Plan. GRAEF is joined in accepting this award along with WHEDA, who spearheaded this unique partnership. The winners will be presented to the public at the conference awards luncheon on Friday, September 23, 2016 at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis.

“We wanted to develop a cohesive plan that serves as a road map of collective ideas – ideas that can drive shared success in the core of the Milwaukee region,” said Stephanie Hacker, Practice Area Leader of the Planning + Urban Design Group at GRAEF. “The success of this planning effort was built on the collaboration between our partners and on a unified commitment to our city’s continued development and redevelopment.”

Released in April 2015, the Transform Milwaukee Strategic Action Plan captures the economic potential of core districts in the city of Milwaukee and seeks to improve the quality of life for Milwaukee residents by growing the economy and investing in workforce and infrastructure. The plan is built on existing plans and is oriented toward identifying specific actions and strategies that can be undertaken, incentivized or otherwise facilitated by WHEDA, WEDC and their partners to improve economic development, attract and retain businesses, enhance infrastructure, and develop the local workforce.

“This Plan has already spurred new investment through a true public-private partnership,” said Wyman Winston, Executive Director of WHEDA. “As of April 2016, WHEDA and its partners have invested nearly $400 million in the Transform Milwaukee Area.”

WHEDA, GRAEF and project partners will be honored by APA-WI at the APA Wisconsin Conference on Friday, September 23. To learn more about the Transform Milwaukee Strategic Action Plan, visit TransformMilwaukee.com.

About WHEDA

WHEDA’s mission is to stimulate Wisconsin’s economy and improve the quality of life for Wisconsin residents by providing affordable housing and business financing products. WHEDA provides the tools to help people and communities realize their hopes and dreams. For more information visit www.wheda.com.

About WEDC

WEDC’s mission is to elevate the Wisconsin economy to be the best in the world by providing a positive business climate, world-class support services, and economic development tools to accelerate business start-up, attraction, and growth.  For more information visit www.inwisconsin.com.

About GRAEF

GRAEF is an employee-owned, full-service engineering, planning and design firm with proven expertise in planning; landscape and industrial architecture; operations consulting; and structural, civil, transportation, MEP, and environmental engineering. GRAEF serves public and private clients from its offices in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Madison, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; and Orlando, Florida. For more than 50 years, GRAEF has demonstrated its commitment to continuously adapting to meet the changing needs of the industry and its clients. For more information, visit www.GRAEF-usa.com.

About Gruen Gruen + Associates

Gruen Gruen + Associates is an urban economics, market research and land use policy consulting firm established in 1970. For more information, visit www.ggassoc.com.

About HNTB

HNTB Corporation is an employee-owned infrastructure solutions firm providing architecture, engineering, planning and construction services serving public and private owners and contractors. For more information, visit www.hntb.com.

About Parsons Brinckerhoff

Parsons Brinckerhoff is a global sustainable consulting provider in the built and natural environment. This involves designing, engineering and managing buildings, transportation & infrastructure, and environmental projects. For more information, visit www.wsp-pb.com/en/WSP-USA/.

About Prism Technical

Prism Technical is a private sector entity that specializes in project and construction management, business development training and corporate internship training and placement. For more information, visit www.prismtechnical.com.

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.