Milwaukee

New train! Very excited

WisDOT released their alternatives for WIS175. Ive linked the website that places to submit feedback.

What are your thoughts on the alternatives?

New vendor announced for Vel R Phillips Plaza

In Chicago, venues are booking fast for the Democratic convention in August. But Milwaukee, host of the Republican convention, is wondering if customers will come.

From the Article:

The Midwest Gaming Classic celebrates its 23rd anniversary this year and will take place the weekend of April 5-7 at the Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave.

The event is a whirlwind of activity with over 10,000 games on free play from cherished vintage classics to cutting-edge releases. Attractions also include classic pinball and arcade games, every generation of console, tabletop games, a 125,000 square foot vendor hall with over 200 vendors, live entertainment including pro wrestling, bands, and meet and greets with pop-culture personalities.

Among the unique programming attractions this year will be Steve Henneberry (AKA “Tower” from American Gladiator), who will combat attendees in Johann Sebastian Joust, a no-graphics, digitally-enabled playground game designed for motion controllers. Attendees can also look forward to a wider variety of esports, gamer podcasts, the MGC Cosplay Championship, and The World of Nintendo Exhibit.

From the Article:

Three months after announcing the closure of its 126-year-old city club, the University Club of Milwaukee is in the process of selling its downtown building to Northwestern Mutual.

The University Club of Milwaukee's board president Jim Caragher and Northwestern Mutual confirmed the news to the Milwaukee Business Journal Monday morning after Urban Milwaukee president Jeramey Jannene shared the news on X, formerly Twitter.

Northwestern Mutual has "reached an agreement (in principle) to purchase the University Club property at 924 E. Wells St.," Northwestern Mutual senior director of strategic communications and corporate reputation Julia Fennelly said in an email.

"As an active real estate investor, Northwestern Mutual is a steward of our downtown Milwaukee campus and neighboring area and the opportunity to invest in the University Club property allows us to ensure the building continues to serve as a prominent, thriving downtown hub for the Milwaukee community," Fennelly said.

Northwestern Mutual plans to share its intended use for the building in the near future, she said. The company declined to share the terms of the agreement and the purchase price.

The University Club property's total assessment is $2,728,500 and the estimated fair market value is $3,277,871, according to its 2023 city property tax bill.

After the building sells, the University Club would use the proceeds to refund former members who paid a $5,000 assessment the club levied in April 2023 as it attempted to raise money to keep the club open and pay for facility upgrades, according to previous Milwaukee Business Journal reporting.

From the Article:

The city has found a contractor to stabilize the again-failing facade at Milwaukee City Hall.

Urban Milwaukee reported in October that pieces of the terra cotta facade were breaking off, less than 15 years after they were replaced as part of a $76 million project.

The city, said a Department of Public Works (DPW) spokesperson in October, was pursuing “accountability.” But as Urban Milwaukee reported, a 2014 settlement could very well bar the city from recouping any of the costs.

And now, the public has an indication of what the starting point for those costs is.

A newly filed building permit indicates a $1.62 million “temporary facade stabilization” effort, primarily netting, will be installed by Wiss, Jannet, Elstner Associates, Inc. (WJE) and general contractor Mark 1 Masonry, both of Illinois.

“There is some flaking of the fabrication and as our first and main responsibility is safety, the netting is being put up as a precaution to hold the flaking pieces of the terra cotta in place and prevent any from falling to the sidewalk or street surrounding City Hall,” said a DPW spokesperson Friday. “The work should begin in April and conclude in October.”

From the Article:

The school funding referendum, less than two weeks away, is make or break for Milwaukee Public Schools, according to administrators.

MPS principals told Urban Milwaukee that for their schools the referendum is a question between maintaining their current level of staffing and resources, or budget cuts.

“A ‘Yes’ referendum is going to make our school function very similar to how it’s functioning today, and a ‘No’ referendum will change our schools significantly,” said Frank Lammers, Principal of the German Immersion School.

The district is trying to make its case with voters for an additional $252 million in funding over the next four years, with approximately $125 million coming from a property tax increase in the City of Milwaukee. The district successfully went to referendum just four years ago for an additional $87 million.

MPS, the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association and their political allies have been trying to generate support for the funding increase. The city’s powerful business lobby, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has bankrolled an ad campaign opposing the referendum. Another opposition campaign organized by local attorney Daniel Adams is arguing the proposed tax increase will negatively affect housing affordability.

“I would say in my tenure, as a principal, this is the most significant budget that we’ve that I have had to go through,” said Lammers, who has been principal of German Immersion School for seven years.

DPW just released plans and renders for the upcoming Michigan St redesign. What are your thoughts?

From the Article:

A quickly-expanding trail could soon link Milwaukee’s South Side and southern suburbs with Lake Michigan.

The City of Milwaukee and three suburban cities are moving forward on a study of expanding the Powerline Trail. The completed trail would roughly parallel Howard Avenue from S. 104th St. all the way east to Lake Michigan. A northern leg would parallel Interstate 894, running north to the Zoo Interchange and Hank Aaron State Trail.

The central portion of the 10-foot-wide paved trail was recently completed and a second segment is expected to join it later this year.

In 2022, the City of Greenfield opened the $1.5 million first phase between the intersection of S. 99th Street and W. Cold Spring Road and the intersection of S. 60th Street and W. Plainfield Avenue. An on-street segment on W. Cold Spring Road links the three-mile trail with the Oak Leaf Trail just west of S. 104th Street.

A $1.2 million second phase, slated for construction in 2024, will extend the trail east into the city of Milwaukee. The trail will be extended east from S. 60th Street to S. 35th Street, Pondview Park and Zablocki Park. State-administered federal grants are covering most of the construction costs of the first two segments.

A $250,000 study is now about to begin to design a trail extension east of Pondview Park to Lake Michigan and north from the trail’s western terminus toward the Hank Aaron State Trail. Additional efforts could see the trail extended southwest.

From the Article:

The $148 million project to offer north-south commuter bus service on 27th Street starting in 2028 took a step forward Monday with a route endorsement from a Milwaukee County Board committee.

That 18-mile “Connect 2” route would span almost the entire county, running from Bayshore mall in Glendale to the Ikea store in Oak Creek. The new BRT, or Bus Rapid Transit, service would replace the existing PurpleLine bus route. It would run faster, with more frequent service at stations to be a more practical alternative for commuting workers.

The east-west Connect 1 BRT route between downtown Milwaukee and Wauwatosa began passenger service in June 2023.

Pending additional approvals, construction could begin in 2026 for a start of passenger service in 2028, according to a Monday presentation to the Milwaukee County Board’s Committee on Transportation and Transit. That committee unanimously endorsed the route for the Connect 2 line, sending it to the full County Board for a possible approval on March 21.

County Board approval for that locally preferred route is a necessary step for the BRT to continue its planning and start more detailed engineering work, said David Locher, manager of enhanced transit for the Milwaukee County Transit System. The route can still be changed in the future, and more steps are needed in order to spend federal construction funds, Locher said.

“It’s a milestone to get us on to other milestones,” Locher said.

The bulk of the project’s funding would come through the Federal Transit Administration’s Small Starts grant program. Milwaukee County funding would cover about 20% of the budget.

The line would run primarily on 27th Street, with 64 stations serving 32 destinations. Those include a stop at 27th Street and Drexel Avenue outside the Franklin office campus that Northwestern Mutual intends to close and eventually sell as it moves those 2,000 jobs to downtown Milwaukee in 2027.

That announcement came about a year ago. The planning for the north-south Connect 2 line began in 2020.

County Board Supervisor Patti Logsdon asked about the impact of Northwestern Mutual’s move on the anticipated route.

“I’m sure that’s got to have a big effect on the ridership,” she said.

Locher said that even without Northwestern Mutual employees, “the ridership continues to be very strong.” The existing PurpleLine, like the proposed Connect 2, goes south to Ikea.

“Our commitment has always been to invest where the ridership is the highest,” he said. “At the outset of the study, yes, there was that NML component with their campus on the south end. There were even early discussions of maybe it could route through there. Front-door service.”

From the Article:

A cherished liquor store that's been on Milwaukee's east side since 1934 is embarking on a new journey with new ownership.

"This has been a long time in the making," said Sarah Zimmerman.

Tonit Calaway and Sarah Zimmerman, of Boss Babes, Inc., have recently acquired Downer Wine & Spirits.

"Tonit and I are both attorneys and so we come from a legal background," explained Zimmerman.

Both women are longtime residents of the Downer Avenue neighborhood. Zimmerman said she and her husband moved to the area nearly 17 years ago.

"We've been coming here as customers ever since we started living here," she added.

When the friends heard brothers Mark and Steve Nord were selling their store after about 18 years, they had to jump in on the opportunity.

"Downer Avenue thrives when it's bustling, when all the storefronts are full, and we really wanted to contribute to keeping that going. We didn't want to see another vacant spot," Zimmerman said.

For 90 years, this wine and liquor store has been at this exact location under similar names and different ownership, all while still maintaining their diverse selection.

Manager Michael Morris has been working at the liquor store since 2006.

"We try to have some of the best beer and wine and liquor that's available out there," he told CBS 58 News.

Morris said it's no surprise many customers, like Zimmerman and Calaway, always come back.

"We try everything that comes into the store and make sure that everything's great, so that you can pick anything out and it's going to be a quality good product," he added.

Zimmerman said the essence of the neighborhood staple will remain intact under new ownership.

From the Article:

A little over five months since the Downer Theatre unexpectedly closed, the organization behind the annual Milwaukee Film Festival said it will assume operations of the movie theater next month, starting with the 2024 running of the film festival followed by regular movie showings afterward.

The Downer Theatre, at 2589 N. Downer Ave., was the city's oldest operating theater when it closed in September 2023. It was operated by Landmark Theatres, and the building is owned by Bridge33 Capital LLC of Seattle, which owns 61,000 square feet of building spaces on both sides of Downer Avenue, which house businesses including Cafe Hollander, Stone Creek Coffee and Boswell Book Co.

In a press release, Milwaukee Film did not disclose the nature of its business arrangement with the theater, whether it is being purchased or leased. An organization representative did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

The 2024 Milwaukee Film Festival is scheduled for April 11 through April 25 and will include screenings at the Downer Theatre, Milwaukee Film’s Oriental Theatre, and two other local theaters, the Avalon Theater and the Times Cinema. The festival will revive the Downer starting April 12.

Susan Mikulay, chair of Milwaukee Film’s board of directors, said the Downer has been a cornerstone of Milwaukee's cinematic and cultural scene since its opening in 1915. After the closure, Milwaukee Film made its interest in the theater public.

"Our mission has always been to make cinematic experiences possible for as many people as possible, and expanding our footprint in this way is a key next step in doing that,” Mikulay said in a press release.

Beginning April 26, the Downer will offer a year-round program of first-run independent, foreign and documentary films, curated by Milwaukee Film's programming team.

“Our being able to reopen the Downer this spring is a significant occasion for our organization as well as for the neighborhood,” said Cara Ogburn, artistic director at Milwaukee Film. “When the Downer closed last year, it meant that many films could not show on screens in our city. Adding these two screens to our footprint will allow us to better serve our community with high-quality films year-round.”

The Downer will become the second former Landmark Theatre to be acquired by Milwaukee Film. In 2017, the organization took control of the Oriental Theatre on Milwaukee's east side and embarked on a multiyear, multimillion-dollar restoration project. At that time, the organization also publicly expressed its interest in the Downer Theater.

From the Article:

Ethan Hawke – four-time Oscar-nominee, noted Rihanna appreciator and silver fox – is on his way to Milwaukee. Hawke will be in town for two screenings of his new film, Wildcat, on Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, May 19 at 2 p.m. at the Oriental Theatre.

Wildcat, which Hawke directed and co-wrote, stars his daughter, Maya Hawke, as Flannery O’Connor, the mid-20th-century author of A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Everything That Rises Must Converge and more. The film follows the legendary Southern Gothic writer at the age of 24, when she was diagnosed with lupus (a disease that would eventually take her life). The diagnosis inspires her to explore her Catholic faith and her belief in the power of art, as she begins to compose her greatest stories.

From the Article:

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley signed legislation Wednesday providing $500,000 for park projects and workforce spending.

The funding, although just a small piece of the overall Milwaukee County Parks budget for 2024, was made possible by the new 0.4% countywide sales tax that went into effect in January.

The new sales tax came thanks to a lobbying effort by the city and county for legislative authority from the state to generate additional revenue and reform the pension systems that were dragging on the budgets of both governments. The additional revenue provided the county with the first budget surplus in decades.

“And what that means is that rather than determining what cuts will be least harmful to this community, it gave us an opportunity to look at what investments can we actually make to deploy the most beneficial investments for all of our residents within Milwaukee County,” County Executive Crowley said during the signing event at Tiefenthaler Park.

The Milwaukee County Board earmarked the funding in the 2024 budget and asked Milwaukee County Parks to return to them with a plan to spend the money. Parks developed a list of ideas it’s calling “high-impact” projects, which the department can implement quickly and be recognized by county residents this year.

Tiefenthaler Park in Midtown received one of the larger allocations in the package: $100,000. Parks will use the funding to turn a wading pool into a splash pad and upgrade lighting and pathways throughout the park. The upgrades are intended to enhance the upgrades already made at the park by the Kellogg Peak Initiative, which essentially turned a park pavilion into a community center.

From the Article:

The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) has operated battery electric buses for less than a year, and in light of a spotty first nine months and changing “market realities,” officials are planning to only purchase clean-diesel buses in the near term.

Top transportation officials have been suggested in recent months that ordering new BEBs is not a good idea for the county. One of the primary reasons is that there aren’t any manufacturers in the U.S. market officials trust. The BEB manufacturer MCTS purchased the county’s first BEBs from left the U.S. market in 2023 and isn’t accepting new orders. And on top of it all, the technology has not proven itself reliable and the buses are incredibly expensive.

Officials from MCTS and the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will go before the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors in March seeking changes to the county policy for battery electric buses and fleet replacement.

Officials are proposing that the county continue to replace aging buses with new clean-diesel buses. Additionally, transitioning to an alternative fuel source bus will be paused until “these vehicles are further tested, easily available, determined to be fiscally sustainable and have the appropriate infrastructure deployed within Milwaukee,” according to the draft policy.

This would tweak the county’s existing policy, which only held off on transitioning the fleet from diesel to battery electric until the end of a BEB pilot program, which was the implementation of 11 BEBs along the Connect 1 bus rapid transit line.

From the Article:

In what will now amount to a total $100 million investment, St. Augustine Preparatory Academy said Tuesday that it will demolish several buildings on the former Cardinal Stritch University campus and construct new buildings as it plans a fall 2026 opening of a north campus for the K4-12 Christian school.

The investment amount includes the $24 million price for acquiring the property, the school said in a press release. The 43.5-acre site in Glendale and Fox Point became available last spring after Cardinal Stritch announced that it would discontinue operations following its commencement ceremony in May.

The investment is twice the $50 million that was initially planned to rework the campus.

The school will be known as Aug Prep North and is expected to open in fall 2026 with just over 300 students in grades K4-6th and 9th. It will grow to serve 1,000-plus students in grades K4-12.

A second phase — beyond the $100 million investment — is envisioned for the future, which would eventually build capacity to reach 2,000-plus students.

St. Augustine Prep was founded by Gus and Becky Ramirez and has quickly grown to become one of the top-rated K4-12 schools in Wisconsin, according to the press release. The Ramirez family and Husco International, a lead benefactor of Aug Prep, have committed $75 million in the first phase at Aug Prep North. A fundraising campaign, initially targeting $15 million, has been increased to $25 million, with over $5.5 million already raised.

From the Article:

The Target store that opened at Bayshore in 2021 was listed for sale this month for almost $14.4 million, along with two other buildings at the Glendale mall.

The Target store's sale isn’t likely to affect its operations, as a buyer would want the property because the national retailer is leasing the building and paying rent. There are 11 years remaining on Target’s lease for the building, plus options to extend that for up to 50 more years, according to the marketing materials for the property.

That Target store is an anchor for the most recent redevelopment of Bayshore. Mall manager Cypress Equities, of Dallas, built the two-story Target on the footprint of the mall’s former Boston Store, which closed in 2018. Cypress also tore down portions of the enclosed mall at Bayshore, opening land for new apartments and other additions.

Bayshore, through a spokesperson, on Tuesday issued an emailed response to questions about the attempt to sell the Target. The listing to sell the building to an investor is a “standard course of operational business in the real estate industry,” according to Bayshore’s statement.

SRS Capital Markets’ Chicago office is listing the Target store for sale, along with two other standalone buildings at Bayshore. The marketing materials say Bayshore ranks in the 97th percentile among U.S. shopping centers with 5.5 million annual visits in 2023, according to data compiled by Placer.ai.

“The subject property affords an investor the rare opportunity to acquire a generational legacy asset leased to one of the premier retailers in the world, with unmatched underlying intangibles, while further mitigating risk with far-below market rent and an acquisition price substantially below replacement cost,” the materials state.

The property has 128,512 square feet of rentable building space on 3.57 acres.

Also for sale is the Bayshore building at 5600 N. Bayshore Drive that houses First Citizens Bank and Crumbl Cookies. Its asking price is $3.28 million. The U.S. Bank branch at Bayshore is also for sale, with a $4.67 million asking price.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming RNC?

From the Article:

It’s time to grab your ID and head to the polls. There is an election Tuesday.

Though all eyes are on Wisconsin’s role in the November presidential election, Milwaukee voters can go to the polls this spring to reshape who leads city and county government.

Tuesday’s primary election will narrow the field to two candidates in four races, with many more winner-take-all contests between two candidates to follow on April 2. Only races with three or more candidates appear on the primary ballot.

All city of Milwaukee voters will find a three-way race for mayor on the ballot. Incumbent Cavalier Johnson is vying for a full four-year term against two challengers.

But voters in three select areas of Milwaukee will also find a legislative race on their ballot. On the southwest side, there is a three-way race to replace retiring alderman Mark Borkowski. In the north-central portion of the city, there is a four-way race to replace alderman Khalif Rainey, who opted not to run for reelection after two terms.

The final race will appear on the ballot for residents of the city’s far northwest side. Incumbent Deanna Alexander faces two challengers to retain her seat on the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors.

From the Article:

Kehr’s Candies made an announcement last Friday that was as bittersweet as its hand-dipped chocolates.

The confectionery will leave its longtime post at the Milwaukee Public Market at the end of the month, but will continue to offer its products for deliveries, curbside pickup and, eventually, pop-ups.

Owners Katey and Paul Martinka announced the news in a social media post, noting that the transition will allow them to step away from “the demands that come with a brick-and-mortar detail candy business.” The pair also shared their gratitude for the Milwaukee Public Market and the Historic Third Ward Association.

Kehr’s Candies joined the then-new Public Market in 2006, occupying a prime spot at the center of the bustling food hall, 400 N. Water St. The business’s history, however, stretches back much further. Pearl and B.D. Kehr first launched Kehr’s in 1930, offering homemade caramel corn and potato chips. They later expanded to sell chocolate fudge and other candies, slowly adding additional products as they acquired new recipes.

The store occupied several Milwaukee buildings before settling in at 3533 W. Lisbon Ave. in the mid-1950s. More than 75 years later, the space is still in use as a production kitchen for Kehr’s.

Paul joined the business at the age of 18, working as a stock boy under the Kehr’s son, Bill. After spending 12 years learning the ins and outs of the candy-making trade, Paul took over as owner in 1995. Today, Kehr’s chocolatiers continue to reference B.D. Kehr’s original recipes and use many of the same tools as the founder.

From the Article:

After an almost four-year closure, the Rosebud Cinema on North Avenue in Wauwatosa has officially reopened.

The nearly 100-year-old, single-screen movie theater opened in 1931 at 6823 W. North Ave. It is operated by the Neighborhood Theater Group.

The Neighborhood Theater Group owns three movie theaters in Wisconsin. Along with the Rosebud, the company owns and operates the Avalon Theater on South Kinnickinnic Avenue and Times Cinema on West Vliet Street.

The Times Cinema recently shared on social media that it would be transitioning away from regularly scheduled film programming to special public or private events. The only movie screenings currently listed on The Times Cinema's website are its Friday Night Freak Show series presented by WMSE-FM (91.7), which include screenings on Feb. 16, March 15 and April 19.

Back in late November of 2023, the Rosebud Cinema announced its reopening, which was then slated for Jan. 8.

The Rosebud Cinema is screening its first movies on Feb. 14. The theater currently lists showtimes through Feb. 29 on its website.

Milwaukee's movie theater scene experienced many changes in 2023.

In early September 2023, Marcus Theatres closed down three of its Milwaukee-area cinemas, Marcus Southgate Cinema, Marcus Showtime Cinema and Marcus Saukville Cinema. In late September, the Downer Theatre, which was the city's oldest operating theater, unexpectedly closed its doors. It had been open at 2589 N. Downer Ave. since December 1915.

Milwaukee Film Festival organizer Milwaukee Film had previously expressed an interest in acquiring the Downer Theatre but has not made any recent comments about progress.