Milwaukee

From the Article:

The public had an opportunity Monday to weigh in on a plan that would revamp Milwaukee's approach to housing policy.

As part of Mayor Cavalier Johnson's push to bring Milwaukee to one million residents, the Department of City Development (DCD) has begun the process of overhauling the city's zoning ordinances.

The DCD has already drafted a set of recommendations, and over the last two weeks, there have been a pair of public meetings aimed at collecting feedback.

The biggest change would end the practice of having some residential areas limited to only single-family housing. Currently, 40% of Milwaukee's residential land area is currently limited to single-family homes, according to a report the DCD released in October.

At Monday's public hearing, which was held at the Milwaukee Public Library's Good Hope Road location, Tracy Egerson intently read various informational board and scribbled her thoughts on sticky notes.

Egerson, who said she works in banking, was clearly passionate about the subject.

"I've dedicated my life to homeownership, currently with a concentration in Black homeownership and Hispanic homeownership," she said. "So, to me, I eat and breathe this topic."

Egerson said she supported the proposed zoning overhaul because of the value it'd bring for working-class kids. Edgerson said putting more small apartment buildings in the heart of residential neighborhoods would expose those children to successful homeowners at an early age.

"There's something to be said for a low-income family that can see a family that's maybe doing a little better," Egerson said. "The kids can aspire to maybe what they're doing."

Milwaukee's population peaked at 741,300 in 1960, according to U.S. Census records, but has steadily declined since, dipping to 576,300 in 2020.

Sam Leichtling, the city's planning manager, said the proposed changes would bring Milwaukee back to its roots. Leichtling said increasing the number of duplexes, townhouses and accessory dwelling units, known commonly as in-law suits, would allow families to stay together as parents age or as young adults prepare to head out on their own.

"We want to make sure that our zoning codes supports those styles of homes," he said.

Leichtling added the proposed changes wouldn't lead to the development of large multi-family apartment buildings in quiet neighborhoods. Instead, the recommendations suggest too many of Milwaukee's new apartments have been part of large developments. Since 2002, 80% of Milwaukee's new apartment units have come as part of buildings that include 25 or more units.

The drafted recommendations call for allowing duplexes and triplexes in areas currently zoned for single-family housing, while allowing fourplexes in areas zoned for two-family homes.

"The 'Growing MKE' recommendations aren't about plopping a skyscraper in the middle of a residential neighborhood," Leichtling said. "It's about saying, 'How do we incrementally grow?'"

Egerson said she believed such a change would allow first-time homeowners to also build wealth by becoming first-time landlords.

"That allows for the owners to have passive income in duplexes," she said. "So, you can generate income within your property."

Some of the other recommended changes include no longer requiring new developments to add a minimum number of parking spots tied to the amount of units being added. The draft also calls for ensuring new mixed-use developments emphasize having pedestrian-friendly ground levels.

Enrique Crespo said he was particularly supportive of those proposed building code changes.

"Having corner stores on the block, a little convenience store under you, so it encourages people to maybe bike, maybe walk," Crespo said. "And therefore interact with the community more."

Monday's meeting followed a similar session last week at the Mitchell Street Library. A virtual meeting is set for Wednesday, and open hours windows are scheduled at eight different libraries through Dec. 19; those times and locations are available here.

Leichtling said the DCD would review the feedback it gets and incorporate it into a final set of recommendations that will go before the Milwaukee Common Council. He said that presentation will likely happen in either the late spring or early summer of 2024.

From the article:

Fire ripped through Milwaukee's historic Trinity Lutheran Evangelical Church more than five years ago, and work continues to rebuild it.

In the aftermath, millions of dollars in restoration work was needed on the 140-year-old church. The community came together Saturday, Dec. 2 to support those working on the restoration.

"Pulled everything out of the church. Brought it here," said Ben Zuehlsdorf, owner of Zuehlsdorf Woodworks.

As part of the effort to raise money to help with those restorations, Zuehlsdorf Woodworks in West Allis hosted an open house fundraiser.

"It’s part of our history, it’s part of our Lutheran heritage, it’s part of Milwaukee history. It’s super important to me that this gets finished," Zuehlsdorf said.

From the article:

It's that time of year again: those winter parking signs we can ignore for much of the year are back in effect.

The City of Milwaukee's annual winter parking regulations kicked in on Dec. 1, 2023 and continue until March 1, 2024.

Here are the details of this year's Winter Parking Regulations, which kick in on Thursday of this week and run through March 1, 2024, as provided by DPW:

• No overnight parking is allowed on through highways and mass transit (bus) routes from December 1 to March 1. These streets are not posted. For a list of these streets please go to mpw.milwaukee.gov/services/winterregs page. In case of a "Snow Emergency" prior to Dec. 1 or after March 1, vehicles must be moved to a side street and must be legally parked in conformity with all other regulations on the proper side of the street.

• Overnight parking is allowed on both sides of the street from March 1 to Dec. 1. Alternate side night parking is allowed from Dec. 1 to March 1. These streets are not posted. For a list of these streets please go to the milwaukee.gov/Parking/ParkingRegulations page.

• Certain residential streets are posted "No Parking When Snow Falls 4 Inches or More." Parking is allowed on both sides of the street, except when snow has accumulated on the street surface to the depth of 4 inches or more. Then no parking is allowed on the side of the street where the sign is posted until the snow has been removed – day or night or at any time of the year. To determine whether this regulation applies to a specific street go to milwaukee.gov/Parking/ParkingRegulations .

• Certain residential streets are restricted to parking on a specific side of the street during the winter months. These streets are posted with signs reading "No Parking" on one side of the street, either for the entire Dec. 1 to March 1 period, or with a monthly alternation of the prohibited side. To determine whether this regulation applies to a specific street go to milwaukee.gov/Parking/ParkingRegulations .

• If a snow emergency has been declared, night parking regulations are in effect from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on all city streets regardless of the winter parking regulation.

• A "Snow Emergency" is declared to exist whenever snow falls during any period of 24 hours or less to a depth which is determined and declared by the Commissioner of Public Works to constitute a serious public hazard impairing transportation, the movement of food and fuel supplies, medical care, fire, health and police protection, and other vital facilities of the City. Such an emergency is declared to continue for a period of 72 hours or until such earlier times as snow plowing operations have been declared completed by the Commissioner of Public Works. "Snow Emergencies" are widely publicized on local radio and television stations. In addition, "Temporary No Parking Tow Away" signs may be posted by the City to assist in clean-up after major snowfalls. Vehicles parked in violation of "Snow Route Tow-Away Zone" and "Temporary No Parking Tow Away" signs or obstructing traffic during a "Snow Emergency" will be towed away at owner's expense. There are no exceptions.

• Milwaukee Public Schools makes some of its playgrounds and parking lots available for overnight parking during declared snow emergencies and clean-up periods. Take a look at Snow Emergency, Off-Street Parking on School Playgrounds List. Call the Department of Public Works Information Center at (414) 286-8282 during regular business hours for the location of a playground nearest your home.

• Stay informed, sign up for Parking Alerts: text alerts at milwaukeeparkingalerts.com and/or E-Notify email messages at milwaukee.gov/enotify. Follow DPW on Facebook and Twitter – both @milwaukeedpw.

• Call (414) 286-CITY for information and assistance.

• Check the DPW website at milwaukee.gov/Parking.

From the Article:

The Rosebud Cinema on North Avenue in Wauwatosa is expected to open this January after a nearly four-year closure. The cinema shut down operations during the Covid-19 pandemic and has yet to reopen.

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.

According to the company’s website, the theater remains closed until Jan. 8, 2024.

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 Milwaukee Business Journal reached out to the Neighborhood Theater Group's owner Lee Barczak but did not yet receive a response

Back in September of this year, a Milwaukee nonprofit leader Dave Celata organized what he called the Rosebud Community Nonprofit Meeting to discuss the future of the movie theater.

The Milwaukee Business Journal reached out to Celata for more information but did not receive an immediate response.

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

In early September, 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.

From the Article:

“Sentimental Adj. of or prompted by feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.

“Yup, that about sums it up. The last bell has rung, the last attendance has been taken, and the last student got their lunch. The last teacher vs. staff flag football game happened. The last recess occurred. It’s been a great run, Longfellow. #wawmproud”

That was the final post on the now-inactive Facebook page for Longfellow Elementary School, 2211 S. 60th St., in West Allis. At the end of the last school year, in June, Longfellow merged with Jefferson and Pershing Elementary Schools, ending a more than 100-year run for the school.

The move was part of a plan, approved by the West Allis-West Milwaukee School Board a year earlier, that also merged Madison Elementary with Walker Elementary, and Lane Intermediate with Frank Lloyd Wright Intermediate.

“What precipitated all of this, is that at one point we had over 12,000 students,” explains Steven Eichman, the district's manager of facilities, “and now we have just over 7,000.

"Before we consolidated these schools, we were operating the same square footage as we had when we had 5,000 more students. Programmatically and financially it makes no sense to keep doing that. It's not efficient.”

WAWM School District hired a consulting firm to make long-range demographic and enrollment projections as part of a district-wide facilities and maintenance plan, Eichman says.

“They did, I think it was 25 years of projection of enrollment and what that looks like,” he recalls. “They looked at some of the developments that are going on and all of that.

"People say, well, ‘we have a lot of apartment buildings, so there's a lot of families,’ and all that, but if they're predominantly one- and two-bedroom (units), that's not conducive for families and children, typically. And you don't see a lot of three-bedrooms in those (new buildings).”

From the Article:

A planned spring construction start for a professional soccer stadium in downtown Milwaukee means it is likely to host its first games in 2026.

That 8,000-seat stadium is the centerpiece of the $220 million Iron District development that will also have a hotel and apartments. Co-developers Bear Real Estate Group and Kacmarcik Enterprises are leading the project. Bear is well underway on a first building with 99 affordable apartments on the western end of the project site. A vacant former hotel on land east of the stadium site was torn down earlier this year.

The project team went into this year hoping the Iron District could host its first pro soccer games in 2025. That schedule is getting tight, and 2026 is more likely, S.R. Mills, CEO of Bear Real Estate, Kenosha, told the Milwaukee Business Journal.

Mills predicted the next phase of construction on the site would launch in spring 2024, giving contractors two years to build.

“We’re conscious of that just based on some of the unforeseen delays, we’re certainly in line for the 2026 season,” Mills said of the timing for an opening game in the stadium. “2025 is probably a bit of stretch where we’re at right now.”

The stadium would host games for a USL Championship league professional club founded by Milwaukee Pro Soccer, which is affiliated with Kacmarcik Enterprises. It also would host games for Marquette University’s men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse teams.

Marquette sold the project site at 803 W. Michigan St. to Bear and Kacmarcik Enterprises.

Mills said the project team has rejected the idea of starting up games in 2025 at a temporary home field before the new stadium is completed.

“The general belief is you only get one chance to have an opening day at your stadium, so we don’t want to water that down,” he said. “Nothing ever happens as quick as you’d like, but we’re pleased with where we are.”

A 180-room hotel would be built with the stadium. An operator for that hotel has not yet been announced.

From the Article:

After refilling storefronts and offices in the former Fox-Bay Cinema building in Whitefish Bay, New Land Enterprises is turning to new strategies to reopen its historic cinema space by the end of next year.

That means likely converting it from a movie theater into an event and live performance hall, with a connected restaurant and cocktail bar. That’s according to a recent presentation to Whitefish Bay’s Community Development Authority by Sheldon Oppermann, chief financial officer and general counsel of Fox-Bay theater owner New Land Enterprises.

New Land plans to issue a national call for proposals to find operators for the theater and restaurant space. The goal is to open them by the end of 2024, Oppermann said.

“We need to get the space back open,” Oppermann said. “We’re literally going out with a plan and a target. We’re targeting people to say we think this would work for you, and we want you to give us your best proposals.”

The theater closed its operations during the Covid-19 pandemic, and reviving the space has emerged as a leading economic development issue for Whitefish Bay officials. The village has already approved money for some renovations that New Land has already completed to refill office and retail spaces in the building.

Over the past year, New Land officials talked with two or three potential movie theater operators but found the concept would not be sustainable in the Fox-Bay building, Oppermann said. It also sought input from Whitefish Bay residents about the future of the building.

“We dug a little further and heard inside of that, what was so important about a movie theater,” Oppermann said. “What we heard was the village was looking for a place where people can meet and go with friends.”

Instead of a movie theater, New Land will seek to create a different kind of gathering place in the Fox-Bay building. It would bring in a mix of new destinations that together would keep the building active and generating money.

“The Fox-Bay theater really wants to be an entertainment venue,” Oppermann said. “That is a little broader than a movie theater but still a very specialized thing.”

A cocktail bar with food and drink service would fill a space next to the theater where a bar already is located. That would keep the building active and generating money for a future operator even if there are not events in the theater itself.

“We think this is cocktail and light food,” Oppermann said.

The theater space itself could still show movies but would also serve as an events venue for weddings or other gatherings. It would also host live performances, such as music or stand-up comedy, Oppermann said.

In addition to the events venue, a second-floor space would become a full-service restaurant, Oppermann said. The restaurant could have private dining rooms with tables on a balcony overlooking the theater space.

That restaurant serves as a third potential line of business for the former theater space, along with the cocktail bar and event hall.

“The people we've spoken with have said the food and beverage venue is going to have to be able to stand alone," Oppermann said.

New Land within 90 to 120 days intends to apply for building permits to start renovating the space for those new uses, Oppermann said. The renovation will include adding an elevator to that second-floor space, which is a costly addition to the project.

“It has a direction,” he said. “It is a very clear, defined program and scope.”

New Land over the past year has already refilled other parts of the building, which has storefronts and a third-floor office space in addition to the theater itself.

The buildout for the top floor of the building for a Northwestern Mutual financial adviser office has been completed, and the space is occupied, Oppermann said.

Hair salon Drybar, the JS Nail Spa and Live Hydration spa are all open in the retail spaces facing Silver Spring Drive. Oppermann said New Land will have exceeded $2 million of funds invested into the building after that work is done.

Records show one of the missing Milwaukee students was 15-year-old Erik J. Mendoza. Mendoza was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the Oct. 25 beating death of 5-year-old Prince McCree. McCree’s body was found in a dumpster after being reported missing by his mother the day before.

Mendoza hasn't attended school since Fall 2019, when he would have been about 12 years old.

Mendoza is also accused of committing three random, nonfatal stabbings of strangers he encountered on the street in Milwaukee, two days before Prince was killed.

Tuesday (11/21):

Community Harvest Feast (Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center)

Harvestfest 2023 (The Milwaukee LGBT Community Center)

Milwaukee Public Library Fall Harvest Community Meal (Mitchell Street Branch Library)

Thursday (11/23):

Dream Team United MKE (The intersection of North 35th and West Center streets)

Northcott Neighborhood House (2460 N. 6th St.)

Do you know of more things that should be on this list? Please leave them here.

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service compiled a list of community meals and turkey giveaways before Thanksgiving and on Thanksgiving Day. And they also offer tips on how you can donate your money or time to help keep people fed this holiday season.

From the article:

State lawmakers sent a bill to Gov. Tony Evers‘ desk Tuesday that would spend more than a half-billion dollars in public funding on upgrades to the Milwaukee Brewers‘ stadium, a move that aims to keep the team in Wisconsin until at least 2050.

Shortly after the stadium plan cleared both houses of the Legislature, Evers announced that he would sign it.

In an era when the governor and Republican lawmakers have regularly been at odds on major issues, the Brewers deal was about as bipartisan as it gets. Senators approved the plan on a 19-14 vote Tuesday, with eight Democrats joining 11 Republicans to support the bill. Without support from both parties, the deal would have fallen apart.

During a debate in the Senate Tuesday, backers said the deal would ensure that a Wisconsin institution remains in the state with a limited cost to taxpayers, arguing that the ongoing revenue from the Brewers made the agreement an easy call.

“This is a good deal for baseball fans, a good deal for taxpayers and a good deal for the state of Wisconsin,” said Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac.

But the plan also drew bipartisan opposition from lawmakers who argued the government was handing too much to a professional baseball team that could afford to fund more of the stadium costs on its own.

“The Brewers have decided that they need additional cash, and we are falling for that,” said Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, who voted against the plan. “This is a trick that is unfortunately pulled by Major League Baseball around the country.”

For the state of Wisconsin, the Brewers deal marks the second time in less than a decade that taxpayers have chipped in for the cost of a stadium, though the public’s share of the costs were higher in this deal than they were the last time around.

In 2015, lawmakers and then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker negotiated a deal for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks that called for $250 million in private funds and $250 million from taxpayers.

GOP senators amended the Brewers plan as they worked to secure a combination of Republican and Democratic votes, spelling out details for a new ticket surcharge and expanding a newly-created stadium district board.

The ticket surcharge, which would cover non-Brewers events like concerts, would start at $2 in 2024 and step its way up to $4 by 2042 for most tickets. For luxury boxes, the surcharge would start at $8 and work its way up to $10 by 2042.

The stadium district board would be increased to 13 members, up from nine in a previous version of the bill. Seven of those members — a majority — would be appointed by the governor and not subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

The state would spend about $387 million under the deal according to the latest summary by the Legislature’s nonpartisan budget office. That contribution could go down to $366 million depending on how much is generated by the new ticket surcharge.

The city of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County would pay a combined $135 million under the Senate plan. The team’s contribution would be about $110 million.

Rick Schlesinger, the president of business operations for the Milwaukee Brewers, praised the Senate’s action in a written statement.

“This vote by a bipartisan majority of the State Senate is a historic moment, not only allowing the Stadium District to meet its obligations to maintain the ballpark but paving the way for the Brewers to remain in Wisconsin for the next generation,” Schlesinger said.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson also praised the deal, saying the city and county costs would be limited to an administrative fee associated with the new local sales tax.

“What that means is no negative impacts will be felt in future city budgets and no loss of shared revenue as a result of the stadium deal,” Johnson said.

After the Senate passed the plan Tuesday, the Assembly agreed to the changes on a bipartisan 72-26 vote. Assembly lawmakers passed a similar version of the deal last month that, likewise, would have failed without support from Democrats.

Evers, who offered up his own version of a Brewers deal earlier this year, issued a statement shortly after the plan cleared both houses of the Legislature announcing he would sign it.

“For decades, the Brewers have been a cherished part of our state’s heritage and an essential part of Milwaukee’s and our state’s economic success. And after months of hard work, I’m proud to say we’re going to be keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee,” Evers said.

The latest Brewers deal comes more than two decades after the team played its first game in what was then known as Miller Park, which was renamed American Family Field in 2021.

The stadium was itself a product of another legislative deal, passed roughly 28 years ago, to keep the Brewers from leaving Wisconsin. That agreement passed the Senate by a single vote in 1995, and cost one lawmaker, Racine Republican George Petak, his state Senate seat.

While the latest deal is designed to keep the team in Wisconsin for another 27 years, critics argued that the state didn’t get enough assurances, or concessions, from the Brewers.

Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, who voted against the plan, said it should have included a review of the Brewers’ finances by the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau.

“Why is that audit not in front of us?” Cowles said. “It should be the first thing to help guide us through the dilemma of this bill.”

Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, told colleagues that the combination of an audit and a larger contribution from the team could have won his vote. Instead, he voted against it, warning it set the state up for another subsidy debate in the near future.

“The Brewers will be back here around 2035 saying this ballpark is inadequate, outdated, and we want a brand new $1.5 billion stadium,” Carpenter said. “And the sad part is the individuals who put together this package … what they’ve done is continue the deception of what’s going to happen to taxpayers.”

But Senate Minority Leader Melissa Agard, D-Madison, who supported the plan, argued lawmakers made it better by reducing the state’s contribution and increasing the team’s compared to the version that passed the Assembly. The plan would include future audits biennial audits of the Brewers park district, she noted. And, most notably, it would result in the Brewers staying put for years to come.

“At this moment, state and local governments across the country are spending public dollars on sports franchises,” Agard said during a speech on the Senate floor. “We can debate the merits of this choice as a matter of public policy. But in an era where literally everyone is doing this type of bidding, we can’t risk losing out on our home crew.”

With its Lake Michigan shoreline and colorful fall foliage, Seven Bridges Trail in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a well-kept secret.

From the article:

Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is readily available at grocery stores throughout the area, but Milwaukeeans will soon be able to order scoops of Cherry Garcia, The Tonight Dough and other famous flavors directly.

A franchisee for the Vermont-based company is planning to open the first Milwaukee-area “scoop shop” at 203 N. Broadway, in the Historic Third Ward. It would also be the first in Wisconsin.

The future Milwaukee ice cream shop will occupy approximately 1,000 square feet at ground level of the five-story InterLace Lofts building, located in the heart of the neighborhood.

Margaret Martin owns the building, as well as the property immediately to the north, which houses MOD GEN.

Although Ben & Jerry’s has become known for its chunky, colorful pints, the international brand had humble beginnings as an ice cream stand. It opened in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. As of 2020, the ice cream producer now makes 194,164,352 pints per year in the US that are sold in 36 countries worldwide,

Through the years, Ben & Jerry’s has distinguished itself among other premium ice cream brands with its creative flavors and crowd-pleasing ratio of add-ins (fudge, brownie chunks, cookie dough, marshmallow ribbons and more) to rich, creamy ice cream.