Depending on which news sources you follow, Milwaukee is going through either a “renaissance” or a “reinvention.” Or maybe it’s a “reboot” or a “reimagining,” like that crappy Tim Burton version of Planet Of The Apes. However you want to define it, it’s safe to say that Milwaukee is currently building a lot of new and wonderful things.
• Approximately 8 zillion fans packed themselves into the Deer District for the Bucks’ historic championship run, but that probably won’t happen again. Why? Not because the Bucks won’t dominate in the years to come, but because all those empty Deer District overflow lots—especially the ones immediately north and south of Fiserv Forum—will soon be developed into hotels, apartments, maybe some retail, maybe a movie theater, maybe some more hotels and apartments, and god knows what else. It was fun (and crowded) while it lasted! [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Despite “overwhelming public opposition,” that five-story, 79-unit apartment building planned for 1887 N. Water St. along the Milwaukee River—a.k.a. the site of that vacant and forever-tagged Pro Graphics building—got another thumbs-up from the city. As you may recall, 60 of the units in the so-called EIGHTEEN87 on Water building would be set aside for folks earning less than 60% of the local median income. Sixteen of those units would be set aside for folks with physical and mental disabilities earning less than 30% of the local median income. [Urban Milwaukee]
• A four-story, 43-unit luxury apartment building could be coming to 4414 N. Oakland Ave. in Shorewood. The site is currently home to a vacant North Shore Bank building. That building would be demolished to make way for the so-called Eyrie, which would boast monthly rents between $1,523 and $2,774. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• A Milwaukee alderman is upset over the new and wonderful things that aren’t being built outside the Marcus Performing Arts Center. Remember that dingy grove of trees that used to be there? Well, now it’s a wide open lawn—albeit a wide open lawn surrounded by a chain-link fence. “Once upon a time everyone and anyone could relax in a pleasant grove of trees providing welcome shade on a hot summer day,” Ald. Bob Bauman said, apparently not kidding when he called that dingy grove of trees “pleasant.” “Now it looks like a prison yard.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Real estate broker Paul McKenna recently purchased the old Jazz Oasis building at 2379 N. Holton St. and is rehabbing it into offices for his business, McKenna Real Estate. [Urban Milwaukee]
• The Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee gave a thumbs-up to Josh Delaney’s plan to build a three-story office building and four adjoining townhomes on the 1500 block of N. Jefferson St—BUT, Urban Milwaukee notes, “not before one project opponent sang an original song as public testimony to encourage green energy investments.”
“We may win a basketball championship, but why don’t we protect our planetship,” said [community member Larry] Hoffman in the only portion Urban Milwaukee was able to quickly transcribe.
Delaney plans to use the office building for his internet business, live in one of the townhomes, “and rent out the remaining homes for between $7,000 and $9,000 each per month.” [Urban Milwaukee]
• The Department of City Development would like someone to build something big on a 1.1-acre site along W. North Ave. in Bronzeville, please. [Urban Milwaukee]
• We’re officially changing the name of this column from “In case you blinked last week, here are all the new and wonderful things they’re building in Milwaukee,” to “In case you blinked last week, here are all the new and wonderful events venues that are being built in historic Milwaukee-area buildings.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• It’s Monday, so we’re talkin’ streetcar expansions again. [Urban Milwaukee]
• And what did we learn this week? Well, they’re always building something. Isn’t that right, old song from my old band?
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• Full “New And Wonderful Things” (formerly called “New Sh*t”) archives