Avenues West Housing Redevelopment

the university of wisconsin-milwaukeeschool of architecture and urban planning

ADVANCING HOUSING IN

AVENUES WESTstudent reporte

The following individuals or organizations graciously contributed their time, expertise, and ideas to us as we conducted our analysis of the study area and created the recommendations contained within this report. We are indebted to them all, especially Keith Stanley, Executive Director of the Avenues West Association, Janet Grau, of the Milwaukee Department of City Development, and Carolyn Esswein and Nancy Frank, our instructors at UWM, all of whom provided copious amounts of attention, information, guidance, and advice as we conducted this, our capstone course project. We offer our sincere apologies to any individual, group, or organization that have been inadvertently omitted from this list.

Milwaukee Common CouncilRobert Bauman, Alderman, 4th District Avenues West AssociationKeith Stanley, Executive Director Milwaukee Department of City DevelopmentJanet Grau, Senior Planner, Long Range PlanningSam Leichtling, Program Director, Neighborhood Improvement Development Corp.Yves LaPierre, Real Estate SpecialistKein Burton, Development SpecialistNolan Zaroff, Senior Planner, GIS Data AnalystVanessa Koster, Planning ManagerMaria Prioletta, Chief Financial

Officer Kristin D. Connelly, Senior Planner (Plan Administration)

Strong Neighborhoods Program (SNIP)Aaron Szopinski, Housing Policy Director, Mayor’s Office of Housing PolicyMario Higgins, Housing Outreach Director, Mayor’s Office of Housing Policy Milwaukee Department of Historic PreservationPaul Jakubovich, Preservation SpecialistCarlen Hatala, Preservation Specialist Neighborhood Public and Charter SchoolsAnna Bierer, Director of Programs, Neighborhood HouseTracy Kreuser, Development Director, Neighborhood HouseMaureen Sullivan, Principal, Woodlands EastJon Dzurak, Administrator, Milwaukee School of the ArtsRachel Neal, Parent Involvement Coordinator, Highland Community School University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, School of Architecture and Urban PlanningCarolyn Esswein, Director, Community Design Service, and Faculty, Department of Urban PlanningNancy Frank, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Urban PlanningAdditional Participating

StakeholdersBree Spencer, Safe & Sound, Inc.Scott Currick, Milwaukee Center For IndependenceTiffany Brantley, Milwaukee Center For IndependencePat Kennelly, Marquette UniversityLibby Gard, Marquette UniversityKelly Knox, Marquette UniversityAllyson Nemec, Quorum ArchitectsMatt Cool, Greenfire Management ServicesStephanie VanHaag, Greenfire Management ServicesMorgan Zeller, Greenfire Management ServicesChris DeLaRosa, Hennessy GroupKent Cory, Wiegand EnterprisesDorena Banks, Wiegand EnterprisesBrandon Culpepper, HearstThe Staff and Facilities of the Irish Culture and Heritage Center

Acknowledgments

INTRODUCTION

2

Written + Edited byMartin GraswickCharles W. GroomsWaleed IsmaelJoseph WisniewskiFrank Zimmerman

Design + Graphics byFrank Zimmerman

Layout Inspired byNACTO Urban Street Design Guide (2013)

CONTENTS

Contents

Introduction

Area Overview

Stakeholder Input

Problem + Objectives

Case Studies

Project Recommendations

Built Recommendations

Appendix

Executive Summary

Project Scope

Boundaries and History

Redevelopment Organizations

Past Revitalization Initiatives

Current and Planned Revitalization

Public Input Meeting Summary

Problem Assessment

Project Objectives

Crawford Square Neighborhood

Ledroit Park Neighborhood

King Drive Neighborhood

Daemen College Neighborhood

Keys for Success

Common Attributes

Programs

Policies

Marketing

27th Street “Adopt-a-Building”

Neighborhood Employer “Walk-to-Work”

Residents Renovating Residences

University Student Coursework

SoHi BID Re-Activation

Landlord Certification Program

Business License Certification

Density Reduction

Street Edge Urban Design

Home-Buying and Home-Renovation

Neighborhood Marketing Strategies

Citizen Planning Competitions

Appendix

References

17th-20th West State Street

23rd-25th West State Street

20th-26th West Clybourn Street

4

8

9

12

13

18

24

30

33

36

37

38

39

40

42

42

44

45

46

48

49

49

50

51

52

53

53

54

55

60

68

74

86

92

3

Executive Summary

The authors of this report are students in the Applied Planning Workshop (APW) capstone course in the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, Masters of Urban Planning degree program. The recommendations contained within this report are the result of research and analysis conducted by the authors with the guidance from their instructors and clients – The City of Milwaukee Department of City Development and the Avenues West Association. These recommendations are intended to assist the client organizations, and other applicable stakeholders, in furthering their ongoing work in revitalizing the study area.

The near-downtown Milwaukee neighborhoods of Avenues West, Concordia, and Merrill Park fall entirely, or partially, within the study area addressed in this report. Specifically, the geographic area bounded by North 35th Street, North 17th Street, West Highland Avenue, and West Clybourn Street comprises the territory examined and analyzed herein.

As a result of the research and analysis conducted for this report, we found the study area to be ripe with opportunity for revitalization yet hampered by forces, both real and perceived, that prevent the kinds of residential and commercial investment necessary to bring about changes desired by residents and city officials.

Specifically, we found the area to have exceptional access to educational institutions and employment opportunities. Potential residents and visitors, in the guise of commuters, traverse the study area and/or its perimeters daily. The study area encompasses a multitude of historic homes and commercial buildings that are priced well below their value. This creates an environment that is ripe for long-term opportunities and for high return on investment. Lastly, the study area is fortunate to be located within a city that houses many institutions of higher learning which can be leveraged in its revitalization efforts and initiatives.

These assets and opportunities have been thwarted

in the roles they could play in contributing to the revitalization of the study area by the diminished economic capacity resulting from larger than average concentrations of residents living in poverty, significant numbers of foreclosures, vacant or poorly maintained properties, and empty lots. The less than robust housing market recovery also contributes to the investment challenges experienced by the study area. It is these hurdles that the recommendations in this report seek to overcome.

The Avenues West Association asked us to determine whether a focus on residential development, rather than the commercial investment it has typically worked towards, might be successful in serving as a catalyst to revitalizing

the brumber mansion

INTRODUCTION

4

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

the study area. Our research and case studies suggest this is possible, and our recommendations reflect such a focus.

To improve the economic demographics of the neighborhood, which we believe will work toward bringing the desired commercial investment to the study area, we’ve developed a series of recommended programs, policies, marketing strategies, and built residential projects that can be expected to attract middle- to higher-income residents. Success at doing so is expected to boost the pedestrian activity and serve as catalysts for revitalization.

Specifically, to leverage the areas of strength surrounding Marquette University and the CBD to the east of the study area, we recommend that there be a focus on building catalytic residential projects on West State Street (between 17th and 20th Streets and between 23rd and 25th Streets) and West Clybourn Street (between 22nd and 26th Streets). These projects include the construction of mixed-use, multi-family buildings, attached townhouses, and live-work units, renovating historic industrial buildings into lofts. In addition, the report proposes creating inviting public spaces, improving streetscapes, and acquiring land for future development.

No examples of revitalization of similar neighborhoods were identified that did not include some degree of affordable housing. The financial and social requirements of projects today demand a certain percentage of high-quality affordable units be part of the mix. To the degree stakeholders want more market-rate housing than the development market would produce of its own accord, financial subsidies will be necessary. These projects are described and illustrated in detail within this report.

We also recommend that policies to improve the performance of investor landlords in maintaining their properties and choosing stable tenants, as well as ensuring business owners contribute to

the wellbeing of the neighborhoods they inhabit be implemented. We propose that programs be designed and implemented in partnership with the local universities that utilize their students in learning through contributing to the various types of community building needed within the study area.

Further, we recommended maintaining and enhancing existing home-buying and home-renovating programs, and the development of direct marketing programs designed to reach target audiences of potential residents that can provide the economic boost the study area requires to draw desired commercial investment.

All the aforementioned programs, policies, and strategies, and others, are described in greater detail in this report.

We believe that the implementation of these projects, programs, policies and strategies will lead to a bright future for Avenues West, Concordia, and Merrill Park.

5

7

Area Overview The study area covered by this report is bounded by North 17th Street, West Clybourn Street, North 35th Street, and West Highland Avenue. It is comprised of several distinct neighborhoods (or parts thereof). These include the Marquette “neighborhood,” Avenues West proper, the northeast portion of Merrill Park, and Historic Concordia.

- Stabilized or increased residential market values,- Expanded housing choices,- Stronger economic statistics,- An influx of residents and desired commercial development, and- Increased desirability of the neighborhoods in the minds of potential residents and/or businesspeople.

Our team was asked to focus primarily on improving and creating perceived “positive” influences rather than on attempts to remove perceived “negative” influences. The lenses through which our analysis was conducted and our proposed solutions developed were: 1) residential development, 2) accentuation of the positive, 3) examples of success elsewhere, and 4) building from existing areas of strength.

Residential and commercial real estate development in the study area has not been as successful and profitable as it should be, relative to its near-downtown location and other amenities (despite substantial investment by the City of Milwaukee, developers, institutions and neighborhood stakeholders). This team was charged with the task of analyzing the study area and its previous revitalization initiatives to develop creative recommendations expected to produce the stimulus necessary to bring about desired revitalization in the study area.

As part of our process, we obtained the perspectives, ideas, and “wish lists” from various stakeholders (residents, politicians, organizations, etc.), and conducted a case study and preliminary market analysis to develop and prescribe, in report-format, catalytic residential proposals that, if implemented, would lead to the following types of improvements in the study area:

Project Scope

Study Area Boundary

8

AREA OVERVIEW

the neighborhoods in the study area due to the visual and physical separation they create between them and those neighborhoods experiencing stronger vitality and stability just across the highways. Further damage was inflicted upon the neighborhoods in the study area in the 1970’s when several hospitals were moved from the study area to the Milwaukee County Grounds. These institutions, with their highly educated and well-paid employees, had served as stabilizing influences during the aforementioned periods of strife in the study area, and might well have served as the foundation for rebuilding and revitalizing the subject neighborhoods had they remained. The hospitals also left a physical mark on the

The Avenues West study area covered by this report is bounded by North 17th Street, West Clybourn Street, North 35th Street, and West Highland Avenue. It is comprised of several distinct neighborhoods (or parts thereof). These include the Marquette “neighborhood,” Avenues West proper, the northeast portion of Merrill Park, and Historic Concordia. The study area is readily accessible to the nexus of the primary highways in the metropolitan area, yet, as in many other cities, it has suffered since their installation in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s due to “white flight,” which drained many cities of tax revenues and exacerbated racial and socioeconomic segregation in the area. Racial conflicts in the late 1960’s further strained the neighborhood. The highways continue to challenge

BOUNDARIES AND HISTORY

Boundaries and History

avenues west

concordia

merrill park

Study Area Neighborhood Groups

9

From the 1970’s through the late 1990’s, suburbanization of the counties west of Milwaukee continued virtually unabated. Even Concordia College, namesake of the Concordia neighborhood, built and moved to a new campus in Mequon in the 1980’s. This served only to exacerbate challenging conditions in the study area.

Eventually, as the economy strengthened in the very late 1990’s and early 2000’s, most cities, including Milwaukee, began to see a renewed interest in city living. Unfortunately, initiatives that might have proven successful in serving as a spark to revitalization in the study area fell prey to the Great Recession that began in 2008 whose effects can still be observed in the present day.

neighborhood upon their departure; a multitude of apartment buildings containing studio and one-bedroom units on lots that originally had held historic homes. The results of this have been disastrous, as formerly grand and quaint neighborhoods alike have been aesthetically scarred, their assessed valuations diminished, and their market appeal to potential higher-income residents hamstrung. In addition, a host of low-income outreach and social welfare organizations have been placed in the area, and while they serve a valuable purpose for the community as a whole, their intensive-concentration in the study area contributes to a lack of interest in redevelopment by private-market developers and commercial interests.

harley davidson

miller coors

greenfireat&t

marquette

aurora sinai

potawatomi

Study Area Includes Some of Milwaukee’s Largest Employers. Current Employees: 5,500

10

AREA OVERVIEW

BOUNDARIES AND HISTORY

In a continuation of decades of poor zoning and redevelopment decisions, misplaced suburban-style planning, 1960s and 70s “urban removal” type redevelopment plans, and some questionable political decisions, even the opportunity to eliminate or renovate buildings that have plagued the neighborhood (either through their appearance or their management, or both) was “missed” by Milwaukee when they came into the city’s ownership through foreclosure as a result of the Great Recession. Instead, they were sold to new owners who have been unsuccessful in changing the performance of these investments.

Historic Eagles Club | http://www.therave.com/Historic Pabst Mansion | http://vp.cdn.cityvoterinc.com/

Ambassador Hotel | http://img0.etsystatic.com/

11

West End Development CorporationThe West End Development Corporation (WEDC) was formed in 1972 to assist low income and first time buyers purchase homes. It also worked to develop affordable housing stock through renovation and construction in the near-west side of Milwaukee. Milwaukee Department of City DevelopmentAs the planning agent for the city of Milwaukee, the Department of City Development (DCD) plays the central role in creating and implementing comprehensive area plans throughout the city. The DCD, along with near-west side stakeholders, developed the Near West Side Area Plan in 2004 in response to Wisconsin’s Smart Growth mandate for jurisdictions to create comprehensive plans by

There are (and have been) many developers, non-profits and organizations working on revitalization initiatives in the Avenues West study area. Most have succeeded in providing some measure of increased strength and vitality to the neighborhood. These include the following: Neighborhood Improvement Development CorporationThe Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) was formed in 1974 as a means to combat the decline of city neighborhoods occurring as a result of suburbanization. Because the NIDC is not a government agency, it tends to be able to react to market conditions more quickly and effectively than can the line departments in government. It remains an active force in the study area, as described in the next section. NIDC is successful in its endeavors, completing renovations in a timely and efficient manner, providing good value for the tax dollars spent on its initiatives.

Milwaukee Department of City Development Real Estate DivisionThe DCD Real Estate Division is charged with handling most real estate-related matters on behalf of the city. This includes receiving and re-selling tax foreclosed properties, managing vacant lot use and maintenance, and managing development opportunities on properties that may be uniquely valuable, challenging, or ripe with opportunity for spurring revitalization. This division works closely with local Aldermen and the City’s Historic Preservation Office, which is charged with preserving and protecting historic properties throughout the city.

Redevelopment Organizations

AREA OVERVIEW

2010. This organization conducts neighborhood revitalization and economic development initiatives, oversees zoning code enforcement and compliance, and develops code and guidelines for overlay districts, redevelopment and action plans. Marquette UniversityMarquette University is a private Catholic university located to the east of the Avenues West study area. In the early 1990’s, after the decline in the neighborhood became a problem for students living near campus, the institution determined it had to work on improving its immediate surrounding neighborhood if it were to protect its students, its competitive advantages and desirable academic setting. Marquette also determined that as a large landowner in the city, it had an obligation

12

The aforementioned organizations have conducted many initiatives aimed at revitalization in the study area. A few past initiatives are particularly instructional in designing and planning new initiatives to improve conditions in the study area. Neighborhood Stabilization ProgramA recent past initiative focused on foreclosed properties and included the provision of home-buyer assistance, historic home renovation and re-sale, and developer subsidies, all conducted with $40 million in Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the Federal Government. This program, overseen by the NIDC, and in partnership with the DCD Real Estate Division, resulted in eight foreclosed historic homes and four foreclosed apartment buildings being renovated within the Avenues West study area. Some of the renovated homes were those deemed historically significant enough to be saved through the use of a Housing Infrastructure Preservation Fund (HIP), which is an ongoing city-wide initiative managed by the DCD’s Real Estate Division. The HIP fund is discussed more thoroughly in the next section. While historic homes are often appealing to homebuyers, those needing renovation do not appeal to large numbers of the home-buying public. By offering fully renovated historic homes, the NIDC and HIP funds were able to deliver the most desirable of products to the home-buying public. In fully renovated condition, these homes are better able to convince hesitant buyers to invest in less-than-stable neighborhoods, including Avenues West. The program was deemed successful, and would have continued but for need of additional funding. Initiative Lesson: Historic homes in near-downtown neighborhoods appeal to the largest number of potential buyers when they’ve been fully renovated. The financial cost of property acquisition and full renovations combined are often higher than the final market value of the product. However, an owner occupied, beautifully renovated home produces tax revenue, stabilizes (or even raises) nearby property values, and provides non-monetary benefits to the community that can outweigh the

PAST REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES

Past Revitalization Initiatives

to contribute to the health and vibrancy of its immediate neighborhood and the city. Forest County PotawatomiThe Forest County Potawatomi have invested heavily in their Milwaukee locations. This organization is committed to the study area, having recently purchased and starting the renovation of the vacant former Concordia College Campus and some surrounding homes.

13

AREA OVERVIEW

initial “loss” incurred by the renovation and sale of these homes. West Pointe CondominiumsThe West Pointe project was planned as a catalytic project to revitalize the North 27th Street commercial corridor within the Avenues West study area. To even the casual observer, this intersection is among the best candidates to serve as a key commercial node within the Avenues West neighborhood. This is primarily due to its human-scaled, mixed-use historic architecture. This location lacks adjacency to current economic strongholds in the area, which breaks a primary rule for attaining success in neighborhood redevelopment. This rule is that redevelopment must either 1) leverage and build upon existing nearby strength, or 2) be sizeable enough to serve as a catalytic force on its own. It also was not, and is not currently, a viable mixed-use market. However, we expect this intersection will attain its highest and best use as a key commercial node after our proposed neighborhood redevelopment initiatives have succeeded in developing momentum in drawing market vitality closer to this central core. Ultimately, four difficult and challenging situations coalesced to bring about the untimely demise of the West End Development Corporation. These challenges were:

1) frequent staff changes within the organization, 2) the high carrying costs of real estate, 3) the higher than market value renovation costs incurred to conduct revitalization development (especially through historic preservation), and 4) the Great Recession that affected demand for units across the city, but proved devastating in a marginal or “developing” area such as SoHi was (and still is) at that time. In the end, the West End Development Corporation succumbed to these financial challenges and folded in 2008.

sohi main street district plan | http://hga.com

14

generate sustained success due to several factors. First, they did not prevail in their efforts to convince the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and Milwaukee’s Department of Transportation that changes in the rights-of-way along the North 27th Street commercial corridor should be altered to provide a more pedestrian-friendly, retail-supportive environment. Second, the instability of West End Development Corporation’s financial and staffing levels did not help. Third, both the reputation and reality of criminal activity in the neighborhood continually served to diminish efforts at revitalization. And fourth, the aesthetically unappealing and ineffective mishmash of uses and buildings along the corridor were (and still are) incompatible with a successful “main street” district (the level of redevelopment needed exceeded the funds available). After the West End Development Corporation closed, the SoHi Main Street Program was folded into the Avenues West Neighborhood Association, which also oversees the official Avenues West Business Improvement District. The SoHi Main Street Program is officially still operating, though not at the level or the intensity it had at the outset. It’s recent dearth of activity separate from the SoHi BID earns it a position here as a past initiative.

Initiative Lesson: Redevelopment efforts must either occur in close proximity to existing areas of strength or be sufficiently sized and funded as to be catalytic in nature. West State Street Target Improvement Neighborhood (TIN)West State Street in the Avenues West neighborhood was the subject of a NIDC TIN initiative from 1999 to 2002 that covered the approximate area of North 24th Street to North 28th Street, West State Street to West Wells Street. It resulted in eight owner occupied exterior renovations and six apartment building renovations (containing 51 residential units). As compared to other recipient neighborhoods of TIN dollars, this one was especially successful in terms of the numbers of renovations – especially considering the relatively small size of the targeted area. Initiative Lesson: Much like other revitalization efforts, initiatives that don’t build from existing strength or that aren’t sizable enough to generate catalytic momentum, generally fail to achieve their stated goals.

South of Highland Main Street Program (SoHi)While it was operating, the West End Development Corporation also contributed to the South of Highland (SoHi) Main Street program, along with a highly committed group of business owners and architects. Because of its strong potential, SoHi was one of four pilot programs in Milwaukee’s Main Street Initiative. While reliant on the West End Development Corporation, it was a coalition of the Avenues West Business Improvement District (BID), 27th Street property owners, architects, and West End Development Corporation staff. Main Street programs are designed to use historic preservation-based initiatives in traditional commercial districts to strengthen and grow economic vitality in struggling neighborhoods. The SoHi Main Street Program was unable to


http://www.jsonline.com

15

AREA OVERVIEW

to the historic buildings on the former Concordia College Campus. Their offices, along with those of SelectMilwaukee (an organization working to assist Milwaukee homebuyers) are in one building, and Woodlands East, the second location of a Milwaukee County charter school is in a partially renovated building (full renovations will take place as the number of students continues to increase) also located on this campus. In addition, Greenfire has recently built a 45,000-square-foot data center across West State Street on a parcel opposite the Woodlands East school.

Several other historic buildings remain available for future tenants, and the former football field is slated to receive a new building intended to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and an extension of West Kilbourn Street which will reconnect the street grid. Greenfire Management Services has also purchased and is in the process of renovating at least three historic homes surrounding the campus, as well as a large vacant mid-century apartment building, whose future, other than providing needed parking spaces, is as yet unknown. These initiatives are just two examples of investments made by other employers in the area, all of which do their part to improve the aesthetics of, and employment in, the study area. Initiative Lesson: The identification and nurturing of civic-minded organizations can bring about important renovation and rehabilitation, as well as employment, to the study area. Near West Side Area PlanThe Near West Side Area Plan is the comprehensive development plan for the larger near west side of Milwaukee, within which is the Avenues West study area addressed in this report. This plan provided important market information and guidance about which kinds of development initiatives could and should be conducted and where in the area these efforts could or should be focused. Many of the plan’s proposed initiatives

Initiative Lesson: Even the most well-organized, well-funded efforts can encounter powerful oppositional forces that can thwart the most-desired, most-needed, and most-likely-to-succeed plans. Campus Circle and Concordia College CampusCampus Circle was an initiative on which Marquette University spent millions of dollars building new mixed-use buildings, renovating historic mansions into graduate student housing, and either renovating or demolishing other properties. It has produced significant improvement in crime rates around the campus and stabilizing real estate values in their immediate vicinity. While the initiative was active, it poured rents received from new and renovated properties back into the revitalization effort, thus allowing the initiative to become self-sustaining once momentum had been achieved. The real estate management development arm of the Forest County Potawatomi, Greenfire Management Services, has begun renovations

http://city.milwaukee.gov/

16


have been completed (either partially or fully). These include removing the asphalt under Norris playground and turning it into green space available to residents (but maintained by Marquette), the redevelopment of the City On A Hill complex into housing, and the re-use of the Concordia College Campus to name a few. Initiative Lesson: It is important to assess the current status of smaller but significant subareas within the larger area to identify needs and develop plans to address those needs. Comprehensive Past Initiatives Lesson #1: Too few resources, engaged too late, spread too thinly, and applied in the wrong places produce unimpressive results. To effect long-term improvement, efforts must be focused on initiatives that have strong community partners, are readily achievable, concentrated in areas that are currently viable, and adhere to the goals and guidelines of comprehensive plans for development. Comprehensive Past Initiatives Lesson #2: The proper identification, targeting, wooing, and/or nurturing of relationships with well-funded, well-intentioned institutions can, and have, contribute(d) significantly to revitalization efforts in the study area. These efforts should be continued, and, to the extent possible, expanded.

17

between West Wisconsin Avenue, North 35th Street, North 27th Street, and I-94 (a total of 36 city blocks). NIDC indicates that for reasons unknown, substantially fewer property owners within the Merrill Park neighborhood have availed themselves of the low-cost loans of the TIN than in many neighborhoods where these loans have been offered in the past. It is possible that the covered area is simply too large, diffusing success into such thin layers as to be imperceptible by residents and passers-by alike. It could be that even when matched 50/50, home improvements are too expensive for many homeowners to make. Or possibly, outreach and education (technical assistance) on the part of the neighborhood group needs to be much greater than usual in the present economic climate. Initiative Lesson #1: Programs should stick to successful models based on historic performance. If TINS have been determined to work best in concentrated 6-12 block areas, the Merrill Park TIN should be resized and located to a section of the neighborhood that would provide the best opportunities to generate awareness of success and improve the neighborhood. Initiative Lesson #2: Funds for programming should be as fluid as possible. If previously successful models falter, funding should be redirected quickly to other initiatives to ensure all available funds are utilized either in their target neighborhoods, or in neighborhoods that will respond to the initiative. Housing Infrastructure Preservation Fund - CurrentMilwaukee values the contribution made by historic buildings to the character and aesthetic appeal of the city. In addition, Alderman Bauman, the representative for much of the oldest parts of Milwaukee, including Downtown and the Avenues West study area, is a major proponent of historic preservation. Significant effort has been expended in preserving the historic character of the Avenues West neighborhoods, which includes more than one historic district and Milwaukee’s most famous

As Milwaukee continues to take steps to recover from the Great Recession, especially from the significant damage done to its housing market, it has developed and implemented several initiatives designed to stabilize and/or revitalize neighborhoods throughout the city. The following are those currently at work, or planned, which will focus on or affect the Avenues West study area.

Merrill Park Target Investment Neighborhood Program - CurrentOne successful revitalization program used by NIDC throughout Milwaukee to encourage owners to make exterior renovations to their properties is the Target Investment Neighborhood Program (TIN). The TIN program is designed to sustain and increase owner-occupancy, provide high quality affordable rental housing, strengthen property values, and improve the physical appearance and quality of life of neighborhoods. TINs focus on code enforcement and policing, and provide resources for three years in a small area, generally six to twelve city blocks. The TIN program offers extremely generous loans for exterior improvements. Up to $30,000 per property is available, 50% of which is completely forgiven if the owner remains in the property for 5 years after the renovations are complete, and the remaining 50% repayable at 0% interest over a 15-year period.

The Merrill Park neighborhood, the northeast portion of which falls within the Avenues West study area, has just started the second of its three-year TIN program. Unlike most TIN districts, this one is unusually large, comprising the area

Current and Planned Revitalization Initiatives

AREA OVERVIEW

http://city.milwaukee.gov

18

known on Milwaukee’s Upper East Side. Many of these grand homes are within the Concordia Historic District. A good number of large Victorian homes are also located in the neighborhood. Over the past several decades some of these unique homes have been renovated with the assistance of the HIP fund by preservation-minded residents loyal to the neighborhood. While historic neighborhoods are often among the most stable in terms of market value, the high cost of renovations and the drop in housing values caused by the Great Recession has left many Concordia owners “under water” in terms of investment vs. market value of their homes. The HIP fund was first established in 2010, and to date has been successful in securing and renovating the exteriors of 29 homes throughout Milwaukee – 14 of which are located in the study area. Once these homes have had their exteriors renovated they are offered for sale to the general public, with the expectation that the new owners will conduct any necessary interior renovations. Because the funding for this initiative is city money, there are no regulatory conditions placed on the

historic corridor, Wisconsin Avenue – the grand avenue originally settled by captains of industry and Milwaukee’s most prominent citizens. It is this appreciation for buildings of historic significance and the need for flexibility in the use of preservation funds that led to the creation of the Housing Infrastructure Preservation (HIP) Fund. Properties within local landmark/historic districts get case-by-case review and are required to have prior approval of all building alterations. City of Milwaukee Historic Preservation staff is available to assist homeowners and homebuyers with the necessary design and permitting work to ensure options are explored and the best results are obtained. State and Federal tax credits and other programs can help defray the costs of maintaining these structures. The preservationist attitude is especially alive in the Concordia neighborhood, which occupies the northwest quadrant of the larger Avenues West study area. The Concordia neighborhood possesses a large number of mansion-sized homes that are similar in style and quality to those perhaps better

CURRENT AND PLANNED REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES

Historic Concordia Home | http://www.radiomilwaukee.org

19

properties or incomes of the buyers. Frequently, very-well-qualified buyers are located for these properties, but financial market conditions prevent the sale of these homes due to the mismatch between estimated appraised values of the homes upon completion of all renovations and the costs involved in conducting the interior renovations. Initiative Lesson: Insufficient funding of historic preservation initiatives results in lost building stock and/or high carrying costs resulting from diminished market demand for incomplete renovations.

Buyer and Homeowner Assistance Programs - CurrentThere are myriad programs and initiatives available to buyers and developers of property in Milwaukee, yet many, if not most people are unaware of their existence. A partial list: Take Root Milwaukee, SelectMilwaukee, Rebuilding Together Greater Milwaukee, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Community First Incorporated, and the City of Milwaukee. The list goes on and on. Of course

AREA OVERVIEW

there also exists those organizations more familiar to the masses, such as Habitat for Humanity, and Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority (WHEDA). Initiative Lesson: Awareness among the Milwaukee home-buying public about the multitude of programs, especially those providing funding for home purchase and renovation, needs to be increased significantly to minimize and/or eliminate the “mental hurdles” many buyers fear in properties needing renovation.

Comprehensive Current Initiatives Lesson: There should be more collaboration and coordination between and among program staff. Funds for renovations should be consolidated and targeted in areas most in need or that could provide the most “bang for the buck” in terms of visibility and/or revitalizing momentum. More, and better-coordinated, effort needs to be made to match buyer and homeowner assistance programs to the most likely users of such programs.

Merrill Park Home | http://www.alaneisenberg.com/

20

CURRENT AND PLANNED REVITALIZATION INITIATIVES

Strong Neighborhood Investment Program (SNIP) The City Council has funded Mayor Barnett’s 2014 Strong Neighborhood Investment Program at $11.8 million dollars. SNIP is designed to double city efforts to reduce the number and mitigate the impacts of tax-foreclosed properties as well as revitalize neighborhoods. As the department responsible for managing and marketing that inventory, DCD staff are moving forward on many fronts to implement SNIP, and the number of staff members devoted to these tasks is growing.The current inventory of tax-foreclosed buildings is nearly 1,500. Real estate staff members handle the intake of tax-foreclosed properties, inspecting them, negotiating leases with tenants living in units at the time of foreclosure, arranging to re-key and board vacant properties, referring some properties for demolition and marketing the inventory that can be redeveloped.

An important part of SNIP is a pilot to have 20% of the demolitions handled by city employees rather than contracted out. This pilot is expected to demonstrate that funds will be saved through the employment of Milwaukee residents to do this work. It will also assist in speeding the demolition of “problem” properties to help neighborhoods remain strong. SNIP funds all this work, along with several new programs: a rent-to-own initiative that helps tenants purchase the houses in which they live; a pilot program that allows licensed real estate brokers to market properties; new loan and grant programs to encourage the purchase and renovation of foreclosed properties; the artistic board-up program that involves young people in creating visual art or simulated windows on boarded properties; and a vacant lot beautification and greening effort. Housing development and preservation staff members also are involved in these initiatives. Initiative Lesson: This program has just begun, so specific lessons derived from its operation are not available. One concern is that it adds to the long list of initiatives and efforts to improve the

housing situation in Milwaukee. Perhaps program consolidation rather than creation should be considered to improve ease in promoting public awareness and program implementation and operation.

21

23

StakeholderInput

Prior to seeking public input we met with a number of government officials and examined a series of past reports.

16 area employers and employees attended the public input session held at the Irish Cultural Center. Our efforts sought to understand (1) the current condition within the study area and what actions could be taken to improve them and (2) how those in attendance were involved in the neighborhood and what would persuade them to become more involved in the future.

STAKEHOLDER INPUT

Where: Irish Culture and Heritage Center.When: Noon – 1:15pm. Friday, March 21, 2014.Who: Employers, employees, and residents of Milwaukee’s Near West Side. 16 attended.

The public input session took the form of team-lead group discussion. Participants were broken up into three groups and were encouraged to speak freely not only to team members, but to each other about discussion topics. After an hour of group discussion, participants were allowed to ask questions of the group followed by a larger group summary of topics discussed. Below are the major themes of the group discussions followed by major discussion points.

Major Themes:

• Strong commitment among residents in Concordia and Merrill Park.

• Strong commitment by employers to the neighborhood redevelopment.

• Potential projects and programs exist to produce change that isn’t just focused on “problem” buildings and crime if they can be implemented.

• Strong desire for commercial redevelopment in the area, which is outside scope of this project.

Neighborhood Assets• Proximity to downtown• Proximity to employers• Quality schools• Dedicated residents and investors• Historic value of building stock• Affordable land and property• Proximity to transit, through ways, and freeways• Hospital

Neighborhood Challenges• Food desert• Lack of commercial gathering spaces• Low-income density• Amount of transient businesses (disposable cell phone stores, convenience/liquor stores)• Poor aesthetics• Historic properties in need of repair• Actual crime and perception• Lack of geographic or community center• Lack of public green space

Program Initiative Ideas• Rent-to-own housing program

• Neighborhood re-branding and marketing

• Improve inter-organizational coordination• Business-to-business, resource sharing, student volunteer programs

Public Input Meeting Summary

24

MEETING SUMMARY

• Educator/University Alumni/Work Force housing program

• Financial institution programs for low-interest/no-interest loans for remodel and purchase

• Local resident priority for neighborhood schools

• University Habitat for Humanity programs

• Shuttle-to-work program

• Stricter policy from becoming and remaining a landlord

Catalytic Project Ideas• Large scale workforce housing development

• Includes city employees, police, fire,

university staff, and other major employers staff

• 27th Street corridor investment• Buildings and streetscape

• Clybourn entranceway beautification

• Near West Side adopt-a-building investment program

• Major organizations around area “adopt” buildings along 27th Street by purchasing and renovating it

• Focus on State Street redevelopment

• Develop multiple new construction, rehabilitation, and streetscape projects on State Street corridor that serves as connection from Wauwatosa and the West Side to downtown

25

STAKEHOLDER INPUT

Additional Ideas• Some neighbors mentioned Marquette’s Campus Circle as a deterrent from students leaving campus to the north and west

• Organizations west of 27th Street get far fewer student volunteers from Marquette

• Employers open to variety of grant- matching programs for employees purchasing homes in the neighborhood

• State Street traffic congestion during peak hours should be encouraging for commercial development or farmer’s market

• New construction should be contemporary and complimentary to historic style, not mimic it.

• Sense-of-place aesthetics needed: lamp posts, trash cans, benches, clearer crosswalks, signage, and bicycle lanes

similar to those that compliment neighborhoods with similar proximity to downtown

• Necessity to acquire large nuisance properties and redevelop

• SoHi BID needs executive director

• Desire to form neighborhood homeowners group that could approve landlords, deny landlords right to renewal of “landlord license,” start a crime watch, influence liquor licenses, and create for-profit redevelopment group

• For-profit partnership between Potowatomi, Milwaukee, and Concordia neighborhood to buy and renovate historic properties

• Build on strong grassroots marketing

26

PUBLIC OFFICIALS CONSULTED

• Alderman Bob Bauman | 4th district

• The Historic Preservation Commission

• Representatives from the Mayor’s Office

• The Department of City Development

Public Officials Consulted

27

29

Problem +Objectives

Problem Statement: Housing investment in the Avenues West neighborhood is significantly impeded by uneven market conditions and related lack of confidence or uncertainty about investment outcomes.

PROBLEM + OBJECTIVES

Problem Assessment

This project required developing an understanding of the history, assets, and challenges of the study area, and identifying lessons learned from previous and ongoing revitalization. Identifying the methods and sites most likely to be successful in revitalizing these neighborhoods was the essential goal of this project.

Analysis of the study area involved the following activities:

● Case-study analysis

● Reviewing the 2013 Milwaukee Market Value Analysis report produced by The Reinvestment Fund for the City, LISC and the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.

● Conducting stakeholder input sessions and numerous interviews with subject-matter experts (politicians, real estate developers, public and charter school administrators, long-

range planners, historic preservationists, city real estate planners, non-for-profit home-buying assistance program administrators, etc).

● Reviewing the 2004 comprehensive plan for the larger area containing the subject neighborhoods.

● Analyzing previous revitalization initiatives.

● Conducting research into property values, foreclosure rates and status, and owner-occupancy and other neighborhood demographic statistics.

Our primary charge was to use residential development as a catalytic force. This charge served as a filter through which we conducted our analysis. The results of the research, interviews, public input, and information gathering we conducted indicates there is an insufficient level

30

PROBLEM ASSESSMENT

of mid- to high-income residents in Avenues West to contribute to the attraction and retention of successful commercial development in the study area.

This problem can be attributed to many factors, primary among them: 1) public concerns about crime and the vitality of the neighborhood, 2) lack of appealing commercial activity, 3) limited appeal of current housing stock to buyers with strong economic capability, and 4) difficult market challenges caused by gaps between renovated home values and renovation costs.

Thus, housing investment in the Avenues West neighborhood is impeded by uneven market conditions and the related lack of confidence or uncertainty about investment outcomes. This diminishes interest in the creation of sought-after development and revitalization that the area needs to establish upward momentum in the markets.

As a result of the project team’s research and analysis, and in accordance with the

client-directed project scope, this report:

Proposes built-housing projects that are expected to be catalytic in creating demand from potential residents with strong economic capabilities. Each proposed built project has:○ A descriptive set of renderings and characteristics.

○ A description of the proposed site’s location and current use.

○ A prescribed design and recommended use(s).

○ An analysis of its ability to produce catalytic results.

○ An evaluation of how well it meets criteria of the project objectives.

○ An implementation strategy.

Area Housing Includes Historic Homes and Concealed Apartment Blocks

31

PROBLEM + OBJECTIVES

Proposes programs, policies, and marketing strategies that, when implemented as a coordinated strategy, are expected to be catalytic in creating demand from potential residents with strong economic capabilities. Each proposed program, policy, and marketing activity has:

○ A description of its characteristics.

○ A list of primary stakeholders.

○ A description of its benefits.

○ An evaluation of how well it meets criteria of the project objectives.

○ An implementation strategy.

Surface Parking Lot at 24th and State St.

32

Project Objectives

● Criteria 1: The report contains proposals expected to improve awareness and increased use of existing home buying and home renovating programs as well as proposes and promotes new programs.

● Criteria 2: The report contains a proposed advertising initiative expected to reach 10,000 people from the target audience per year.

As a result of the problem assessment we conducted, we identified the following objectives which are expected to increase the number of residents in the study area possessing high levels of economic capability, and improve the quality of life for current residents. Criteria that served to measure the ability of each recommended action to achieve the stated objectives were also developed. These objectives and criteria are listed below:

Objective 1: Improve the demand for market-rate housing by increasing the supply of various types of high-quality housing.

● Criteria 1: Do recommendations increase the number of market rate homes in the Avenues West neighborhood by 50 units or more?

● Criteria 2: Do recommendations promote new uses for vacant or underutilized properties?

Objective 2: Improve the study area’s physical environment, livability, and commercial activity through increased neighborhood investment by residents and employers located in or adjacent to the study area.

● Criteria 1: The report contains program proposals that are expected to result in the purchase, renovation, and reactivation of historic residential and commercial spaces.

● Criteria 2: The report contains policy proposals that are expected to result in improved property condition of multifamily buildings and businesses and crime reduction from these premises.

Objective 3: Improve awareness of the study area as a potential place of residence among target audiences.

PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Vacant Industrial Facility at 22nd and Clybourn St

33

35

Case Studies An important task of any urban redevelopment analysis is to identify, if possible, relevant examples of projects, programs, policies, and/or marketing strategies that have succeeded in bringing about desired changes in similar environments. We thus conducted a national and local project review to identify successful, primarily residential catalytic developments in inner-city neighborhoods.

The following four case studies showcase neighborhood revitalization accomplished in varying ways in several locations throughout the U.S. These case studies informed the development of the recommended proposals contained in this report.

CASE STUDIES

This urban development project involved the assembling and demolition of existing residential and commercial properties to clear the way for a mixed-income and mixed-use neighborhood. This public-private partnership project resulted in economic growth and revitalization in Pittsburgh’s near-Downtown area.

The pre-existing neighborhood, The Hill District, was once known for its vibrant African-American community and for being the hub of the Pittsburgh jazz scene. “Revitalization” policies of the 1940s and 1950s followed by the 1968 riots eventually created disinvestment in the neighborhood and population loss. The Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) eventually acquired the land in collaboration with the Hill Community Development Corporation (HCDC).

Crawford Square was developed in the old Hill District in three phases between 1993 and 2000 by McCormack, Baron, & Salazar. Funding came from a multitude of sources including the U.S. Department of Housing and Redevelopment (HUD),

the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency (PHFA), URA, local banks, and local foundation donations. State funding included low-income housing tax credits and community block grants. Local programs included 2nd mortgages for fee simple housing along with low-interest loans.

Crawford Square created 78 fee simple homes and 348 rental units - half of which are reserved for low-income residents. The housing mix includes rental apartments and fee simple condominiums, townhouses, and single-family homes. The development is currently 96% occupied with low turnover. Crawford Square also contains parking for each unit, a community center, a community pool, and three public parks. It has spurred economic development in surrounding areas including the need to develop professional housing to accommodate the influx of jobs to the area. Developers attribute Crawford Hill’s success to neighborhood and city commitment to an economically integrated community and the wide-range of financial sources.

Crawford Square Neighborhood [pittsburgh, pennsylvania]

http://www.crawfordsquareapts.com/

36

This development entailed the rehabilitation and building of existing and new residential and commercial properties for a mixed-income and mixed-use neighborhood. This was a public-private partnership project that resulted in economic growth and revitalization of the neighborhood and is a model for catalytic redevelopment near urban universities.

Ledroit Park was once a major focal point for the African-American community, with many prominent African-Americans choosing to make this neighborhood their home. However, the 1960s through 1990s saw much of Ledroit Park fall into disrepair, as private investment in the community ground to a halt. The District lost population, the area became a marginalized urban neighborhood. The area’s characteristic Victorian homes became dilapidated, and some blocks turned into drug markets.

However, in the mid-90s, Howard University leadership, recognized that the school’s fate was tied directly to that of its neighborhood and made a decision to take the lead in spurring the revitalization of Ledroit Park. Entering into a partnership with Fannie Mae, Howard University rehabilitated 28 homes and built 17 new homes

in the neighborhood which it then sold; many to University and municipal employees. Fannie Mae invested $20 million to provide financing for the development and construction while partnering with the Washington D.C. Housing Finance Agency to provide mortgages for home-buyers at below-market interest rates. Bell Atlantic also partnered to install state-of-the-art telecommunications links to the area at cost.

Other features of the project include: the conversion of a liquor store into a police substation, a jazz museum, a public park, the conversion of a convenience store into the Howard University student organization center, and the conversion of a vacant Wonder Bread factory into Howard University’s data center and a retail shop. This redevelopment has spurred population growth and economic development in the neighborhood and surrounding area. The remarkable growth and improved quality of Ledroit neighborhood is due in part to successful public-private partnerships, a commitment by the residents and the city to invest in the neighborhood’s future, and a wide range of financial sources.

Ledroit Park Neighborhood[washington, d.c.]

CASE STUDIES

http://greatergreaterwashington.org/

37

CASE STUDIES

This multifaceted mixed-use development involved the construction and revitalization of new and existing residential and commercial properties for a mixed-income neighborhood. This public-private partnership project resulted in economic growth and contributed to a continued restoring of the neighborhood into a flourishing district.

Located immediately north of downtown Milwaukee, the King Drive neighborhood was once a thriving neighborhood, known for its radiant African-American culture and bustling retail center. However, in the mid-80s the neighborhood experienced an economic downturn, had falling into disrepair, and struggled to escape a cycle of poverty (disinvestment, absentee owners, building deterioration, middle class flight, etc.). Shuttered storefronts, open-air drug markets, and an abundance of check cashing and liquor stores were prevalent before the redevelopment project began.

Today, the King Drive neighborhood is on the upswing again; houses have been restored, safety has been significantly improved and business activity is growing. An effort led by the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation (MLK-EDC), in partnership with the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Impact Seven, City of Milwaukee,

National Equity Fund, Miller Architectural Group, and Universal Construction Solution, the development has 108 rental housing units, as well as commercial space that includes a Growing Power fresh produce market and café. The project was developed in four separate phases, from 2004 through 2013. The fourth phase of the King Drive Commons Development was completed in October 2013. The $10.4 million, 66,000 square-foot project has 41 new and renovated affordable units including single family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and historic apartments. The MLK-EDC has helped bring more than $200 million in development projects to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

This development directly led to construction of dozens of new homes, waves of home renovations, new public infrastructure, and new business investment along commercial corridors. The success of the King Drive neighborhood revitalization and redevelopment initiative was attributed to neighborhood leaders, city officials, and local private partners working together to forge a new path to prosperity.

King Drive Neighborhood[milwaukee, wisconsin]

http://www.jsonline.com

38

For more than a decade, Daemen College faculty, students and staff have collaborated with residents of Buffalo’s most distressed neighborhoods to bring about positive change for each community. The school designed a program that involves its academic curriculum with a community development, civic empowerment, and education program. The Center for Sustainable Communities and Civic Engagement (CSCCE) was established in the fall of 2001 through a grant of $600,000 from the John R. Oishei Foundation. The CSCCE works directly with residents and neighborhood organizations in three Buffalo communities, and partners the faculty, staff and students of Daemen College with these neighborhoods to support community driven projects that improve their quality of life.

Daemen College volunteers have brought about improvements in education and health care; helped create economic self-sufficiency; helped to increase literacy levels; and built environmental and civic awareness. Each year Daemen College students perform service at over 50 different community sites, including those in three neighborhoods in which Daemen has established long-standing partnerships: Seneca Babcock, Buffalo’s West Side, and the Fruit Belt. Daemen College students were

involved as volunteers in after-school programs; health and human service agencies; youth and senior advocacy organizations; programs for international and refugee populations; and housing rehabilitation projects.

The success of Daemen College community and civic engagement programs was partly due to collaboration between the University, the neighborhoods and private partnership. The hope that such a program between a university and nearby neighborhoods can produce positive results that resonate both ways can be extremely high.

Daemen College Neighborhood[buffalo, new york]

CASE STUDIES

http://www.daemen.edu/

http://ftp.daemen.edu/

39

CASE STUDIES

• close proximity to downtown

• close proximity to universities

• former well-established, • mixed-income neighborhoods

• high african american populations

• poor planning negatively affected neighborhoods

• private/public/university partnership

• multiple funding sources

• success in residential and commercial redevelopment

• focus on economic growth

Keys for Success Common AttributesShared with Avenues West

17th and State Street Looking West

40

41

ProjectRecommendations

Creative new programs and policies intended to alleviate the conditions inhibiting both residential and commercial development in the study area are proposed below. Recommendations for improving the study area’s physical environment and livability through increased property ownership and renovation, eyes on the street, and space activation and utilization have also been provided.

Additionally, marketing strategies and tactics to identify and reach new potential residents that have household median incomes equal to or greater than 80% of the Milwaukee median household income are proposed below. Also, ideas intended to encourage the creation of new partnerships, and the nourishing of existing partnerships between neighborhood stakeholder groups in the study area are presented. Recommendations focused on improving public awareness of the existing home-buying and renovating programs, the proposal of additional home-buying and renovating programs that leverage existing programs, and bridging any gaps that exist in them are presented as well.

27th Street “Adopt-a-Building” Renovationand Revitalization Program

Description

This program involves having a new Executive Director of the SoHi Business Improvement District lead an initiative to get large employers, local Universities, and institutions in the study area (and immediately surrounding the study area) to purchase the historic (largely unrenovated) mixed use buildings along North 27th Street between Wisconsin Avenue and Highland Avenue. The first phase would focus on the blocks of North 27th Street between West Wells Street and West State Street. The second phase would focus on North 27th Street between I-94 and West Wells Street. The intent of this program is to leverage the financial assets of large institutions and employers that have demonstrated a strong commitment to the study area. Because property values along this corridor are low, the possibility for a return on their investments, even short term, is expected to be good.

Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders of this program are:

● Residents of the study area, especially those within easy walking distance (less than ¼ mile) of the 27th street commercial corridor. Likely participating residents are expected from the Concordia and Merrill Park neighborhoods.

● Participating institutions. Likely participating institutions are Forest County Potawatomi, Marquette, UWM, Cardinal Stritch, MSOE, MATC, Harley-Davidson, Miller Coors, and the City of Milwaukee.

● Member organizations of the SoHi Business Improvement District.

Benefits

If successful, this program would increase property tax receipts for the city due to rising property values/assessments. Transaction fees associated with property sales could also increase as demand for property in the area increases.

Living conditions for nearby residents are also expected to improve, as much-desired retail and entertainment activities begin to fill the ground-floor spaces, thus providing goods and services within walking distance where none were previously available.

This program could also be expected to contribute to a stronger sense of community, especially strengthening the bonds between residents and participating institutions. This might be realized through increased desire to work for these local institutions, or donations or volunteering for these institutions, or perhaps through brand loyalty to participating retail establishments.

PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS

http://tfhadoptablock.blogspot.com/

42

PROGRAMS

Implementation

The new SoHi BID Executive Director would expect, at a minimum, to:

● Develop a committee or board of interested residents, Avenues West Association, representatives of funding organizations/institutions, and representatives of stakeholders and other targeted local large businesses and institutions to begin a series of meetings describing the program and obtaining buy- in to the initiative.

● Document specific buildings fitting the targeting criteria. The primary target is envisioned to be historic mixed-use buildings on North 27th Street between West Wisconsin Avenue and West Highland Avenue.

● Work with the SoHi board, DCD Real Estate, local commercial Real Estate Agent(s), and MKE Property Assessment to determine appropriate market values for phase 1 targeted buildings. Perhaps collaboration with DCD Real Estate to offer foreclosed targeted buildings to participating institutions before offering them to the general public is an option.

● Collaborate as necessary to facilitate: ○ Building Purchases ○ Renovations ○ Facade Renovations (minor or major) ○ Space activation (temporary or permanent) ○ Identifying and obtaining commercial tenants ○ Coordinate leasing of residential spaces to University graduate students enrolled in participating schools/departments

43

Neighborhood Employer “Walk-to-Work” Home Buyer Incentive/Matching Program

Description

This program helps local employers develop and offer financial and other incentives to their employees that purchase homes within one mile of their work location. It would seek to provide for enhanced incentives for home purchases within the study area, and to obtain/develop matching grants or zero-cost loans from the city or other home-buying assistance organizations.

Stakeholders


● Neighborhood Employers ● Neighborhood Associations ● Employees of Neighborhood Employers ● SelectMilwaukee, PNC Bank and PyraMax

Benefits

This program is designed to improve the conditions of residential properties throughout the study area. By getting employers to assist their employees in the purchase of a home within walking distance of their location, these firms receive additional loyalty from participating employees, may see increased interest by potential employees in working for them, and may see improved work attendance because employees live close-by. Participating employees benefit through lower housing costs,

potentially improved health produced by walking more often, and potential return on their housing investment as more people participate in the program, thus increasing housing market values. The city will benefit through occupation of vacant properties, improved property tax receipts, and potentially, an increase in residents.

Implementation

The Avenues West Executive Director should:

● Assemble a working group made up of the leaders of the SoHi BID, Historic Concordia Association, and Merrill Park Association and the local Alderman if he chooses to be involved.

● The Avenues West Executive Director will coordinate the program, and arrange meetings with potential partners, such as the city of Milwaukee and other groups (such as the International Walk21 organization) that might work to promote “walk-to-work” programs. The organizations with the largest numbers of employees in the study area and surrounding neighborhoods should be targeted first. The first step should be to meet with SelectMilwaukee to determine what their “walk-to-work” program entails and needs (if anything) to be more robust.

● The leaders of each of the neighborhood associations will lead the solicitation of employers in their neighborhoods to become participating employers. The neighborhood association leaders will arrange meetings between potential partner organizations and employers to promote the benefits of this program, meet with employee groups to assist employers with explaining their programs, or encourage employees to request the implementation of such programs with their employers.


http://yvonnefovargue.blogspot.com

44

PROGRAMS

Residents Renovating Residences Program

Description

This program would seek out study area residents that are interested in, and capable of, purchasing additional residential properties in their neighborhoods. The intent of the program is to increase investment and revitalization of homes in the neighborhoods within the study area, which is expected to improve the aesthetic quality of the neighborhoods, improve the quality of life of residents, increase property values, result in more invested landlords, and increase the number of residents living, working, and playing in the neighborhoods. Potential funding partners will need to be identified to provide financing of purchases and renovations. These partners might be civic-minded local banks fulfilling Community Reinvestment Act requirements, the Department of City Development, Historic Preservation, NIDC, and/or other public or private sources of low- or no-cost funds. This program might be considered a TIN district, where the constraint is less about location (but still limited to the study area) and more about partnering with current residents who are the most invested in improving the neighborhoods in the study area.

Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders are current residents who are willing to participate in this program. The intent of this program is to assist current residents who are ready, willing, and able to invest further in their neighborhoods within the study area (Concordia, Merrill Park, and Avenues West)

through the purchase and renovation of homes that are vacant and/or in poor condition. It is expected that most of these properties will remain owned by the residents, who will rent them to tenants. The residents, because they are investing in their own neighborhoods, would receive an initial status of approved landlords under the newly proposed Landlord Certification policy.

Benefits

This program is expected to produce renovations of vacant and derelict properties where too few have occurred previously. These purchasers and renovators are the most interested, and invested, in these neighborhoods. They have the most at stake in terms of their day-to-day living conditions and financial investments. The renovated and rented properties are expected to provide both the aesthetic improvement that leads to increased market values and neighborhood desirability, and the additional residents whose numbers assist in bringing desired retail to the area.

Implementation

Each neighborhood association would work independently to identify interested residents and assist them with the purchase and renovation of appropriate properties. The neighborhood associations would collaborate with one another to work with the city and other funding organizations to develop extremely attractive financial assistance programs to assist these committed buyers.

http://blog.archpaper.com

45

University Student Residency, Internships,and Coursework ProgramDescription

This proposal recommends encouraging the development of collaborative educational, artistic, entrepreneurial, and residential programs with Marquette University (MU), Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD), Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), Cardinal Stritch University, and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee (UWM). These programs would be designed to activate various spaces and places throughout the study area with interested and engaged students from various degree programs related to urban planning and revitalization, architecture, public health, art, civil engineering, business and entrepreneurship, and similar programs. It entails creating privately owned student housing, either through large-scale university/city partnership development, or smaller-scale renovation projects.

Classes and projects would be designed to engage students in the revitalization process through sponsorship of new retail businesses to activate space in the SoHi BID, outdoor projects to create public art and build community, and other similar activities. Internships would be created and filled both from Americorps VISTA contracts and university students.

Stakeholders


● The local universities named herein (MIAD, UWM, MSOE, MATC, Marquette, Cardinal Stritch) and other interested educational institutions, as well as Americorps.

● Students at participating educational institutions.

● Neighborhood Associations.

● The SoHi BID.

Benefits

The expected benefits of this program are increased numbers of building owners and residents who have a sense of obligation and ownership in the neighborhood. The universities, being local institutions, have perhaps the highest obligation to contribute to neighborhoods within which they operate. All stakeholder universities are either located downtown, or have established locations throughout the city at least in part to spread their benefits to the built environment. The student/residents of these universities, because of the nature of their degree programs (which are the primary driver of their presence in the neighborhood) are expected to contribute high levels of commitment to the neighborhood.

These programs, when in operation, will contribute to the renovation or development of buildings in the study area. Some will also contribute new businesses, which will occupy currently vacant retail space along North 27th Street and West State Street.

The internships will provide significant levels of labor to organizations in the study area, which will assist in implementing many proposed initiatives aimed at promoting revitalization in the study area. The students will benefit from the experiences and lessons learned, which they will retain and apply in their future endeavors.

Implementation

A collaborative board consisting of members of the neighborhood associations from Avenues West, Merrill Park, Concordia, and the SoHi BID would work with the directors of these educational institutions’ departments/schools such as Urban Studies, Urban Planning, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Continuing Studies, Event Planning, Performance Art, Entrepreneurship, and Public Art, to develop internships and courses/course work in the neighborhood, placing the participating students in housing throughout the study area, and


46

generating desired businesses in the neighborhood based on entrepreneurial sponsorship and training programs.

One option might have the universities form a joint (re)development organization that purchases and fully renovates existing vacant, or currently substandard apartment buildings into university-owned and operated student housing. On an even larger scale, Marquette University, the Avenues West Association and the Milwaukee Department of City Development might partner with a developer(s) to develop new mixed-use student housing or renovate large existing buildings, such as the Milwaukee High School building at North 27th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue, into live/work units, student residences, classrooms, or perhaps a mix of uses.

PROGRAMS

http://one.arch.tamu.edu/

47

SoHi Business Improvement District Re-Activation

Description

The SoHi BID currently lacks an Executive Director, and the functions of the BID have been folded into the Avenues West Association. This initiative would have the SoHi BID become a separately managed organization again, so that the day-to-day activities and initiatives of the BID can be focused on full-time. This alternative also frees-up the Executive Director (ED) of the Avenues West Association to focus solely on the business of achieving the goals of that organization and the neighborhood at large.

Stakeholders


● Member organizations of the SoHi BID.

● Executive Director of the Avenues West Association

● Member organizations and residents of the Avenues West Association

Benefits

The reactivation of the SoHi BID as a free-standing organization will permit it to serve as the coordinator among the neighborhood associations

for the collaborative programs and policies proposed throughout this report. The SoHi BID Executive Director is also expected to enhance the existing collaboration between the Merrill Park Association, Concordia Association, and Avenues West Associations to develop an increased sense of “neighborhood” throughout the study area.

Implementation

The Avenues West, Concordia, and Merrill Park Associations, as organizations that represent residents living around the SoHi BID district, should collaborate to identify and secure any necessary funds to compensate a new SoHi BID Executive Director. These organizations would also initiate and manage the talent search and hiring process for a new SoHi BID Executive Director. Also, if possible, a neighborhood organizer for SoHi and the surrounding area, and a “street recruiter” for N. 27th Street should be sought out to re-energize businesses and regain some of the momentum that was lost during street reconstruction and the foreclosure crisis.


http://www.avenueswest.com/

48

POLICIES

is expected to reduce the number of buildings that present nuisance, crime and related challenges to the neighborhood. It is also expected that it would decrease the number of tenants living in the area that create the type of environment that thwarts commercial and residential development and diminishes quality of life for all residents. It could serve as a pilot program to measure its (potential for) success and to identify any necessary changes to ensure it achieves desired results. If successful, it can be rolled out to other neighborhoods faced with similar challenges.

Implementation

This policy would require a new ordinance be enacted that directs the city treasurer and DCD Real Estate to work together, in partnership with the Avenues West Association in the study area to identify buildings that will require landlord certification for ownership if the buildings become the property of the city through tax foreclosure (or use the City’s Market Value Analysis of distressed and transitional blocks as a basis for requiring landlord certification). Landlord certification could be implemented first as a pilot study or on demonstration project basis to evaluate outcomes. If successful, the program could be extended to all MVA blocks in the city labeled as distressed or transitional.

Description

This new policy would implement an investor/landlord certification program that requires that all tax foreclosed properties within the study area be sold to investors with a good “track record” of property management, and not be sold to investors unless they have been certified as exemplary landlords on other buildings within the study area, or (if they have no history in the Milwaukee area) they purchase bonding and insurance sizeable enough to cover increased police/citation, clean-up, and/or renovation costs caused by poor management and tenant selection. The intention of this policy is to provide a method through which the city can assist in turning around properties that are seen as blighting influences if and when they become city property through tax foreclosure.

Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders of this policy are:

● Aldermen

● City of Milwaukee business permitting/li censing department

● City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, division of Real Estate

● City of Milwaukee Office of City Treasurer

● Neighborhood Association leadership

● Landlords.

Benefits

This policy aims to reduce the likelihood of investors/landlords that can’t/won’t improve conditions in their rental properties from purchasing in the study area. Preventing ill-prepared and/or incapable investors from purchasing property in distressed neighborhoods

Landlord Certification Program

49

Business License Certification

Description

This policy would implement a business license certification program that establishes a threshold for crime and police call statistics for each business location in the study area. It requires that business license owners keep their businesses/locations under these thresholds or lose their business licenses when they come due for renewal. The thresholds will be for legitimate nuisance calls so as to protect business’ interests.

Stakeholders


● Aldermen

● City of Milwaukee business permitting/ licensing department

● City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, division of Real Estate


● Neighborhood Association leadership

● Business owners

Benefits

This policy aims to eliminate or reduce the number of businesses that routinely serve as the source for the majority of crime/police calls in the study area. It could serve as a pilot program to measure its (potential for) success and to identify any necessary changes to ensure it achieves desired results. If successful, it can be rolled out to other neighborhoods faced with similar challenges. Implementation

This policy would require new legislation be enacted that directed the city treasurer and DCD Real Estate to work together, in partnership with the Milwaukee Police Department in the study area to identify businesses that aren’t reducing the instances of crime/nuisance originating at, and police calls to, their properties.


Corner of Wells and 27th Street | http://www.jsonline.com/

50

POLICIES

● Avenues West Association leadership

● Potential buyers of subject properties in the study area

Benefits

This policy is based upon an intent to correct architectural modifications and additions to the neighborhood that are seen as mistakes in hindsight. The city provides matching grants of up to $14,999 per unit to assist new owners with making this required reduction. When market dynamics permit, the policy should also extend to requiring the demolition or significant renovation of certain non-historic apartment buildings that are deteriorated or out of context and character in their location.

Implementation

The leadership of the various neighborhood associations should identify buildings within their borders that should be regulated under this initiative, and provide these lists annually to the DCD Real Estate division for management.

Description

This policy is already in place to a limited extent as a requirement for some city property sales (typically related to architectural design or historic preservation goals), but should be expanded. When a multi-unit building comes into city ownership, upon resale, the policy currently calls for requiring a reduction in the number of units in multi-unit buildings that have had the number of units increased beyond the number originally constructed (not in keeping with the original design for units and occupancy of the building).

Stakeholders


● City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, Division of Real Estate and if needed, its Historic Preservation Office


Density Reduction

Wells Street Apartment Building

51

Description

This policy would implement a preference in the study area that all new buildings constructed along commercial and/or mixed-use corridors be built up to the sidewalk line, and designed to attractively and effectively address the street edge according to modern urban design principles. Additionally, buildings should not be set back behind parking lots. Buildings constructed on corner lots would be required to implement these design principles on all sides of the building facing the street. Where possible, existing modern buildings that have asphalt-covered, sterile (lacking amenities and urban landscaping) or “barren” street frontages should be encouraged to correct this failure, and also be required to correct them when significant renovations are proposed/planned. The image below of the 1300 block of West State Street demonstrates the “dead zones” created by buildings that inappropriately address the street edge. These “dead zones” thwart efforts to generate pedestrian traffic because they don’t provide any attractive features or functions.

Stakeholders


● Aldermen

● City of Milwaukee DNS, Forestry, DCD and Permit Center

● City of Milwaukee Department of City Development Planning and Real Estate


● Owners of targeted buildings

Benefits

Buildings that don’t properly address the street edge create gaps in the urban landscape and create an environment hostile to pedestrians. Block-sized gaps create negative areas that can diminish the feeling of vibrancy. Pedestrians are more likely to believe “nothing is down that way” when they aren’t able to see the next shop because too many blocks between destinations are just strips of grass along sidewalks or building walls that don’t have doors or storefronts along the sidewalk. This policy is expected to improve walk-ability of the Avenues West area, for example, by increasing the likelihood that pedestrians would stroll from the Marquette-focused eastern portion of the study area along both West State Street and West Clybourn Street towards North 27th Street. Increased pedestrian traffic would improve chances that commercial redevelopment within the SoHi Business Improvement District would occur.

Implementation

This policy would require new legislation be enacted that directed the city treasurer and DCD Planning and Real Estate to work together, in partnership with the City DNS, Permit Center, and Avenues West Association to identify properties that should have street edge corrections made during their next major renovation. A tracking system will be necessary to allow identification of these buildings by permitting staff when permit requests are made to prevent renovations from occurring without required corrections to the street edge (including landscaping of many existing parking lots in the Avenues West area that do not meet the city’s landscape code).

Street Edge Urban Design


New Construction at City on a Hill

52

MARKETING

documentation of available home buying and renovation programs. Leadership provided by neighborhood associations should also seek additional subsidies from these and other organizations/lenders to assist with renovations that oftentimes cost more than they add to property values in the current market environment. Once a comprehensive list of resources is compiled, it should be promoted to target audiences, such as NEWaukee, and in publications and websites such as Shepherd Express, and UrbanMilwaukee.com.

Description

This initiative entails researching and identifying a comprehensive list of sources of funding and assistance for potential homebuyers and for renovation assistance for current homeowners. These, along with proposals for new programs that fill gaps between existing programs, or provide assistance in different ways, or to new users, should be promoted more widely through a website and direct and indirect marketing tactics.

Stakeholders


● City of Milwaukee Department of City Development, Division of Real Estate

● City of Milwaukee Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation.

● Owners of targeted buildings.

Benefits

This initiative provides for continued improvement in neighborhood aesthetics, stabilization of property values, and potential equity gains by owners. Stabilized or improved property values may increase tax revenues paid to the city, which in turn can provide for more funds to support and maintain infrastructure in the study area.

Implementation

These activities would be managed by the Avenues West Association in collaboration with other neighborhood organizations. The new SoHi BID Executive Director may be asked to perform or direct these activities. First steps should be contacting SelectMilwaukee, WHEDA, and DCD NIDC to begin collection and

Current and Proposed Home-BuyingHome-Renovation Programs

53

Neighborhood Marketing Strategies

Description

This initiative requires that a series of marketing tactics be identified and implemented that are designed to reach at least 10,000 members of the target audience annually. It will include distributing information about home-buying programs, available property, ongoing and proposed development in the area, and other news thought to be of interest to potential residents and investors, to organizations such as NEWaukee, University Student Organizations, Makerspace memberships, Riverwest Co-operative Members, and Entrepreneurial and Business Promotion organizations.

Other promotional functions might include cultural festivals that leverage the work of organizations in the study area that are focused on assisting immigrant populations moving to Milwaukee, street art festivals that promote temporary art installations throughout the neighborhood and on the streets and sidewalks. The implementation of a “Developer’s Tour” is also envisioned, where a limousine bus is rented by the neighborhood associations, and local developers are taken around the study area to tour potential development sites while being served refreshments.

Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders of this promotional activity are:

● Neighborhood Associations.● Local cultural organizations.● Local art students.● Local residential project developers.

Benefits

This initiative is expected to contribute to a stronger sense of community among the neighborhood residents and organizations housed in the study area. Improved quality of life for residents created

by various festivals (either through attendance at or as the results of these festivals) nearby is another anticipated benefit. These festivals are also expected to increase the numbers of visitors to the study area, some of whom are expected to develop interest in living or doing business in the area after their introduction to it through these events. Additional customers for existing businesses are also anticipated, again due to traffic generated by these festivals.

Implementation

These activities would be managed by the Avenues West Executive Director in collaboration with other neighborhood organizations within the study area until such time as an Executive Director is hired for the SoHi BID, who would take on the management role. First steps to implement this initiative might include:

● Conduct a meeting of the organizations listed in the description to generate awareness among their leadership.

● Collaborate with the neighborhood associations in the study area to conduct meetings with various potential sponsors of festivals, such as immigrant groups for cultural festivals, or art schools/ departments in the city for public art creation festivals.

● Coordinate an initiative that has the neighborhood associations identify and prepare several targeted properties/lots for tour by developers. The neighborhood associations would pay for and arrange refreshments and the transportation (limo bus) for the developers and appropriate association leadership to conduct the tour to document properties of interest, ideas for spurring development, and/or obstacles preventing development.


54

Benefits

This promotional initiative is expected to de-liver multiple benefits, including a significant increase in the number of people visiting, read-ing about, and thinking about the study area. Other benefits are expected to be creative new ideas for solving various challenges, whether they be new uses for vacant spaces, a cohe-sive design language for streetscape improve-ments, public art installations, and the like.

Implementation

This crowdsourcing initiative could be run by Avenues West Association, neighborhood volunteers or the SoHi BID. Consultation (and potentially collaboration) with the Westown Neighborhood Association could begin imple-mentation of this initiative.

Description

This initiative will create competitions to be promoted through traditional and social media to generate ideas for revitalization, programs, and to obtain volunteers for projects in the study area. Prizes for some competitions would be paid for by private funders or might also involve local Universities through design and/or programmatic events or competitions.

Stakeholders

The primary stakeholders of this promotional activity are:

● SoHi BID Members● Neighborhood Association Leadership and Members● Potential Competitors

MARKETING

Citizen Planning Competitions

http://one.arch.tamu.edu/

55


Additional Project Ideas

This section covers additional projects and programs that were suggested by Avenues West stakeholders, but for lack of time or space, are not discussed in depth elsewhere in this report. They are all worthy of consideration. In fact, given the unpredictability of the housing market, they may be more than considered. They may be built!

Catalytic Built-Project Ideas

● Do large and small-scale workforce housing development--large as in rowhouse or apartment buildings, small as in single family detached houses or new construction; workforce housing includes major and mid-level employers such as Miller, Marquette University, Marquette High School, Sinai-Samaritan, Harley-Davidson, AT&T, etc.

● Reinstate a 27th Street corridor re-investment program--could include facade grants, rehab and repair, landscape/streetscape aimed at creating a more street-friendly appearance.

● Mixed-use residential on North 27th Street (as part of an overall commercial mixed use plan for development).

● Include housing in redevelopment of key nodes in the SoHi Main Street district (N. 27th @ W. Wisconsin, and N. 27th @ W. State).

● Add new construction (similar scale and architectural features) to successful Ambassador homes

site at North 26th Street and West Wells Street.

● Undertake a 28th and Wells redevelopment (including land assembly and site clearance).

● Conversion of former MPS high school at North 27th Street and West Wisconsin Avenue to specialty housing, such as senior housing, multi-generational housing, or privately run dorms with amenities.

● Add buildings and streetscape on “gateway” corridors--State Street, Wisconsin Avenue, North 27th Street “SoHi”, Clybourn Street (landscape/streetscape elements, clean-up and other means of “beautification” such as a bold entranceway at Clybourn at 27th Street).

o Create greenspace plan for the area. o Create facade improvement program for SoHi (facade grants for buildings, additional streetscape and landscape). o Do a greening project to reduce asphalt and promote green space as a way to improve physical, visual, and natural environment within area.

● Create an imports and crafts market in or near SoHi that becomes a destination retail venue.

o Add antiques and vintage items if possible.

o Add music and food service (cart vendors or food trucks. o Give the market an indoor/outdoor structure, so in winter it can operate indoors.

●Develop multiple infill, new construction, rehabilitation, and streetscape projects to reinforce and improve the State Street corridor that serves as connection from Wauwatosa and the West Side to downtown.

●Implement pedestrian friendly “complete street” redesign on major thoroughfares that are mixed use residential (State, Highland, Wells, Wisconsin, and Clybourn).

○ Sense-of-place aesthetics is also needed: a landscape kit of parts that includes street furniture such as benches, bicycle stands, light standards, trash receptacles, etc. ○ Public art strategically located ○ Other features that define and serve to calm traffic (for example, the median treatment on Wisconsin Avenue through the Marquette University campus

● Create a facade improvement program for West Wisconsin Avenue (facade grants for buildings, additional streetscape and landscape).

● Expand the Artplace America

56

ADDITIONAL IDEAS

“Creational Trails” project on West Wisconsin Avenue.

● Fund improved transit or a campus shuttle from Avenues West to Downtown.

● Introduce (or improve existing) neighborhood-serving uses that support residential development, such as grocery stores, hardware stores, and other shopping.

● Develop private high-density, high-amenity private dorms with non-residential uses at street level near Marquette University (other locations if a shuttle could be provided).

● Expand or regularize neighborhood clean-ups as part of Avenues West crime prevention.

● As part of the renovation of the Historic Concordia College campus currently being conducted by its new owners, the Forest County Potawatomi, consider the inclusion of new or rehabbed buildings that have mixed use and live-work units.

● Expand the boundaries of the Concordia National Register Historic District to protect through inclusion a greater number of historically significant properties that may be at risk of demolition by neglect, for example, the Harnischfeger Mansion.

● Work with the City’s Neighborhood Improvement Development Corporation (NIDC) to implement a Rehab/Restore/Resell Project for Merrill Park and Concordia Historic District

that includes forgivable loans and technical assistance-- neighborhood buyers given option to buy as owners or landlords for investment property.

Program initiatives

● Neighborhood associations and the SoHi BID should track impending property foreclosures to acquire those properties identified by these organizations as needing renovation or demolition.

● Work with Mayor’s Strong Neighborhoods Program to identify critical properties and to reinvigorate existing programs such as the Historic Preservation and Infrastructure (HIP) Fund and Neighborhood Improvement and Development Corporation (NIDC) rehab funds.

● Where it occurs, work with property owners to change harsh bunker-like appearance (chain link fences with barbed wire, sea of asphalt parking lots, blank window walls, blocked in windows, or obvious deferred maintenance).

● Intensify efforts to “recycle” (capture/rehab/resell to certified owners) foreclosures and abandoned buildings in historic districts.● Enforce city’s landscape ordinance on major corridors (do a corridor-wide proposal that can be approved as a comprehensive design).● City could consider roll back of zoning in areas noted as

distressed in city’s Market Value Analysis to address concentration of poverty that results from “overcrowded” rooming houses.

● Create an ordinance requiring on-site 24-hour building management in multi-family buildings in (relatively) high crime areas.

● Find a way to fund Neighborhood Organizers to help organize and improve area.

● Employ enhanced crime-fighting measures (i.e. training and authorizing police to do building inspections for code compliance; more extensive community policing)

● Develop smart phone app for reporting code violations and crimes anonymously.

Ideas for Marketing and Promotion

● Outreach to local real estate community to develop Avenues West specialists (including sub-specialists in Marquette Circle, Concordia Historic District and Merrill Park).

● Conduct real estate marketing campaign to emphasize selling points of Avenues West.

●Conduct a coordinated neighborhood-wide Open House for city-owned properties in target areas of Avenues West.

57

59

BuiltRecommendations

This alternative designs, and recommends sites for, residential and mixed-use development projects intended to spur investment in the study area by attracting residents with incomes of 80% or more of the Milwaukee median household income into the study area. This alternative is focused on generating demand from targeted homebuyers and renters by providing desirable, high-quality residential products in strategic locations. As noted in the overview above, these projects are designed to extend tendrils of strength westward from the stronger Marquette market circle along the northern and southern border of the study area.

BUILT RECOMMENDATIONS

17th - 20th West State Street

Current Use

The land use in the 1700, 1800, and 1900 blocks of West State Street is currently primarily single family and duplex residential. These three blocks along State Street are zoned RT4, which allows primarily single family and duplex uses, and limited commercial and live-work activity. State 17 to 20 aerial.PNG

Proposed Use

The proposed project area is designed to leverage the strength of nearby commercial and residential areas in the adjacent Marquette University circle while serving as the transition locus on West State Street from a purely residential district to a mixed-use district. State Street also possesses useful features that will contribute to it being developed as the mixed-use link between the Marquette circle and the 27th Commercial Corridor. These features include being recently repaved, bike lanes in each direction, only having one lane of traffic in each direction, yet strong traffic flow counts (numerous potential future residents and commercial customers).

Vacant corner lots will receive three- or four-story mixed use buildings, which might be traditionally designed with first-floor commercial and upper floor residential, or two-story units fronting State Street with apartments above, or perhaps a combination of the two types. Any single lots or interior combination of lots will have infill connected townhouses constructed with attached parking.

Owners of residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings of historic or aesthetic merit that fall

Key Redevelopment Ideas

•Attract residents with incomes of 80% or more of Milwaukee median household

•Assign new uses for vacant and underutilized land

•Create high-quality, mixed-income housing units

•Create public space

60

17TH-20TH W STATE ST

within these three blocks should receive assistance from the Avenues West Association Executive Director to obtain historically accurate facade renovations. Specific proposed built projects for each of the blocks are described below:

1700 block:

•1011 N. 17th Street◦Owner: Bridging the Gap Learning Center◦Assessed: $0

•1721 W. State Street◦Owner: Greg Orlowski◦Assessed: $152,400

•1728 W. State Street◦Owner: Bridging the Gap Learning Center◦Assessed: $72,400

1800 block:

•1826 W. State Street◦Owner: Dennis Prohaska◦Assessed: $132,900

N 18TH

W HIGHLAND

N RENEE

W STATE

17TH

18TH

19TH

20TH

W STATE | 17TH = 20TH | PLAN PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

61


1900 block:

•1926 W. State Street◦Owner: Douglas Lawinger◦Assessed: $70,700

Phase One

The first phase will focus on the 1700 block (closest to Marquette University). Street corner redevelopment will embrace the street corner and mid-block buildings will hold the street edge. The block will be a mix of single-family and multi-family.

Phase Two

The second phase will focus on the 1900 block. The entire length of the south side of State Street is vacant along the 1900 block. This corner will be redevelopment to embracing the street corner. The north side of State Street along the 1900 block will be redeveloped to hold the street edge. The block will be a mix of single-family, multi-family, and commercial uses.

N 18TH

W HIGHLAND

N RENEE

W STATE

17TH

18TH

19TH

20TH

W STATE | 17TH = 20TH | PLAN NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS + INTERIOR RENOVATIONS EXISTING + PROPOSED PUBLIC SPACE

62

Phase Three

The final phase will focus on the 1800 block (middle of Option 1). Street corner redevelopment will embrace the street corner and mid-block buildings will hold the street edge. The south side of the block will be single-family and the north side will be single-family and commercial.

Streetscaping and Aesthetic Opportunities

Other neighborhoods with similar proximity to downtown Milwaukee have made significant

investments in streetscaping. Areas such as Riverworks, The Third Ward, and Marquette University have set a high-quality standard for streetscaping projects. Avenues West should extend the example set forth by similar neighborhoods to create sense of feeling; not only to State Street, but for the surrounding area. Setting the appropriate tone can be accomplished by incorporating high-quality lamp posts, signage, trash bins, benches, bus stops, planters, and crosswalks. Streetscaping efforts should be integrated in any State Street redevelopment plan. State Street was recently repaved for one lane of automobile traffic and a bike lane in each direction. Option 1 would keep those elements, creates

N 18TH

W HIGHLAND

N RENEE

W STATE

17TH

18TH

19TH

20TH

W STATE | 17TH = 20TH | PLAN SINGLE-FAMILY | DUPLEX MULTI-FAMILY | MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL


63


.13 acres of new public space, and proposes the addition of street trees and new lamp posts,

Analysis

Option 1 meets many of the stated objectives for catalytic projects. Option 1 creates 48 rowhouse units, 18 multifamily units, 22,800 square feet of commercial space, and .13 acres of new public space while assigning new uses to vacant and underutilized properties. With streetscape improvements like the ornate lamp posts, trash bins, repaved traffic lanes with a bicycle lane, and a new public space, Option 1 improves the physical

MODERN ROW HOUSE18-22 FT STREET FRONTAGE2-3 LEVELS

COMMERCIAL + TOWNHOUSES SEPARATED ENTRANCE W GARAGE SPACE 3 LEVELS

W STATE | 17TH - 20TH | PERSPECTIVE NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS

POCKET PLAZACOMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE

environment and livability while addressing the aesthetic challenges facing State Street. Option 1 is a strong location for redevelopment due to its proximity to Marquette University. As seen in case studies, similar developments (especially close to downtown and a university) have been successful catalysts for economic and residential development.

However, Option 1 is not without its challenges. Option 1 will need multiple sources of funding. If Avenues West is reluctant to use low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), the City of Milwaukee or investors will have to subsidize a LIHTC-sized

64

portion of the project. Without LIHTC, it will be difficult to attract developers to Avenues West. New Market Tax Credits and Senior Living Tax Credits are also plausible. It will be the responsibility of the Avenues West and the City of Milwaukee to assemble the non-vacant parcels needed as well as move current tenants.

Implementation

1. Develop working relationships with local stakeholders and collaborate on neighborhood client needs and concerns.

2. Apply for appropriate facade grants for recommended buildings

3. Acquire necessary parcels a. Rezone parcels if necessary

4. Recruit potential developer(s)

5. Begin project design a. Interior, exterior, streetscape, and public space 6. Coordinate funding sources a. Combine public and private funds (LI HTC, New Market Tax Credits, Senior Living Tax Credits, and/or public funds)

7. Develop specific performance metrics or targets, as appropriate


65


17th - 20th West State Street Current View

66

17th - 20th West State Street Proposed View


67


23rd - 25th West State Street

Current Use

The land use in the 2300 and 2400 blocks of West State Street is currently primarily single family and duplex residential. Many of the lots in this section of Avenues West are vacant or used for paved parking. The entire south side of the 2300 block is paved parking.

Proposed Use

This proposed project is designed to build upon the strength of the mixed-use and residential projects to be built between 17th and 20th


•Attract residents with 80% or more of Milwaukee median household income

• Assign new uses for vacant, underutilized land and parking lots

• Create high-quality, mixed-income housing units

• Create public space

W STATE | 23RD - 25TH | PLAN PHASE 1 PHASE 2

68

23RD - 25TH W STATE ST

Streets on West State Street, and to encourage further development of mixed-use projects on vacant lots, and redevelopment of historic commercial and mixed-use buildings along State Street between 23rd and 25th Street.

Phase One

In the first phase, the parking lot on the south side of State Street along the 2300 block will be transformed into a four- or five-story mixed use building along the entire block, fronting State Street with commercial space. The remainder of the block (north of the reinstalled

alley) will be built out with connected rowhouses with attached parking. The development will address the street corners and street edge. Phase One also contains .32 acres of public space on the southwest corner at the intersection of 24th Street and State Street.

Phase Two

In the second phase, the remaining parcels will be developed into rowhouses with attached garages and multifamily units with street-level

W STATE | 23RD - 25TH | PLAN NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS NEW PUBLIC SPACE

69


commercial space. Facade improvements for applicable buildings also fall in Phase Two.


Like in Option 1, Avenues West should extend the example set forth by similar neighborhoods to create sense of feeling; not only to State Street, but for the surrounding area. Setting the appropriate tone can be accomplished by incorporating high-quality lamp posts, signage, trash bins, benches, bus stops, planters, and crosswalks. Streetscaping efforts should be integrated in any State Street redevelopment

plan. Like Option 1, Option 2 would keep one lane for car traffic in each direction and the bike lane would remain. Option 2 also contains a pocket park at the intersection of 24th Street and State Street. New lamp posts and street trains are highly recommended.

Analysis

Option 2 meets many of the stated objectives for catalytic projects. Option 2 creates 30 rowhouse units, 210 multifamily units, 34,640 square feet of commercial space, a private rooftop terrace, and .32 acres of

W STATE | 23RD - 25TH | PLAN SINGLE-FAMILY | DUPLEX MULTI-FAMILY | MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL

70


public space while assigning new uses to vacant and underutilized properties. With streetscape improvements like ornate lamp posts, trash bins, and a new public space, Option 2 improves the physical environment and livability while addressing the aesthetic challenges facing State Street. Option 2 is a strong location for redevelopment due to its proximity to Historic Concordia Neighborhood and 27th Street. As case studies show, redevelopment with a mix of uses and mixed-income residents (especially near a downtown) have been successful catalysts for economic and residential development.

However, Option 2 is not without its challenges. Like Option 1, Option 2 will need multiple sources of funding. If Avenues West is reluctant to use low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), the City of Milwaukee or investors will have to subsidize a LIHTC-sized portion of the project. Without LIHTC, it will be difficult to attract developers to Avenues West. New Market Tax Credits and Senior Living Tax Credits are also plausible. It will be the responsibility of the Avenues West and the City of Milwaukee to assemble the non-vacant parcels needed as well as move current tenants.

COMMERCIAL + MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL4-5 LEVELSMODELED AFTER MANDEL’S NORTH END

W STATE | 23RD - 25TH | PERSPECTIVE

PUBLIC PLAZACONSTRUCTED BY PRIVATE ENTITY

NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS + INTERIOR RENOVATIONS

MODERN ROW HOUSE18-22 FT STREET FRONTAGE2-3 LEVELS

71


Implementation

1. Develop working relationships with local stakeholders and collaborate on client neighborhood needs and concerns.

2. Acquire necessary parcels a. Rezone parcels if necessary

3. Recruit potential developer(s)

4. Begin project design a. Interior, exterior, streetscape, and public space

5. Coordinate funding sources a. Combine public and private funds (LIHTC, New Market Tax Credits, Senior Living Tax Credits, and/or public funds)

6. Develop specific performance metrics or targets, as appropriate

23rd - 25th West State Street Current View

72


23rd - 25th West State Street Proposed View

73



● Discourage new light industrial construction

● Increase the number of live-work units and high quality apartment construction due to the high level of industrial building vacancy along Clybourn

● Support the conversion of commercial and industrial buildings into mixed use residential buildings

● Increase the number of market rate apartments with retail space on the first floor

● Create a fresh food farmers market in underutilized parking lot

● Create pockets of green space (some vacant lots may work for this)

● Promote increased landscaping along Clybourn

● Designate a bike lane within the existing right-of-way

● Add new streetscape for a more aesthetically pleasing and safer corridor

Current Use

Currently the proposed buildings are zoned IL2. The IL2 zoning which provides parcels for light industrial uses that utilize medium-sized buildings with minimal outdoor storage areas. The two proposed buildings are east and west of each other at the intersection of 22nd and Clybourn Street, and have been vacant for a few years. Both buildings have been used as commercial office space or light industrial space for various businesses.

Street width is currently at 60 feet. This allows for four lanes (two each way and parking on each side of the street). There is very poor landscaping along the sidewalks and street, much of the streetscape along Clybourn is underutilized and bare. Street lights are a standard 30 feet on center , and sidewalks are only located on the north side of the street (should be located on both sides to create a better pedestrian-friendly zone). There is very little vegetation along the sidewalk, and vegetation along the south side of the street is over-grown, yet could provide a great view of the Menomonee Valley (missed opportunity).

The building on the east side of 22nd Street is a conjoined building with addresses 2120, 2122, and 2130 occupying the space. All are currently for sale or lease. This building is 32,775 square feet (all three addresses), is currently owned by Resnant Properties LTD Partnership with an assessed value of $570,700 as of January 2014.

2202 West Clybourn Street is the address of the building on the west side of 22nd Street. The building is currently owned by Perital LLC, total square footage of 17,940 and a total assessed value of $274,000 as of January 2014.

On the corner of 20th Street and Clybourn is a newly erected market rate apartment building that is nearly fully occupied. Just a few doors down to the west is the Sav-On Warehouse Market. It has a very large unlandscaped set-back for the

20th-26th West Clybourn Street

74

20TH - 26TH W CLYBOURN ST

parking lot. The building to the west of 2202 (22nd and Clybourn) is vacant and for sale. The address for this building is 2222 W Clybourn Street, has a total assessed value of $465,400 and is also a “Mercantile” Property class, with a total land square footage of 54,102, and is owned by Mufar Investments LLC. The building is a concrete structure with metal siding and would not be salvageable for redevelopment due to its floor plans and building materials. The land west of 2222 W Clybourn Street to 25th Street is currently occupied by eight commercial and light industrial buildings, of which a few are currently for sale or lease, while others are still occupied and in use. Further west along Clybourn between 25th and

N 2

2ND

N 2

0TH

W ST PAUL

W CLYBOURN

N 2

3RD

W MICHIGAN

N 2

5TH

N 2

6TH

N 2

4TH

W WISCONSIN

N 2

2ND

W CLYBOURN | 20TH - 26TH | PLAN PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3

26th street are 12 vacant lots that are currently city owned (great potential for development here).

Proposed Use

Phase OneThe proposed use of the these two buildings will revitalize the substandard industrial commercial space into a vibrant center of small business, galleries, restaurants and studios for living space. Live-work units are a contemporary (New Urbanist) typed of mixed use development that is a work-driven type of space that combines a workspace with a living quarters. Units of this type are in demand because they allow a wider range of flexible uses at an affordable price. Living

75


space is generally located above or alongside the commercial work space.

Both of these buildings are very suitable for this type of use because live-work is arguably the most viable form of market rate development in many inner cities, and is the only building type that provides both commercial and housing development as a unified design format. In addition, the large square footage of the buildings is typical of, and lends itself to a live-work design lay-out. Development of this type fits in well with the traditional use of Clybourn Street, which has largely been a place of employment, yet it contributes to our goal of providing market rate housing in the Avenues West neighborhood, and

capitalizes on both the near-downtown and the Marquette University markets.

Retail/Commercial Live-Work Units

Structure 2120 West Clybourn Street will become a traditional live-work space. Its large size and current floor plans will allow for multiple living areas on the second and third floor, while the first floor will be used for small businesses, galleries, coffee shops, and other retail activity to round out the shopping options for the community and for visitors to enjoy. It is expected that the second and third floor of this building will have 20 living units and 12,500sq ft of workspace for the patrons above to rent .

N 2

2ND

N 2

0TH

W ST PAUL

W CLYBOURN

N 2

3RD

W MICHIGAN

N 2

5TH

N 2

6TH

N 2

4TH

W WISCONSIN

N 2

2ND

W CLYBOURN | 20TH - 26TH | PLAN NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS + INTERIOR RENOVATIONS NEW PUBLIC SPACE

76

Shared Workspace Live-Work Units

Structure 2202 West Clybourn Street will become a different type of live work space. This building will become a traditional apartment building with one or two bedroom apartments and a few studios. To make it a live-work space, it will have a common area where the residents can access computers, printers, network, share desks, and lease private office area. Young entrepreneurs would have very close access to the tools and space needed to develop their business and ideas. The shared workspace on both floors of this building is expected to reach 12,500sq ft with 20 living units.

NEW ARTISAN LOFTS3-4 LEVELS

RENOVATED LOFTSCOWORKING OPPORTUNITY

W CLYBOURN | 20TH - 26TH | PERSPECTIVE NEW CONSTRUCTION FACADE IMPROVEMENTS + INTERIOR RENOVATIONS

MARKETSEASONAL PRODUCE

PROPOSED GREEN SPACESCENIC VIEWPOINT

NEW MULTI-FAMILY LOFTS4-5 LEVELS

Farmers Market

Sav-On Warehouse Market is a low cost grocery store with a large parking lot along the street front. Due to its outdated design (way past prime),most of the time it is nowhere near capacity, leaving it an underutilized space. The proposed use is will change this parking lot into a fresh food outdoor market where the public can shop. Outdoor local food markets are very popular in today’s urban culture, and it would help solve the issue of Avenues West being a “food desert” (an area that lacks convenient access to healthy, locally grown and organic food, particularly produce). It was stated many times during the public meeting that Avenues West needs more locations to shop


77


11 11 11 11 103 parkparkwalk

103 4 35 311 11park turn bikewalk

Before Streetscape Improvements

After Streetscape Improvements

78

for fresh high quality food. Sav-on Warehouse Market may be a grocery store, but it sells less than desirable food quality. A fresh produce market in the parking lot would be a perfect fit for both the community and Sav-On Warehouse Market.


Enhancing the streetscape of Clybourn Street will play an important role in the livability, vitality, and character of the street. Sidewalks will need to be widen from the current 10 feet to 12 feet. The additional two feet will provide space for shrubbery, trees, and flowers to be added to the sidewalk. Next to the curb should be placed a five foot bicycle lane followed by a three foot buffer zone. Eight feet will be dedicated to next to the buffer zone for parallel parking. Eleven feet for a traffic lane heading westbound, followed by a ten foot turn lane at 22nd and Clybourn. An eleven foot traffic lane traveling eastbound will follow next to a five foot bicycle lane traveling east toward the Marquette campus and downtown.

Condensing traffic from four lanes to two lanes will require new traffic lights with quality, easy-to-see bold graphic crosswalks to the south side of Clybourn Street. The new traffic lights on 22nd street will help protect the safety of pedestrians from the expected increase in walking activity. Lighting from the street surface to the light fixture will need to be reduced from 30 feet to 15 feet. Lower lighting and added eyes to the street will provide better illuminated conditions and surveillance, hence deter criminal activity, as well as increase the quality of street aesthetics. In addition, the type of lighting fixture should change from the current traditional or standard fixture to a custom fixture.

Phase TwoMarket Rate Apartments

In place of the current commercial structure at 2222 W Clybourn Street will be a three to five story market rate apartment building with retail and commercial space on the first floor. Unlike the 22nd street live-work units, the residents will not have direct access to lease or own the retail and commercial space below. Businesses such as Starbucks, small convenience stores (7-11), bars, restaurants, and clothing shops that are privately owned will buy or lease this space. A three to five story building with retail at street level will have 40 units available for rent, and 12,500sq ft of retail space.

Currently standing at the intersection of 22nd Street and Michigan is a vacant one story building that was once used for recycling. It is for sale by Ogden Reality and would not be suitable for an apartment building given the building envelope and floor plans. In order to construct new market rate apartments, the current building would be torn down to make room for a three to five story high quality market rate apartment with first floor commercial and retail space. It is expected to have 6,500sq ft of commercial space, and 40 new living units.

Phase ThreeMarket Rate Apartments between 25th and 26th

On the north side of Clybourn Street lie six vacant lots, currently with no structures present. This location between 25th and 26th Street is next to the an I-94 exit and has direct access to the Menomonee River Valley. Not only does this provide residents a prime location for transportation access (both car and bus), but would be an ideal location for any small space retail or restaurant. Residents will enjoy the local cafes, bars, restaurants with seasonal outdoor seating, and unique shops. It is expected this building will have 40 new units with 9,000sq ft of retail space.


79


on the first floor is complete and occupied by residents, this should spur more development as developers see the full potential of the Clybourn Street Corridor.

The vacant land between on the south side of Clybourn Street between 25th and 26th Streets will be held for development in the future pending the success of this catalytic project. It is unclear whether more residential units are ideal (either more market rate apartments, single family homes, or duplexes) or if land in proximity to the Interstate 94 highway exit will be more suitable for commercial and retail use.

Green Space (Park)

On the south side of Clybourn Street between 25th and 26th Streets lie six vacant lots with no structures present. The overall lack of green space and parks in Avenues West indicate a need for more open areas for the community to enjoy. A 1.6 acre park within walking distance would be a great amenity for the residents to enjoy.

Future Development Opportunity

The lots west of 2222 W Clybourn Street to 25th Street will be designated for future development. Once the live-work units on 22nd street and the market rate apartment building with retail space

N 2

2ND

N 2

0TH

W ST PAUL

W CLYBOURN

N 2

3RD

W MICHIGAN

N 2

5TH

N 2

6TH

N 2

4TH

W WISCONSIN

N 2

2ND

W CLYBOURN | 20TH - 26TH | PLAN SINGLE-FAMILY | DUPLEX MULTI-FAMILY | MIXED-USE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL

80

Analysis

Option 3 meets many of the stated objectives for catalytic projects. Option 3 creates 160 apartment units, and 50,300 square feet of commercial/retail space, while assigning new uses to vacant and underutilized properties. Option 3 improves the physical environment by revitalizing vacant properties that offer residents multiple apartment living options and creates new space for a park (1.6 acres) and farmers market. Option 3 is a strong location for redevelopment due to its proximity to Marquette University, I-94, and the Menomonee River Valley. As seen in case studies, similar developments (especially close to a large cluster of employers) have been successful catalysts for economic and residential development.

However, Option 3 is not without its challenges. Option 3 will need multiple sources of funding. If Avenues West is reluctant to use low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC), Idle Industrial Site Redevelopment Program, Wisconsin Brownfield Program, or Brownfield Site Assessment Grant, the City of Milwaukee or private investors will have to subsidize a LIHTC-sized portion of the project. Without LIHTC, it will be difficult to attract developers. It will be the responsibility of the Avenues West and the City of Milwaukee to assemble stakeholders, property owners, investors, and both federal and state funded programs to make this project successful.


81


Implementation

1. Develop working relationships with local stakeholders. and collaborate on client neighborhood needs and concerns.

2. Acquire site ownership for prospective developer.

3. Begin project design and building evaluation. a. Assess interior and exterior renovations.

b. Develop interior planning concepts and sketches, as needed, to assess capacity.

4. Ensure that project design/construction are within budget.

a. A preferred design is the most cost-effective way to approach development.

5. Coordinate funding sources.

a. Combine public and private funds (LIHTC), Idle Industrial Site Redevelopment Program, Wisconsin Brownfield Program, or Brownfield Site Assessment Grant).

6. Develop specific performance metrics or targets, as appropriate.

a. Evaluate success, as goals are updated or confirmed.

20th - 26th W Clybourn Street Current View

82


20th - 26th W Clybourn Street Proposed View

83

Historic Concordia Home http://www.radiomilwaukee.org/

85

Appendix

Business License Certification Policy N/A N/A Possibly Contributes Fulfills N/A N/ADensity Reduction Policy N/A Fulfills Contributes Contributes N/A N/A

Urban Design Streetedge Policy N/A Possibly Contributes N/A N/A N/A N/APromotions

Home Buying & Reno. Assist. Promotions Contributes Contributes Contributes Possibly Contributes Fulfills N/A

Neighborhood Marketing Promotions N/A Possibly Contributes Possibly Contributes N/A Contributes Fulfills

Tactical Planning Competition Promotions N/A Possibly Contributes Possibly Contributes N/A Possible Contributes Fulfills

Recommendations

Criteria 1: The recommendation

increases the number of market rate homes in the

study area by 50 or more units.


assigns new uses or reactivates targeted or vacant properties.

Criteria 1: The recommendation is

expected to increase the number of historic

residential and commercial buildings

purchased, renovated, and

reactivated in the study area.

Criteria 2: The recommendation is expected to result in improved property condition of multi-

family buildings and businesses and

contribute to crime reductions from these premises.

Criteria 1: The recommendation is

expected to improve awarenss and

increase use of existing home-buying and home-renovating programs as well as

develops and promotes new

assistance programs.


can be expected to reach 10,000 or

more people from targeted audiences

each year.

Residential Projects:17th-20th West State Street Fulfills Fulfills Possibly Contributes N/A Possibly Contributes Fulfills23rd-25th West State Street Fulfills Fulfills N/A N/A Possibly Contributes Fulfills

20th-26th West Clybourn Avenue Fulfills Fulfills Contributes N/A Possibly Contributes FulfillsPrograms, Policies, and Promotions:

Programs

27th Street "Adopt-A-Building" Program N/A Fulfills Fulfills Possibly Contributes Possibly Contributes Contributes

Employer "Walk-To-Work" Incentive Program N/A Possibly Contributes Contributes N/A Possibly Contributes ContributesStudent Res., Internships, & Courses

Program N/A Contributes Possibly Contributes Possibly Contributes Possibly Contributes Contributes

Residents Renovating Residences Program Contributes Fulfills Fulfills Possibly Contributes Possibly ContributesPossibly

Contributes

SoHi BID Reactivation N/A Possibly Contributes Contributes Contributes ContributesPossibly

ContributesPolicies

Landlord Certification Policy N/A N/A Possibly Contributes Fulfills N/A N/A

Avenues West - Evaluation of Programs, Policies, and Promotions

Objective 1: Improve the demand for market rate housing by increasing the

supply of high-quality housing of mixed-type.

Objective 2: Improve the study area's physical environment, livability, and

commercial activity through increased neighborhood investment by residents and

employers located in or adjacent to the study area.

Objective 3: Improve awareness of the study area as a potential place of

residence among target audiences.

AppendixAPPENDIX

86

APPENDIX

Key Elemnts Strengths Weaknesses Implementation

17th - 20th Streets

48 rowhouses, 18 multifamily, 22,800 sqft

commercial, .13 acres new public pace

Proximity to Marquette University, amount of

vacant land, appropriate facades improvemnts,

high-quality, mixed-use, pedestrain friendly

Funding sources, ability to assemble parcels, move

current tenants

3-5 years, active recruitment of developers

by Avenues West, commitment from City or State for funding subsidy

23rd - 25th Streets

30 rowhouses, 210 multifamily, 34,640 sqft of commercial, .32 acres of

new public space

Proximity to 27th Street and Concordia, amount of underutilized land, high-

qualtiy, mixed-use, pedestrian friendly

Funding sources, ability to assemble parcels, move

current tenants

4-6 years, active recruitment of developers

by Avenues West, commitment from City or State of WI for funding

subsidy

Avenues West - Catalytic Residential Projects

20th - 26th Streets

160 apartments, 50,300sqft of workspace, improved streetscape, 1.6

acres of greenspace

Reuse of underutilized buildings, major

improvements to physical environment, close to

Marquette and Downtown

Sources of funding needed, livework units not stable, located on the edge

of Avenues West Neighborhood

Acquire site ownership, coordinate funding

sources, begin project and building design, evaluate as goals are updated or

confirmed

State Street

Clybourn Street

87

norris park

lynden hill king park

merrill park

Study Area Green Spaces

APPENDIX

88

APPENDIX

marquette university

academy of chinese language

highland community school

milwaukee school of the arts

neighborhood house

woodlandseast

marquettehigh school

Study Area Educational Institutions. Area Serves Over 15,000 Students

89

APPENDIX

Due to the client’s knowledge of the stakeholders and employers of the study area, the client has requested to send invitations to the Avenues West APW public meeting. At our request, we have asked to have the invite sent to the group and only be sent to recipients pending our approval. We have recommended that invitations include a brief synopsis of our overall APW goals as well as what we wish to accomplish during the meeting. We have recommended that invitations be sent to human resources representatives, employee or labor representatives, and/or neighborhood liaisons to the following employment entities:- MillerCoors- Harley-Davidson- Marquette University- Aurora Sinai Medical Center- Potowatomi Bingo Casino- AT&T We have recommended that the invitations include the following information:- Date- Time- Location Format

- After introduction, groups of 5-10 stakeholders are placed with APW members for focus groups.- Focus groups will begin with general questioning followed by open-ended questions with group discussion. Introduction (5-8 minutes)

- Who we are- Who are clients are- What we’ve been tasked with- What we’ve learned so far If necessary, break off into small groups for question/answer and discussion portion.

- Reintroduce group members in small group- Ask participants to introduce themselves, their organization, and title General questions (10-15 minutes)

- How would you characterize your employee demographics?- Part-time/Full-time- Single/Married- Child/Family status- Relative age- How many employees live in the neighborhood?- How do employees get to work?- Has your organization been involved in any neighborhood residential programs?- Have you seen benefits from the programs? How so?- What improvements can be made? Focus questions to initiate discussion (35-40 minutes)

- What attracts your organization to stay in the area?- What, if any, businesses do you patronize in the area?- What positives do you see in the neighborhood?- Areas of strength?- What negatives do you see in the neighborhood?- Areas of concern?- Can you see benefits to employees living in the neighborhood? If so, what benefits?- If the following programs were purposed, would your organization be willing to participate?- Walk to work?- Shuttle to work?- Shared shuttle between employers?- Employee housing construction?- Neighborhood marketing?- What programs would you like to see/If you could design a new neighborhood residential program, what would it look like?

Public Meeting Agenda

90

APPENDIX

- What, if anything, do you say to your employees about living in the neighborhood?- Encouraging?- Discouraging?- How would your organization prefer to be engaged in promoting residential options of employees in the neighborhood?- Do you hear feedback from employees or prospective employees about their experiences and impressions of the neighborhood? If so, what do you hear?- What is one idea you want us to consider while putting together our plan?- Questions/Discussion Regroup and Conclusion (4-6 minutes)

- If broken into smaller groups:- Regroup into larger group- APW group leaders briefly describe group discussion, conclusions, and goals- Discuss alternatives suggested- Discuss differences between groups- If one, large group:- APW group members summarize discussions, conclusions, and goals- Discuss alternatives suggested Conclusion (2-5 minutes)- Thank you.- Group is willing to stay for more questions and discussion.

School Administrator Questions

1. If you had a few minutes to talk to a parent about enrolling their child at your school, what would you want them to know?

2. What common public perception about your school is incorrect? What is that perception and what is the truth?

3. What statistics or details about your school do you wish more parents were aware of?

4. Is it easy or difficult for a parent with children living in the neighborhood to enroll their child in your school? By this we mean, is there room in your school for new students? Is there competition for empty spots? Do children in the neighborhood receive any preference in admissions? If not, would you consider such a program?

5. What percentage of your students live in the neighborhood? Of those that live OUTSIDE the neighborhood, what are the three most common neighborhoods that they live in?

91

References

Camden Strategic Revitalization Plan July 2003 http://toolkit.valleyblueprint.org/ sites/default/files/04_sucessful-revital ization-case-studiesusa_2003.pdf_0.pdf

USCUR Brown Bag Series Presentation McCormack, Baron, & Salazar September 2011 http://www.ucsur.pitt.edu/files/conf/ urban_brownbag/S03-1_Schlachter_ Neigh_Revital.pdf

“Developers” Hill District February 2014 http://www.hilldistrict.org/developers

Case Study: Pittsburgh Growth Management Institute 2005 http://www.cdesignc.org/downloads/ GMI_pittsburgh_study.pdf

King Drive Commons Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation February 2014 http://mlk-edc.com/

“Where Real Milwaukee Happens” King Drive BID March 2014 http://kingdriveis.com/

“King Drive Commons IV” Tom Held, Milwaukee Business Journal 11 April 2014 https://docs.google.com/docu ment/d/1ZsQ6F4pxNCcZ5ZMaIq0-Op 9wQzKSDDSX35ciojnqgEY/edit

“Near Westside Plan” Milwaukee Department of City Development 19 March 2004 http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLi brary/Groups/cityDCD/planning/plans/ Near-West/plan/NearWestPlan.pdf

Map Milwaukee City of Milwaukee March 2014 http://city.milwaukee.gov/MapMilwau kee3480.htm#.U3F6y6Mo7ct

“Live-Work Units” Jeffery Joyner, Demand Media March 2014 http://smallbusiness.chron.com/live work-unit-35188.html

“Case Studies in University Led Neighborhood Revitalization” Ian Colgan, Development Concepts, Inc 30 June 2011 http://www.development-concepts. com/blog/2010/06/case-studies-in-uni versity-led-neighborhood-revitalization/

“Crawford Square” Affordable Housing Design Advisor March 2014 http://www.designadvisor.org/gallery/ crawford.html

APPENDIX

92

REFERENCES

“Together We Can” Avenues West Association January 2014 http://www.avenueswest.com/

“BID No. 10” Milwaukee Department of City Development January 2014 http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLi brary/Groups/cityDCD/business/bid maps/Bid10.pdf

“27th Street Corridor: Land Use & Impacts Study” Graef 29 January 2010 http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLi brary/Groups/cityDCD/planning/ pdfs/27thStCorridorLandUseandImpact. pdf

“Recent Development in the Near West Plan Area” Milwaukee Department of City Development September 2009 http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLi brary/Groups/cityDCD/planning/plans/ Near-West/update/NearWUpdateMap. pdf

“Mapping of Race/Income/Home Ownership” Census Explorer, New York Times January 2011 http://projects.nytimes.com/cen sus/2010/explorer

“When Off-Campus College Students are Excluded, Poverty Rates Fall in Many College Towns”

Alemayehu Bishaw, U.S. Census Bureau 29 July 2013 http://blogs.census.gov/2013/07/29/ when-off-campus-college-students-are- excluded-poverty-rates-fall-in-many-coll ege-towns/

“Avenues West Neighborhood in Milwaukee, 53233” City-Data January 2009 http://www.city-data.com/neighbor hood/Avenues-West-Milwaukee-WI.html

Interview - Richard D. Baron Co-Founder and Chainman, McCormack, Baron, & Salazar 5 March 2014

Interview - Joe Carollo. Broker, RFP Commercial 25 February 2014

Interview - Joe Klein. Principal, HKS Holdings 12 March 2014

Interview - Jon Dzurak. Milwaukee School of The Arts 27 February 2014

Interview - Anna Bierer. Director of Programs, Neighborhood House 3 March 2014

Interview - Maureen Sullivan. Principal, Woodlands East 3 March 2014

Interview - Keith Stanley, Exec Director of Avenues West Association fmr Exec Dir of SoHi Main Street BID

93

ReferencesAPPENDIX

Aaron Szopinski, Mayor’s Office Housing Policy Director, Strong Neighborhoods Program SNIP

Mario Higgins, Strong Neighborhood Investment Program, Mayor’s Office

Nolan Zaroff, DCD Planning’s GIS/ mapping/MVA /economic growth plan specialist 12 February 2014

Interview - Sam Leichtling, Exec Director of NIDC

Kein Burton, DCD Development Specialist & former Director of West End Development Corp

Yves LaPierre, DCD’s administrator of the Housing Infrastructure and Preservation (HIP) Fund 10 February 2014

Interview - Alderman Bob Bauman, 4th District 5 February 2014

US Census Bureau, American Fact Finder, 2012

Interview - Paul Jakubovich, Preservation Specialist Carlen Hatala, Preservation Specialist 12 March 2014

94

Avenues West Housing Redevelopment

Documents

Transcript of Avenues West Housing Redevelopment