• Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

newsMilwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / City touts redevelopment prospects for Bronzeville cultural and entertainment district

City touts redevelopment prospects for Bronzeville cultural and entertainment district

March 17, 2014 by Mark Doremus Leave a Comment

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Plaques on North Avenue identify the “21st Century Bronzeville” redevelopment area. (Photo by Mark Doremus)

Plaques on North Avenue identify the “21st Century Bronzeville” redevelopment area. (Photo by Mark Doremus)

The old Garfield Avenue School, 2215 N. 4th St., may be the first of six recently identified Bronzeville sites to be offered up to developers, according to Rocky Marcoux, commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of City Development.

Marcoux said he expects the city to issue a request for proposals from developers who want to transform the old school using concepts that emerged at a December planning session, or “charette,” at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning. One idea for the school included creating residential space on the upper floors, with room for the arts, culture, entertainment and other public uses on at least part of the ground floor.

Designs for the school and five other sites in the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District along west North Avenue in the Harambee neighborhood were recently unveiled to the public by Sixth District Alderwoman Milele Coggs at the Milwaukee Urban League, 435 W. North Ave. On display, perhaps to catch the eye of a suitable real estate developer, were concept drawings produced at the charette, which was coordinated by Carolyn Esswein of Community Design Solutions, a university service center.

One plan for the former Garfield Elementary School would create residential space on the upper floors, with room for the arts, culture, entertainment and other public uses on the ground floor. (Photo by Mark Doremus)

One plan for the former Garfield Elementary School would create residential space on the upper floors, with room for the arts, culture, entertainment and other public uses on the ground floor. (Photo by Mark Doremus)

Six architectural firms also participated in the design process. According to Esswein, the planning exercise produced conceptual drawings that have been thoroughly reviewed and endorsed by community stakeholders.

That’s an important step forward, Esswein said, because “the first question developers ask coming into a project is ‘Does the community support this?’” Without that assurance, developers are reluctant to invest time and money to put together a formal proposal for city approval.

Coggs has said that there must be a cultural component to any project that she would support in the Bronzeville neighborhood, and that current residents must not be pushed aside by new construction.

“This needs to be a redevelopment process, not a gentrification process,” Coggs told the 35 people who attended the recent event.

“We’ve done a significant amount of prep work,” Marcoux said. “The charette produced ideas that are real and doable. Now we’re looking for developers who want to embrace the opportunities” in the redevelopment zone, which straddles west North Avenue between North 7th Street and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

“It’s up to me to pick up the phone and contact developers” to invite them to undertake projects in the district,” Marcoux said. “And that’s what I’m doing.”

The Milwaukee Department of City Development first rolled out a project plan for the area in March 2005, proposing “a year-round tourist destination celebrating a rich cultural heritage by offering authentic ethnic music, art and cuisine.” Since that time there have been further studies and at least two requests for proposals inviting developers to start projects in the area. So far, the only major project completed in the cultural and entertainment district is a $500,000 rehab of a classic building at 642 W. North Ave. that had been a firehouse, library and then a neighborhood arts center. That project was completed in February 2012.

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Carousel, Economic Development, Harambee, Home, Neighborhoods, News, North Tagged With: bronzeville, Economic Development, harambee

Avatar

About Mark Doremus

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Top Stories

Advertisement

How To …

How to avoid stimulus check scams

A new round of stimulus checks will likely also bring out a new round of scams. Here’s what to watch out for.

More "How To" articles

Advertisement

Recommended Reading

A Vaccine Reality Check

The Atlantic

UWM study on the state of Black Milwaukee describes the city as ‘the epitome of a 21st century racial regime’

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Videos Show How Federal Officers Escalated Violence in Portland

The New York Times

These mayors want to fight Covid-19 and the recession with one big idea: A guaranteed income

Vox

The World John Lewis Helped Create

The Atlantic

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2021 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in