(Photo by Edgar Mendez.)

As downtown Milwaukee undergoes a building boom with the construction of the Bucks arena and the streetcar, pressing questions emerge: Is gentrification occurring in Milwaukee? Will economic development force the displacement of current residents from their neighborhoods? Is the investment that accompanies gentrification good for low-income neighborhoods? Are the city’s efforts to help renters become homeowners and help homeowners keep their properties sufficient to ward off displacement?

The discussion, titled “Economic development without displacement: Easier said than done?” is sponsored by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and Saint John’s On The Lake.

Four Milwaukee leaders who have confronted these questions in their development work will participate in a panel discussion at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Milwaukee Center for Independence, 2020 W. Wells St.

Panelists are Joaquin Altoro, Vice President Commercial Banking, Town Bank; Kalan Haywood, President, Haywood Group, LLC; Donsia Strong Hill, Executive Director, LISC; and Keith Stanley, Executive Director, Near West Side Partners. The panel will be moderated by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service Editor Sharon McGowan.

Parking is available behind the Milwaukee Center for Independence on Kilbourn Avenue, between 20th and 21st streets. Entrance to the center is from the parking lot.

Admission is free, but registration is required.