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The City Plan Commission has approved the Fond du Lac and North Area Plan that will create future land use and policy recommendations, generate economic activity, establish design expectations for development, and foster collaboration between the City of Milwaukee, local stakeholders, and neighborhood residents. The plan was spearheaded by the Department of City Development (DCD) in partnership with Alderman Russell Stamper and community groups. The plan will now be considered by the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development (ZND) Committee before heading to the full Milwaukee Common Council for final approval.
“The Fond du Lac and North Area has enormous potential. It’s a neighborhood with engaged residents and committed businesspeople who are working to build a positive future,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “The plan will help this neighborhood define what’s next in development, land use and economic activity.”
“The Fond du Lac and North Area planning process is what community is all about. Through collaboration and communication, we worked to create a new vision for the area that will help move the community forward,” said Alderman Stamper. “I was proud to work with my City partners, local leaders and residents on this effort that will promote prosperity and equity, generate economic activity, and help Milwaukeeans get ahead.”
“After the original Fond du Lac and North Area Plan was implemented in 2004, community partners and city leaders carried out neighborhood-level planning and organizing that created prosperity for many. But we know there’s more work to do and this new effort will enhance our efforts in the neighborhood and move the community forward,” said DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump. “Together with Alderman Stamper and our project partners, the Fond du Lac and North Area Plan will serve as a framework for future planning efforts and new community investments that will prioritize equity and inclusion through economic growth and opportunity for all Milwaukeeans.”
In order to facilitate better community engagement throughout the planning process, DCD partnered with Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, the Dominican Center/Amani United, and Walnut Way Conservation Corporation to conduct surveys, host public meetings and get the word out about opportunities to participate in the planning process.
“Community-led change is a core value of Metcalfe Park Community Bridges, and the community. From the beginning of this planning process the community has been at the forefront. Once this plan is implemented the community will feel heard, seen and valued because their voices created this plan and their solutions will come to life,” said Melody McCurtis, Deputy Director, Metcalfe Park Community Bridges.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to have served in this process. The Fond du Lac and North area planning process demonstrates the power of collective action. There is more work ahead of us, but the collaboration and momentum are inspiring and exciting,” said Maricha Harris, Executive Director, Dominican Center.
“The Fondy North area planning process was truly inclusive and thoughtful in its approach to ensuring that the damaging decisions from the past were acknowledged and intentional in its effort to design a more equitable neighborhood plan shaped and shared by all,” said Antonio Butts, Executive Director, Walnut Way Conservation Corporation.
The Fond du Lac and North Area Plan is the first complete neighborhood plan update that DCD has completed since the original development of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which was developed in response to the State of Wisconsin’s requirement that every community deploy a comprehensive plan by 2010. This planning effort will:
- Set expectations and provide the basis for reviewing new development and redevelopment;
- Create priorities for public and private investment;
- Engage the community in robust conversations about the future of the area;
- Provide accountability for implementation; and
- Address historic and systemic inequities and disparities.
This effort was funded in part by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, LISC-Milwaukee and the Zilber Family Foundation. More information about the Fond du Lac and North Area Plan is available here.
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