Kolek planning to go pro
Sure that wasn't the Princess?
The suggestion in the Biz Journal was that the Plankinton Building would be saved.
Honestly, I think it's a terrible idea.I know people love to hate Grand Ave, and it's pretty easy to do.However, now that the mall has officially bottomed out, I think there are a lot of cool uses for that space (and some are already happening). Business incubation, possible housing, entertainment, shopping, food, etc. The traditional "urban mall" is dead, but I think there is still a big opportunity for that building if they can evolve it. Put condos up top, businesses down low, and mixed retail/bars/grocery in the middle. It's not unlike what they are doing at the Pabst Brewery (mixed housing/retail/business). It's a long term vision, but I think it's a better investment than just knocking it down for another arena, which would basically gut the current arena neighborhood. Grand Ave has potential, but it's going to be some time before they figure out how it's all going to work.
Exactly this. Locally, New Haven has lead the way (other large Conn. cities have since followed) by converting a former mall (like the Grand Ave.), former downtown factories and historic buildings to apartments on the upper floors with ground level shops & restaurants. There's been a number of studies that what makes a city most "livable" is this type of housing/retail arrangement. And every single project, the apartments were sold out before the conversion was even finished. New Haven is in-process of something else now also and they admit to copying the idea from Milwaukee of ripping out a portion of a highway and reinstating city streets and blocks instead. The new home of Alexion Pharmaceuticals is rising in the middle of where Rt-34 once ran.
In an ideal world, I'd love a nice mix of retail/residential in that area. The problem right now is erasing the stigma of that area to get people to live there. That process will take far longer than developing the mall area once it bottoms out.
Isn't the "westown" area undergoing a bit of a revival?
It sounds like you are suggesting ... Grand Ave ... as a solution to Grand Ave.
Correct. Changing the persona of the mall will be tough. It will take somebody with some vision to really drive that process. I actually know some of the people renting space and working there now, and they really like it (rent is cheap, and it's a cool old building). They probably have to start at a grassroots level and get some younger people in there and working, and then building up from there.
I don't know that Milwaukee can ever accomplish these things. I think it will take an outside group to do so.That's what is so great about the sale of the Bucks. Here we have guys who want to invest about a half billion dollars in downtown infrastructure and people still complain that they aren't doing enough.But people living in Milwaukee are so locked into a certain mindset - whether it is over the Mall or a new arena - that they are unable to see the big picture and the growth that is possible with change.
Is it the people or the local governments? I mean that seriously. Everyone I've talked to...and I talk to a lot of people, is pro-new arena(with financing caveats of various types) and see's the possibility of whats could happen. The probably is the leadership in Milwaukee has no vision and no ability to speak to anything other than stale talking points. They never think outside of the box or try to float things out there and get people behind it.
I don't know if I agree. Look at the Menominee valley. or Bayshore, or 3rd ward, or brady st, or walker's point, or brewers hill, Harley Museum etc. There are a lot of areas that have been changed/improved over the years. Pabst brewery is going through it right now. But, there are still the basic laws of cost, supply and demand. There has been increased demand for hotel rooms, so you're seeing more hotels. There was a demand for higher end retail, so you saw bayshore get completely renovated. There is a demand for new restaurants, so walker's point is growing and improving with each new place that opens (rent is cheaper in Walker's Point). You get the picture. Milwaukee isn't experiencing a huge Renaissance, but I think it's going through the normal ebbs and flows of a aging American city. There isn't the automatic demand that there is in Chicago, so sometimes projects take some time. The Pabst is prime Real Estate and sat empty for years. That would never happen in Chicago, but it does happen here. There has to be demand before private dollars are going to come invest. Personally, I'm okay with the city/state investing in infrastructure that will help the city. However, critically, I'm skeptical that 500million in a NBA arena really accomplishes what people think it does.
There is a major investment about to take place in downtown Racine, but it is driven by outside investors. Don't know if it is that way with the improvements that you mentioned in Milwaukee.
But is the ground stable enough?
Nice place for an arena.But is the ground stable enough?Near a train station...near a conflux of highways...could revitalize downtown life and the riverway...Love the Plankington dome. Hope they could keep it.They need to demolish some of the buildings and retrofit to swankier downtown living...
Wow, I'm very concerned for Benny. Being able to mimic Myron Medcalf's writing so closely implies an oncoming case of dementia.
I don't live in Milwaukee, so I don't know. But I wonder how much of the money and drive is coming from the city itself and how much comes from outside investors who see opportunities.There is a major investment about to take place in downtown Racine, but it is driven by outside investors. Don't know if it is that way with the improvements that you mentioned in Milwaukee.