Own a piece of "The 'Lanche"

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

And in the first photo one can catch a glimpse of McCormick Hall in the background.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Never said that the changes were bad.  The vision was good, but the execution has failed, despite some successes.  Yes, the campus is better. The Law School, the administration buildings, the medical campus, The Al.  But there is no incubation plan for the neighborhood.  Aurora-Sinai is maybe the one exception, but it is failing.  MU should have located the medical campus adjoining, for example.  All MU has done is created a safe zone.

In MU's defense, you have to start somewhere. If they can create a "core campus", then they can can extend out and build an urban renewal and incubation plan.

Actually, where MU is right now, I think that's the next logical step. Part of the problem in the campus area is that it's hard for businesses to stay open because for 3 months out of the year most of the kids are gone.

Create some attractive housing options for recent grads and grad students, and you'll have more people in the are year round (hopefully with some expendable income). That could increase some of the local businesses (food, bars, etc.) and improve the neighborhood surrounding MU.

[warriorchick]

In MU's defense, you have to start somewhere. If they can create a "core campus", then they can can extend out and build an urban renewal and incubation plan.

Actually, where MU is right now, I think that's the next logical step. Part of the problem in the campus area is that it's hard for businesses to stay open because for 3 months out of the year most of the kids are gone.

Create some attractive housing options for recent grads and grad students, and you'll have more people in the are year round (hopefully with some expendable income). That could increase some of the local businesses (food, bars, etc.) and improve the neighborhood surrounding MU.

I know exactly what you are saying.  Forgive me; I am going to use Notre Dame as an example here.

Notre Dame has a newer area just south of campus that has some cool bars, restaurants, and boutiques, with apartments above - kind of a mini-Third Ward. It is a perfect example of what you are talking about.  I think that the main roadblock facing such a project at Marquette would be where are you going to put it?  I believe where Notre Dame put their new development was either the former site of a large industrial space, or just open area.  If Marquette was going to undertake such a project, it would involve dealing with multiple property owners, any one of which could decide to be a holdout.  I suppose Marquette could try to go the eminent domain route, but that could potentially be a PR nightmare, especially since the people they are likely to displace will be low-income Milwaukeeans. And in order to be successful, you will need to draw patrons from off-campus. It would be quite a challenge when you already have Water Street, the Third Ward, and the East Side as competition for both housing and entertainment options.

[GGGG]

Create some attractive housing options for recent grads and grad students, and you'll have more people in the are year round (hopefully with some expendable income). That could increase some of the local businesses (food, bars, etc.) and improve the neighborhood surrounding MU.

The only issue is that there are already plenty of options not that far away for recent grads and grad students.  Westtown is right across the interstate.  3rd Ward isn't that far away, etc. 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

The only issue is that there are already plenty of options not that far away for recent grads and grad students.  Westtown is right across the interstate.  3rd Ward isn't that far away, etc. 

 I'm not really talking about building condos or anything MU owned per se.

There are some distressed properties in the area. Could MU start something that encouraged young alumni to take on those properties? Could they work with the city on one of the urban renewal programs? Maybe incubation programs and small offices for start-ups.

I don't think MU buying up property and building condos is the answer. All that does is make MU's campus bigger and just more insulated, which in my mind is a bad idea.

I'm talking about trying to help with some urban renewal in the surrounding areas.

It's never going to be Lake Drive, but there are some nice old homes as you move west from MU.

Maybe some of the homes towards Marquette High?

There are urban planners who are far more knowledgeable than me. All I know is that when I graduated, everybody I knew who stayed in Milwaukee immediately moved to the eastside. If you could get SOME young alumni to stay around, it would help.

[Benny B]

Word on the street is that Lanche brick & glass sales/inquiries the first week have been wildly popular.

[keefe]

In MU's defense, you have to start somewhere. If they can create a "core campus", then they can can extend out and build an urban renewal and incubation plan.

Actually, where MU is right now, I think that's the next logical step. Part of the problem in the campus area is that it's hard for businesses to stay open because for 3 months out of the year most of the kids are gone.

Create some attractive housing options for recent grads and grad students, and you'll have more people in the are year round (hopefully with some expendable income). That could increase some of the local businesses (food, bars, etc.) and improve the neighborhood surrounding MU.

Ann Arbor likely has more of a student community during the summer than Marquette does year round for reasons of scale so I'm not sure it's a good comparison. But the campus town in Ann Arbor is bright, vibrant and energetic throughout the summer. The community hosts a number of events to drive traffic though. And Ann Arbor simply does not have the gritty urban environment of Marquette.

Cambridge Mass is really not a very nice place and yet townies live alongside the university communities rather well. Cambridge has lots of mixed use developments in the immediate vicinities of both Harvard and MIT. These properties serve as extensions of the campuses offering desirable habitat for students, professors, and others affiliated with the academic community. This is the sort of capital investment that is essential for  economic vitality which might not be as readily available in Milwaukee.

One key difference I noticed in environment is that both Ann Arbor and Cambridge offer far superior cultural and social activity than Marquette. On any given night there are sponsored movies, lectures, concerts, theater, etc... The Michigan student government publishes a number of monthly calendars detailing events on offer. Having much larger populations and more diverse academic programs delivers the diversity Marquette does not have. This is a compelling attraction for living near these campuses.

[real chili 83]

Ann Arbor likely has more of a student community during the summer than Marquette does year round for reasons of scale so I'm not sure it's a good comparison. But the campus town in Ann Arbor is bright, vibrant and energetic throughout the summer. The community hosts a number of events to drive traffic though. And Ann Arbor simply does not have the gritty urban environment of Marquette.

Cambridge Mass is really not a very nice place and yet townies live alongside the university communities rather well. Cambridge has lots of mixed use developments in the immediate vicinities of both Harvard and MIT. These properties serve as extensions of the campuses offering desirable habitat for students, professors, and others affiliated with the academic community. This is the sort of capital investment that is essential for  economic vitality which might not be as readily available in Milwaukee.

One key difference I noticed in environment is that both Ann Arbor and Cambridge offer far superior cultural and social activity than Marquette. On any given night there are sponsored movies, lectures, concerts, theater, etc... The Michigan student government publishes a number of monthly calendars detailing events on offer. Having much larger populations and more diverse academic programs delivers the diversity Marquette does not have. This is a compelling attraction for living near these campuses.

Bet none of that holds a candle to the block party and grill concerts!

Ah, those were the days.  . Nothing like Pabst, Miller, and Schlitz pulling to to campus with their own beer trucks full of kegs for the block party.

[keefe]

Bet none of that holds a candle to the block party and grill concerts!

Ah, those were the days.  . Nothing like Pabst, Miller, and Schlitz pulling to to campus with their own beer trucks full of kegs for the block party.

I do remember the block parties and they were a very good time. Problem is they were a one-off.

A friend of mine scheduled the Grill Concerts. Jim Schade did the Shady Jim concerts at the Mug Rack. Now he was a helluva sumbitch who knew how to have fun. Always got us tickets to concerts at the Arena, The Palms, and some venue on the east side of Milwaukee. Lost track of him when I went off to flight school. That guy got more tail than a public toilet seat.

[4everwarriors]

Nothin' wrong with gettin' a little tail.

[Dr. Blackheart]

I do remember the block parties and they were a very good time. Problem is they were a one-off.

A friend of mine scheduled the Grill Concerts. Jim Schade did the Shady Jim concerts at the Mug Rack. Now he was a helluva sumbitch who knew how to have fun. Always got us tickets to concerts at the Arena, The Palms, and some venue on the east side of Milwaukee. Lost track of him when I went off to flight school. That guy got more tail than a public toilet seat.

Bubble buster....not a Rock God...but an insurance broker from Cleveland.  Learned his life lessons in the hard scrabble bars of Milwaukee, though.

http://www.thealphaga.com/assets/pdf/jim_full_bio_for_emailing.pdf

[keefe]

Nothin' wrong with gettin' a little tail.

[real chili 83]

In before the delete!

[keefe]

In before the delete!

Yea, The New Yorker is conspicuously tawdry...

[keefe]

Bubble buster....not a Rock God...but an insurance broker from Cleveland.  Learned his life lessons in the hard scrabble bars of Milwaukee, though.

http://www.thealphaga.com/assets/pdf/jim_full_bio_for_emailing.pdf

Wow. Talk about the day the music died...

[warriorchick]

I do remember the block parties and they were a very good time. Problem is they were a one-off.

A friend of mine scheduled the Grill Concerts. Jim Schade did the Shady Jim concerts at the Mug Rack. Now he was a helluva sumbitch who knew how to have fun. Always got us tickets to concerts at the Arena, The Palms, and some venue on the east side of Milwaukee. Lost track of him when I went off to flight school. That guy got more tail than a public toilet seat.

jsglow scheduled Grill Concerts in his era.  While he was able to score good concert tix thanks to his connections (including 2nd row seats to The Who) I am pretty sure he did not partake of all the fringe benefits that your buddy did.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Ann Arbor likely has more of a student community during the summer than Marquette does year round for reasons of scale so I'm not sure it's a good comparison. But the campus town in Ann Arbor is bright, vibrant and energetic throughout the summer. The community hosts a number of events to drive traffic though. And Ann Arbor simply does not have the gritty urban environment of Marquette.

Cambridge Mass is really not a very nice place and yet townies live alongside the university communities rather well. Cambridge has lots of mixed use developments in the immediate vicinities of both Harvard and MIT. These properties serve as extensions of the campuses offering desirable habitat for students, professors, and others affiliated with the academic community. This is the sort of capital investment that is essential for  economic vitality which might not be as readily available in Milwaukee.

One key difference I noticed in environment is that both Ann Arbor and Cambridge offer far superior cultural and social activity than Marquette. On any given night there are sponsored movies, lectures, concerts, theater, etc... The Michigan student government publishes a number of monthly calendars detailing events on offer. Having much larger populations and more diverse academic programs delivers the diversity Marquette does not have. This is a compelling attraction for living near these campuses.

Well, MU is never going to be Ann Arbor or Cambridge, that's for sure.

BUT, MU does have some unique opportunities that it could capitalize on.

Grand Ave. Mall is doing a lot of interesting stuff with start-ups and incubation, which has started to revitalize a building that was considered worthless just 5 years ago. The MU business school can/should have some connection to that type of thing for recent grads. If you go west of MU, there are some beautiful homes that are HUGE. Now, historic restoration is expensive, but there is an opportunity there if MU and the city can work together.

There are urban planners who know a lot more than I do, so I know that my ideas are far from perfect. But, I don't think buying up more property and creating a bigger "campus ring" is a good idea. It's EXPENSIVE to start, and it's expensive to maintain. Plus, it doesn't integrate MU into an urban neighborhood, but rather just builds "walls" farther out.

MU has a decent "central campus" established now. I'd like to see expansion/extensions that focus on revitalizing the neighborhood. It's a big project. Probably a 20 year vision to be honest. But, it's sustainable in the long run. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

Great thoughts G&A...

Here is Northwestern's incubation platform as an example.  Formalized within the university.

http://invo.northwestern.edu/

[keefe]

Well, MU is never going to be Ann Arbor or Cambridge, that's for sure.

BUT, MU does have some unique opportunities that it could capitalize on.

Grand Ave. Mall is doing a lot of interesting stuff with start-ups and incubation, which has started to revitalize a building that was considered worthless just 5 years ago. The MU business school can/should have some connection to that type of thing for recent grads. If you go west of MU, there are some beautiful homes that are HUGE. Now, historic restoration is expensive, but there is an opportunity there if MU and the city can work together.

There are urban planners who know a lot more than I do, so I know that my ideas are far from perfect. But, I don't think buying up more property and creating a bigger "campus ring" is a good idea. It's EXPENSIVE to start, and it's expensive to maintain. Plus, it doesn't integrate MU into an urban neighborhood, but rather just builds "walls" farther out.

MU has a decent "central campus" established now. I'd like to see expansion/extensions that focus on revitalizing the neighborhood. It's a big project. Probably a 20 year vision to be honest. But, it's sustain't I dimble in the long run. 

I am in full agreement that integrating mixed used development into the immediate area of the campus is an essential component of creating a more vibrant, vigorous atmosphere. But the campus community does need to step up its game and offer more in the way of after hours activity one more commonly associates with the university environment. Anyone who has spent time in a Big 10 neighborhood will understand this.

My wife and I had our first date at Angelo's but that didn't mean she wanted to eat dinner there 20 years later. But if there were cultural opportunities on campus in the evening she would have preferred having dinner in proximity to the venue.

 

 

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I am in full agreement that integrating mixed used development into the immediate area of the campus is an essential component of creating a more vibrant, vigorous atmosphere. But the campus community does need to step up its game and offer more in the way of after hours activity one more commonly associates with the university environment. Anyone who has spent time in a Big 10 neighborhood will understand this.

My wife and I had our first date at Angelo's but that didn't mean she wanted to eat dinner there 20 years later. But if there were cultural opportunities on campus in the evening she would have preferred having dinner in proximity to the venue.

 

 

Agreed. I don't think MU in by any means a cultural epicenter or even an influencer.

But, some of that is simply scale. MU isn't a big 10 school. It doesn't have the volume of students or the resources for a lot of the things you are talking about.

With this said, MU could be better and more efficient with the resources it does have. I recently went back for my 10 year reunion. They had a BBQ outside of the union. It was an ok event, but they charged full price for beers and for some below average food.

From an alumni relations standpoint, I'd rather they make the food and beer cheap and encourage us (alumni) to make donations on site. I would have been much happier paying $2 for a beer and donating $50 to MU, instead of paying $6 for a plastic cup of warm Miller Lite. Not a huge miss, but I think they could have done a little better there.

[warriorchick]

Great thoughts G&A...

Here is Northwestern's incubation platform as an example.  Formalized within the university.

http://invo.northwestern.edu/

Marquette's neighborhood is not Evanston.  Not even close.

[GGGG]

Agreed. I don't think MU in by any means a cultural epicenter or even an influencer.

But, some of that is simply scale. MU isn't a big 10 school. It doesn't have the volume of students or the resources for a lot of the things you are talking about.

And it is located in a big city where just blocks away you have all sorts of theatre, arts and similar options. With a couple of exceptions, Big Ten universities are located in medium sized cities and have an inordinate influence on the culture of the city.

And since MU doesn't have a art, music or theatre program, you don't have the student body that can put on "cultural opportunities" that a lot of other campuses can.

[keefe]

jsglow scheduled Grill Concerts in his era.  While he was able to score good concert tix thanks to his connections (including 2nd row seats to The Who) I am pretty sure he did not partake of all the fringe benefits that your buddy did.

Every man is saddled with the encumbrance of regret in that most secret chamber of his soul


“There was a long hard time when I kept far from me the remembrance of what I had thrown away when I was quite ignorant of its worth.”
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

[4everwarriors]

Marquette's neighborhood is not Evanston.  Not even close.

MU's campus is not NU's. Not even close.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Marquette's neighborhood is not Evanston.  Not even close.

So what's your point?  MU butts up to downtown, while Northwestern doesn't...which offers MU more advantages and access if it had an incubation mindset.   Evanston is also a very diverse urban city with its own problems.

As I said before, look to DC. Howard University/Columbia Heights neighborhoods were the epicenter of the Crack Wars. U Street, Logan Square, Columbia Heights all on fire today.  MU neighborhood hasn't advanced as they took a Cone of Protection path. I looked outside my hotel room in DC during and NCAA's and counted 17 building cranes in view EAST of the Capitol as well.  If MU has a vision to increase endowment, an private-public incubation program advances their vision much more successfully.  

While Milwaukee residents fight street car light rail, DC is putting it in to connect its neighborhoods.