Chris Bentley reports on the developments around Milwaukee's lakefront area, especially in response to a streetcar route proposed in September 2014.
"Plans to remake Milwaukee’s lakefront have been in the works for years, and while they still face hurdles, the inclusion of a new streetcar line landing in the lobby of the 44-story Couture tower has some residential developers excited about the possibility of a downtown resurgence aided by public transit," writes Bentley.
"New renderings show a lakefront stop for the Milwaukee streetcar loop in the Couture’s lobby—a 20,855-square-foot public transportation concourse connecting passengers and passersby to bus stops and to the lakefront via a pedestrian bridge over Lincoln Memorial Drive."
In addition to the additional developer interest sparked by the streetcar plans, there are other signs of a market rebound on Milwaukee's lakefront: "along with plans to remake the lakefront War Memorial building and overhaul Northwestern Mutual’s corporate headquarters to the tune of nearly half a billion dollars….The average sale price of downtown condos is also rising."
Bentley also details the obstacles potentially blocking the streetcar from delivery, including questions about costs for relocating utilities, the Public Trust Doctrine, and the redevelopment of the downtown transit center.
FULL STORY: Next Stop: Lakefront
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
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