Land Use Planning Precedes Streetcar Extension in Milwaukee

"While the actual extension of The Hop to the north and south is likely years away, the city has completed a planning process to study what development around stops in Bronzeville and Walker’s Point should look like," reports Jeramey Jannene.

The Department of City Development presented the transit oriented development plan to the City Plan Commission earlier this week. The plan is designed "to extend investment from Downtown, connecting neighborhoods physically and economically, to enhance the local distinctiveness of neighborhoods and ensure that the existing communities benefit from any extensions through equitable and inclusive strategies," according to Jannene. To take effect, the new transit oriented development plans would be incorporated into area plans for Walker's Point and Bronzeville.

The plan prepared for Walker’s Point includes 1,500 to 2,000 new homes (primarily through multi-family buildings), 10 to 20 new storefronts and 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs primarily through the creation of new office space throughout the corridor.

The Bronzeville plan envisions 1,500 to 2,000 new homes, 20 to 30 new storefronts and 1,500 to 2,500 new jobs. The plan also envisions up to four new community facilities in the corridor. Most of the development is envisioned to happen near two intersections, where N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. intersects with W. North Ave. and with W. McKinley Ave. Both intersections have seen increased development in recent years including the Bucks arena district just south of W. McKinley Ave. and a host of projects along W. North Ave. including the Pete’s Fruit Market grocery store and The Griot apartments.

Those kinds of goals would require increased building heights. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill is the lead consultant on the plan. A lot more details are included in the source article.