Good Morning Downtown-ers,
Signs that downtown Milwaukee is bouncing back are more evident than ever!
Last month, we hosted WEDC for the launch of their Main Street Bounceback Grant program. Learn how your business, non-profit organization or tenants might be eligible for $10,000 in grant funding.
Plans for a Downtown Dog Park under I-794, along the Milwaukee River at the Plankinton Avenue exit, are cruising ahead. Donations are now being accepted at the project's new website to help make the project a reality. Donations of any size are welcome and may be tax deductible, plus some donation categories include great sponsor perks!
Downtown Employee Appreciation Week is happening now thru Sept. 3. The week features free lunch, Office Challenge Games, after-hours socials and competitions, and much, much more. Get the details below and round up your co-workers.
Advancements have also been made on updates to the Downtown Area Plan, Connec+ing MKE 2040. Just last month, we announced our lead consultants – P3 Development Group, The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA), and HNTB with support from American Design and raSmith.
And last, the future of the Broadway corridor remains bright. Over the last year, we completed the “Brighten the Passage” project, welcomed new businesses to the neighborhood, and captured the attention of the International Downtown Association’s Award Committee. Learn more about this prestigious recognition for our city!
Thanks for reading!
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Matt Dorner
Economic Development Director
Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21
Follow us on Twitter | @RealResultsMKE
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WEDC Launches Main Street Bounceback Grant
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation recently launched the Main Street Bounceback Grant – a support mechanism that provides $10,000 to new or existing businesses and non-profits opening new locations or expanding into vacant commercial properties.
The grant is not limited to first-floor spaces, and can be used in buildings of all sizes as long as the eligibility criteria is met by the applying business. More information on the program is available in the attached flyer.
The program is open to new or existing businesses opening a new location or expanding operations in a vacant commercial space as of Jan. 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. To get the application process going, visit wedc.org/mainstreet-bounceback.
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Dog Park Fundraising Underway
Fundraising efforts for downtown Milwaukee’s first public dog park kicked off last month with the launch of a new website and fundraising portal – www.mkedogpark.com. Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21, Historic Third Ward BID #2, Downtown Neighbors Association (DNA) and other partners are excited to bring this new community asset to the centrally located site under I-794, between the Milwaukee River and Plankinton Avenue, along Clybourn Street.
Proposed Features Include:
- Separate small and large dog areas
- Synthetic turf with irrigation for convenient maintenance
- Security lighting
- Decorative fencing
- Water stations
- Access & expansion of Riverwalk system
- Agility stations
- Public art
- Prominent donor recognition opportunities
Help us make this important project a reality! Toss us a bone and donate today at www.mkedogpark.com.
Whether one is a pet enthusiast and wants to see this amenity added to enhance the city’s qualify of life, or they want to see this highly visible (but neglected) site revitalized, we aim to accomplish many diverse goals with this project that will positively impact our community.
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Downtown Employee Appreciation Week,
Now Thru Sept. 3
Milwaukee Downtown is teaming up with downtown businesses and community leaders to welcome back downtown employees during the 16th annual Downtown Employee Appreciation Week, now thru Sept. 3. The weeklong celebration will feature free lunches, Office Challenge Games and after-hours socials.
Throughout the week, lunchtime giveaways and live music will travel to various downtown locations and include 1,000-item treats ranging from subs and hot dogs to ice cream and cookies. In addition to food and live music, employees can play the Office Challenge Games, which include Corporate Ladder, Paper Clip Toss and Donut Dunk. Daily prizes are up for grabs for the top contenders in each game. All lunchtime activities will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Schlitz Park (Wednesday, Sept. 1), Zeidler Union Square (Thursday, Sept. 2), and Pere Marquette Park (Friday, Sept. 3).
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Project Consultants Announced for Downtown Area Plan
The City of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development is partnering with Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 to co-lead updates to the Downtown Area Plan. The revised plan, “Connec+ing MKE 2040,” will include strategic updates to the 2010 plan that will guide land use decisions, redevelopment of key sites, and improvements to streets and public spaces over the next 10-20 years.
After an RFQ process for Equity & Engagement Services and Urban Design Services, the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 selected P3 Development Group to lead the Downtown Community Council and support equity and engagement for the planning process. The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA), HNTB, American Design, Inc. (ADI), and raSmith have also been hired for the urban design services. As the plan’s name suggests, downtown’s accessibility and connectivity to adjacent neighborhoods will be a key focus.
The “Connec+ing MKE 2040” plan is expected to be released in 2022. A website featuring community engagement opportunities will soon be launched. In the meantime, questions and comments can be sent to DowntownPlan@milwaukee.gov.
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The Future of Downtown's Broadway Corridor Shines Bright
Almost a decade in the making, several proposed enhancements along Broadway are now a reality. First introduced in the 2010 Downtown Area Plan and later addressed in RHI’s Nighttime Study in 2011, Broadway has long been identified as a corridor ripe with opportunity.
In a public-private partnership with the adjacent Historic Third Ward BID #2, Milwaukee Downtown and its fellow management districts rallied support from the business community and various federal, state, and local governmental entities around a common goal of improving the under-freeway areas to better reconnect neighborhoods. The multiphase project included large scale murals on the freeway support piers and dynamic, programmable color-changing LED lighting.
In addition, the project also included strategic streetscape improvements such as corner bump-outs, new planting beds and wider sidewalks. In fall 2020, the four I-794 freeway support piers that frame Broadway were transformed with art installations that have created one of the most unique outdoor urban art collections in the region. Tia Richardson, The Couto Brothers, Josephine Rice and Dave Watkins brought their individual styles to life in the corridor.
Then in December 2020, 75 programmable aesthetic lights were installed under I-794 at both Broadway and Water Street to create an enhanced sense of place. The dynamic lighting array, which was designed by Ring & DuChateau, installed by Lemberg and programmed by Main Stage, features different seasonal settings and preprogrammed effects for ethnic festivals, holidays, and celebrations. The lighting effects are now enjoyed nightly.
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Beyond the “Brighten the Passage” project, other public spaces near the Broadway corridor are being reimagined. Pickleball courts recently opened just west of the Milwaukee Public Market, beneath I-794; community programming is occurring in the Riverwalk Commons space, across from the Market; renovations to Pompeii Square are wrapped up reinventing this key gateway; and fundraising for downtown's first dog park, near Clybourn and Plankinton, is now underway.
Broadway has also seen a significant uptick in investment. Over $200 million has been invested since 2018. In Fall 2020, the $60 million, 11-story Huron Building officially opened with Husch Blackwell as its anchor tenant. In July 2021, the building’s first floor welcomed Tupelo Honey – a restaurant serving Southern-inspired food and hospitality.
Further north, BMO Tower also celebrated a grand opening in 2020. The $137 million, 25-story building created new headquarters space for BMO Harris Bank and welcomed Michael Best & Friedrich as another anchor tenant. Plus, in March 2021, Fiddleheads Coffee opened its first downtown location in the building’s ground-floor space.
Projects like BMO Tower, Central Standard Distillery, and the Huron Building, combined with The Hop streetcar system and the success of the Milwaukee Public Market, are setting the pace for Broadway’s bright future. Later this year, we will also celebrate the re-opening of the renovated Milwaukee Athletic Club and the new boutique Kinn Hotel.
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Downtown's "Brighten the Passage" Wins
Award of Excellence
The International Downtown Association (IDA) recognized Milwaukee Downtown, Inc. and its partner, the Historic Third Ward BID #2, with the Downtown Achievement Award of Excellence for its resourceful approaches related to the “Brighten the Passage” initiative. A jury of peer professionals reviewed, deliberated and evaluated all entries in the 2021 Downtown Achievement Awards. The Award of Excellence acknowledges an excellent response to an urban place management challenge, demonstrating application of industry knowledge and exceeding the jury criteria.
“Brighten The Passage” was selected as a winning project among a group of highly qualified entries in the category of Planning, Design and Infrastructure, which IDA identifies as one of the seven professional urban place management practice areas. Congrats to all who helped complete this catalytic project! The project will officially be recognized in October at the 2021 International Downtown Association’s Annual Conference in Tampa, FL.
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Mark Your Calendar for the Next
Madison + Milwaukee Downtown Exchange
In an ongoing partnership with Downtown Madison, Inc., Milwaukee Downtown brings you the next edition of our quarterly Madison + Milwaukee Downtown Exchange. Registration is now open for our next virtual panel on Friday, Sept. 17, from 8 a.m. - 9 a.m., where industry experts from Madison and Milwaukee in the transportation field will share their thoughts on upcoming projects in each city and future trends, followed by a question-and-answer session. For more information and to register, click here.
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