Update: Here are the concepts that will be shown.
One of the public works projects I’m most excited about in South Milwaukee is development of the 18 acres of lakefront land along 5th Avenue near Marina Road.
It’s truly a blank canvas — property easily accessible to the lake in a community that rarely has tracts of land this size come open.
So, what to do with this land? That’s the subject of a public information meeting scheduled for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 28, at South Milwaukee City Hall.
At the meeting, you can get a peek at some early concepts for the site and be able to ask questions of the city engineer and others.
The meeting — presented more as an open house — is part of the consultant study of this property, funded by a matching grant we received in 2013. My previous post has more information, and here is the notice sent to area residents.
I hope to see you there. Join the discussion about this potential community asset.
South Milwaukee Blog 
With land or buildings that any city acquires, the question always comes down – who will maintain it? staff it? police it? City budgets are tight. Do we have the extra payroll to maintain something like this?
Very good questions, and ones that will have to be part of the debate once we actually execute a plan for this property. At this point, we are just showing some options that are truly long-term plays – maybe they happen, maybe they don’t. Maybe it takes 10-20 years for much to happen there at all. It’s at least worth the discussion.
Is there some state or federal government restriction on what can be done with this land? It looks like it’s destined to be a park or nature preserve. We have an abundance of parkland with Grant and the Oak Creek Parkway. Is there a way to get tax-generating – residential/commercial – use of this land?
There is a restriction on use of this land as part of the settlement in the Lake Bluff case (that’s how we got control of the property). It has to be for “public use.”
Do you know who imposed those terms?
I’m not sure. That’s a question better posed to the city attorney.
I suppose it’s a moot point anyway.
Pingback: Lakeshore Park Meeting Cancelled | South Milwaukee Blog