Here is the latest update from the city engineer on the Parkway Drive/17th Avenue work.
The big news: The final surface asphalt will be laid late Wednesday and Thursday nights, so the project will be done in time to accomodate spillover traffic from Pennsylvania/Nicholson, which closes Tuesday for upwards of three months to accomodate the widening project.
Of course, please be patient during this work and consider alternate routes. I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Construction, Transportation
The long-planned widening of Pennsylvania/Nicholson Avenue between College and Rawson Avenues begins on June 26.
That means the road will be closed to through traffic starting at that point … so please plan an alternate route.
Construction will last until early October.
Learn more in this letter sent to area residents and in this Oak Creek Patch story.
I’ll keep you posted … and, as always, thanks for your patience during the construction.
Filed under Construction, Transportation
The city sent this update to neighbors this week about the ongoing work on Parkway Drive and 17th Avenue.
From it: Base asphalt will be paved Thursday, and final pavement will be installed the week of June 18.
Please use alternate routes and patience when driving through the area.
I’ll keep you posted.
Filed under Construction
Update: Oak Creek Patch has more details in this story.
Oak Creek will finally get a “downtown” with the redevelopment of the former Delphi property — plans that were formally revealed on Friday.
Learn more about the Drexel Town Square project at BizTimes.com, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Oak Creek Patch and The Business Journal.
From BizTimes.com:
The eastern third of the site will feature junior box retail stores (about 20,000 to 40,000 square feet each) and some outlot retail development, said Wispark president Jerry Franke.
The middle third of the site will have a “Main Street,” lined with multi-story buildings with retail on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors.
A Town Square on the Main Street could be a community gathering place and it used for ice skating in the winter and farmers’ markets in warmer months, Franke said. The Main Street area will also be the site of the city’s new library and city hall.
The western third of the site will have “Third Ward” style apartment buildings, Franke said.
“We’re hoping to attract young professionals working on the south side by offering them something different,” he said.
The residential component of the development could also include an assisted living building, Franke said.
Not to be forgotten is that the groundbreaking of the new Interstate 94 interchange at Drexel Avenue was also held Friday. That’s a significant project for South Milwaukee, too, as it provides another easy entry point into our city.
Filed under Construction, Local Business, Oak Creek
Spring is here … and that means it’s construction season.
As you probably know, a couple of the highest profile projects in 2012 are occurring in the 4th District. Here’s what’s happening at 17th Avenue/Parkway Drive and Nicholson Avenue.
I’ll keep you posted on both of these projects, and others, in coming weeks and months.
As always, we appreciate your patience. It’s no secret the city’s infrastructure is aging. These are significant investments to address that.
Filed under Construction
Update: Here is a detailed story on the extension plan from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The momentum continues for the potential extension of Highway 794 (the Lake Parkway) to Highway 100 and perhaps beyond.
The topic is the subject of a public hearing and information meeting on Wednesday at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. and will give citizens a chance to weigh in on whether or not the project should be put on the regional transportation plan.
Check out my previous post on this topic to learn more.
I hope to see you there!
Filed under Construction, Transportation
Declining property values have done more than affect single-family homeowners. They’ve also hurt property values in tax incremental financing districts.
In 2012, South Milwaukee is feeling the impact of those changes.
Those reductions in tax incremental district (TID) valuations – determined by the state – are why the city is looking at refinancing a portion of the existing debt ($1,535,000) for TIDs 1, 2 and 3.
The City Council will take up the refinancing issue at its meeting Wednesday night.
A TID is basically a financing tool a municipality can use to promote expansion of its tax base.
With a TID, the city borrows money to make infrastructure and other improvements to properties within that district – and pays back the money with property tax revenue generated from the higher value of the redeveloped property (the increment).
The stated goal of city leaders is to pay back that loan, “close” the TID as quickly as possible, and then get the property within the TID back on the property tax rolls, with the higher tax revenue flowing into the city, school district and other taxing bodies (vs. funding the loan).
The upshot of the refinancing action the council is considering: The length of the debt service will be extended, and it will take longer to pay off the TIDs. At the same time, the interest rate will be lower.
While this is unfortunate, the fact that we’re getting less “increment” from these properties is a reality of the economic situation we’re in. Simply, property is not worth as much now as it was five, 10, 15 years ago, something readers of this blog know all too well with the 2011 property revaluation.
This Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story from 2010 explains the broader issue well – and why then-Gov. Jim Doyle signed a law allowing for communities to extend the length of their TIDs.
(Learn more about our TIDs at the South Milwaukee Community Development Authority website.)
And one other note: The refinancing does not at all impact the development agreement with Walmart, nor will it lessen any amount of property taxes Walmart pays. Walmart has pledged to pay the city property taxes based on a $12 million “increment” — the value of the developed property vs. its value now — through at least 2027.
This borrowing is one of several the council will consider Wednesday.
I’ll keep you posted on all of these resolutions.
Filed under City Council, Construction, South Milwaukee Walmart
Work will begin this spring on the new Interstate 94 interchange at Drexel Avenue — with additional work to widen Drexel to four lanes between 27th Street and the freeway beginning next month.
That’s according to this story in Oak Creek Patch. From it:
Oak Creek officials have said the expanded Drexel Avenue and new interchange will greatly help efforts to create economic development and jobs, though it will certainly be a huge change for residents in the area.
The interchange is expected to bring new development near the freeway. City officials believe it will also aid efforts to redevelop the former Delphi site, at the corner of Drexel and Howell.
It will also help South Milwaukee, providing another link to our city from I-94.
Here is more information on the West Drexel project.
Filed under Construction, Transportation
The Oak Creek City Council has given a developer two more years to move ahead with a project at the corners of Pennsylvania and College Avenues.
It just may not be a postal facility.
That’s according to Oak Creek Patch, which has an update on the project. From it:
“The memorandum of understanding passed Tuesday night by the Common Council also allows for the possibility of a different development altogether for those empty 64 acres on the city’s northeast side.
And at this point, that scenario seems far more likely than the original plan for an 800,000-square-foot mail distribution center, proposed in 2008 shortly before the economy faltered. Though the Oak Creek facility was designed to increase efficiency and ultimately save the USPS money – the building would replace the downtown Milwaukee distribution center – the finances simply aren’t there for the postal service to invest in a large construction project.
“The postal service is projected to lose $10 billion this year. They’re closing facilities,” said Scott Yauck of Cobalt Partners, a Milwaukee development firm working on the project, at Tuesday’s council meeting. “There’s benefit of getting out of downtown regardless, (for) operating efficiency, but they don’t have the capital to do those things right now.
“This is really intended to allow for the exploration of other possibilities.”
So, what does this all mean for South Milwaukee and the 4th District, which borders this parcel? Right now, the future of that land (the former Van Beck’s) is uncertain, but this much is clear: The plan to widen Nicholson/Pennsylvania between College and Rawson remains on for 2012 … with no roundabout. And that’s a good thing.
I’ll keep you posted when I learn more.
Filed under Construction
City Engineer Kyle Vandercar has put together an informative summary of all the work that’s been done with city roads, sewers and other public works projects over the summer – and the plan for the remainder of the year.
Check it out here.
On the Parkway Drive/17th Avenue project, one that I’ve been asked more and more about in recent weeks:
Based on video inspection of storm and sanitary facilities completed in August, a significant amount of additional work needs to be included with the contract plans. We still intend to advertise a contract to construct storm and sanitary work this fall/early winter. Road work/paving will be a spring/early summer 2012 project.
I’ll keep you posted on this and other projects when possible.
And check out this update from Oak Creek Patch on the ongoing College Avenue reconstruction project.
Filed under Construction
Oak Creek Patch has an interesting story about what the propsed extension of the U.S. Postal Service’s memorandum of understanding with Oak Creek could mean for the proposed mail sorting facility at Pennsylvania and College Avenues.
Check it out here. From it:
An extension for the United States Postal Service to construct a mail-processing center at College and Pennsylvania would not be the only thing that a proposed memorandum of understanding would accomplish.
It would also open up the possibility of a different development altogether on those empty 64 acres, City Attorney Larry Haskin said.
Oak Creek officials like that aspect of the proposed agreement because, unlike the 800,000-square-foot mail processing facility, a private development would generate property tax revenue.
However, it would only happen should the USPS decide not to move forward with its plan to build an 800,000-square-foot mail-processing center, Haskin said.
I’ll keep you posted on what the Oak Creek Council does here — and I’ll do my best to make sure the voice of the 4th District is heard in the debate. I’ll also let you know of any upcoming public hearings on this.
I’d also like to hear your comments on this. Post them below!
Filed under Construction
Update: Here is the Oak Creek meeting agenda. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (like ours).
Oak Creek Patch is reporting that the United States Postal Service is seeking an extension — until December of 2013 — to begin construction of a new mail sorting facility on Pennsylvania and College Avenues.
Check out the story here. From it:
The Oak Creek Common Council on Tuesday will discuss a proposal to move the start date to Dec. 8, 2013. Tuesday’s meeting is only one step in the process for an extension, however. Final approval won’t come until after a public hearing, to held at a later date.
“Under the current economic climate, USPS is unwilling to commence construction, but is requesting that it retain the right to build the distribution center,” according to the report.
In addition to extending the deadline for construction to begin, the MOU would dictate construction end by Dec. 8, 2015.
Of course, this is a big issue for South Milwaukee, as this long-discussed facility would be built across the street from the 4th District. It also could impact the expansion plans we have for Pennsylvania/Nicholson Avenue currently scheuled to happen in 2012.
I will find out more details on this, and keep you posted. I will also work to ensure that the postal service does not hold up the road project — especially for a development that I strongly believe has little, if any, chance of getting built.
At some point, you’re either all in, or you’re not. And I would have a hard time supporting a two-year wait to see if the USPS is truly committed or not.
Then there is the issue involving the roundabout at Hickory Street — not part of the Pennsylvania/Nicholson expansion plans submitted to the state and not something that I support the city having to pay for (even 10 percent).
Filed under Construction
The extensive road and sewer project planned for Parkway Drive and 17th Avenue begins this fall and will continue into 2012.
The project was discussed at a public information meeting in late June, and you can see a good summary of the work (as well as the scope of last summer’s flooding) here.
As I’ve written about, I think this is a great example — one of several going on across South Milwaukee this summer — of the city making overdue investments in its aging infrastructure. And I fully support it. I hope you do too.
Of course, contact me anytime with questions or comments.
Filed under Construction
As I’ve written about, the city is making a significant investment in flood control and other public works project in the Parkway Heights area in the next year, and it starts soon.
Learn more about the plans for this summer at a public information meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. on Monday, June 27, at City Hall.
Neighbors were informed of the meeting in this letter, which details some of the upcoming storm sewer, sanitary sewer, water main and road work expected to begin in August. From it:
Unlimited capacity to the storm and sanitary systems cannot be cost effectively engineered. However, city officials understand the frustration of property owners with flood damages and are committed to identifying improvements which will reduce the chance of flooding and sanitary sewer backups.
Indeed, these improvements will help … and I hope they show everyone how seriously we take these concerns.
Filed under 2010 Flooding, Construction
Update: I just heard from Milwaukee County Supervisor Pat Jursik, who said work on College west of Pennsylvania is expected to be complete by December. And be prepared: A roundabout is indeed planned on College at Ace Industrial Drive.
In case you haven’t noticed, College Avenue west of Pennsylvania Avenue is now closed to through traffic, setting up a frustratingly long detour around the airport using Layton Avenue to the north or Rawson Avenue to the south.
This happened in the last couple of days, and I’m not quite sure what the current timeline is for the project.
Of course, work on College east of Pennsylvania/Nicholson also continues, so that whole stretch is kind of a mess. But think of how it will look when it’s done!
I am working to find out more details and will keep you posted. In the meantime, please be patient around the delays.
Filed under Construction
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