South Milwaukee Blog

The developer briefed the city on this opportunity more than a year ago — and I’m excited to see this move forward.

Redevelopments like this are a foundation of South Milwaukee’s future.

For a landlocked city, this gives us our first opportunity at significant growth in decades, while also giving a “second chance” to an abandoned lakefront property that was home to manufacturing for generations.

From the Journal Sentinel story …

The proposal from Fresh Coast Development could be constructed in multiple phases on just over 31 acres of brownfield at 315 Marion Ave. north of the city’s water treatment plant.

“A project cost estimate is still being calculated,” said Assistant City Administrator and Economic Development Director Patrick Brever. “TIF support is likely going to be targeted toward infrastructure needs for the site.”

South Milwaukee’s plan commission acknowledged there are still details to work out but on Nov. 8 voted unanimously to direct city staff to take initial steps to create Tax Incremental District 6 in 2023. In a TIF, property taxes from within the district are used to pay for public improvements and other costs. Once the debt is paid off and the district is retried, the added tax base flows into the general coffers of the city, school, county and other taxing entities. …

The single-family component includes 25 new homes along 5^th Avenue with attached two-car garages accessed via a rear alley. Project documents show the placement of the single-family homes is to act as a buffer to the existing neighborhood to the west.

Brever said the final breakdown of one-, two- and three-bedroom units in each building has not yet been determined.

To the northeast is a clubhouse with community room, outdoor pool, fitness and business centers and a locker room. There is a lawn area set aside for outdoor activities with access to the public park overlooking Lake Michigan. Throughout the development are sidewalks and walking trails connected to the bluff and down to the lake.

Two playground areas are also included in the proposal at the north and south of the property and a fenced dog park along the northern border of the property east of the playground and west of the clubhouse.

Here is Business Journal coverage.

See you November 19!

For a full list of holiday and other events, check out the Events page.

Am I missing your holiday event? Please email me at erikbrooks32@gmail.com.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the public is welcome at two community meals in the South Shore …

• Thursday, November 17: Monthly Community Dinner, 5-6:30 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ. This month’s meal is catered by Skyline Catering and served by local youth.
• Wednesday, November 23: Community-Sponsored Thanksgiving Dinner, Oak Creek Community Center. Details

Thanks to both organizations for hosting these events — and to all of the volunteers helping make them a reality.

There are several opportunities for you to honor our veterans on Friday, Nov. 11.

• First, the public is welcome as the South Milwaukee Veterans Council is holding a Veterans Day event at 11 a.m. inside the American Legion Post #27 hall, with a short ceremony followed by a luncheon served by AMVETS Post 4 AUX.  
• Residents are then encouraged to line 15th Avenue across from the middle and high schools for the annual Veterans Day parade starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Friday. Veterans in the parade will return to the high school for an inside ceremony and reception that is not open to the public. 
• Then it’s Viva Vegas Night to benefit Stars & Stripes Honor Flight, 7-10 p.m. Knights of Columbus Hall. Details

From the South Milwaukee School District …

2022 Veterans Day Parade 

Residents are encouraged to line 15th Avenue across from the middle and high schools for the annual Veterans Day parade starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Friday, November 11. Veterans in the parade will return to the high school for an inside ceremony and reception that is not open to the public. 

_____

Radium Girls

Radium Girls, a performance by 12 student actors and a 30+member student crew will be on stage this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. Radium Girls is based on a true story of factory workers who painted luminous watches with glowing radium paint and their efforts to expose their illnesses and get their day in court. “Called a ‘powerful’ and ‘engrossing’ drama by critics, Radium Girls offers a wry, unflinching look at the peculiarly American obsessions with health, wealth, and the commercialization of science.” Visit https://www.southmilwaukeepac.org/ for tickets.

_____

Concert Choir to Perform at SMPAC’s Performing Arts Series Show, GOOD NEWS on Nov. 18

The South Milwaukee High School Concert Choir will be featured alongside Kiran Vedula, musician, artist and director of GOOD NEWS: Expressing Freely, Hoping Fearlessly at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 18 at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center. SMHS students will perform in one of the numbers on stage during the show. Tickets for the show are available at www.southmilwaukeepac.org or (414) 766-5049.

Vedula is a Milwaukee-based Indian-American musician, producer, and educator who combines hip-hop and experimental electronic music with traditional folk influences from around the world.

His newest work, GOOD NEWS, is a multicultural celebration of joy and togetherness featuring singers, dancers and musicians performing original music and traditional rhythms from India, Panama, Puerto Rico and the Ivory Coast.

“Kiran spent just one period with my students in an improv session, and it was amazing! It really had students vulnerable and able to make amazing connections,” Music Teacher Aimee Swanson said. 

Vedula is founder of Flutes at Dawn, a non-profit organization that provides high-quality education and mentorship through communication, cultural relevance, and shared positive experiences. “His life message and reflection time after our ‘jam/improv’ learning session was great,” Swanson said. “I could NEVER have provided this experience for students.”

_____

#SMWay in the Classroom

Check out the #SMWay in the Classroom Playlist on YouTube a new effort to peek inside classrooms in the school District. The two videos created so far give residents and idea what Drama students are working on, and a bit about the ProStart cooking class that’s hoping to compete at Walt Disney World in the spring.

The short answer to the question in the headline: Democratic, mostly, but we remain pretty close to a 50-50 city.

Check out the full results here.

Turnout was high — more than 73% of registered voters. Here is who we supported:

• U.S. Senator: Mandela Barnes 51.1%, Ron Johnson 48.6%
• U.S. House: Ann Roe 49.8%, Bryan Steil 49.2%
• Wisconsin Governor/Lt. Governor: Tony Evers/Sara Rodriguez 53%, Tim Michels/Roger Roth 45.8%
• Attorney General: Josh Kaul 52.2%, Eric Toney 47.6%
• Secretary of State: Doug La Follette 50.8%, Amy Loudenbeck 44.8%
• State Treasurer: Aaron Richardson 50.6%, John Lieber 46.9%
• State Senator, District 7: Chris Larson 53.3%, Peter Gilbert 46.3%
• State Assembly, District 21: Jessie Rodriguez 50.6%, Nathan Jurowski 49.2%

We also voted a resounding “yes” on both referenda on the ballot, about banning semi-automatic firearms and legalizing marijuana.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here is where you vote …

• District 1 (Wards 1 through 4): South Milwaukee Public Library, 1907 10th Avenue
• District 2 (Wards 5 through 8): Divine Mercy Gathering Room, 800 Marquette Avenue
• District 3 (Wards 9 through 12): City Administration Building, 2424 15th Avenue
• District 4 (Wards 13 through 16): Grobschmidt Senior Center, 2424 15th Avenue

Check out a sample ballot here.

Not registered? You can do so at the polling place on Election Day. Details here.

Visit the city’s Election Information page for more.

And look for local election results on the blog later tonight or Wednesday.

I’m so excited to see progress accelerating on the rebirth of downtown South Milwaukee … and that the Bucyrus Foundation funds are being reinvested to accelerate and sustain growth.

The momentum is real.

From a city press release …

In September 2021, the Bucyrus Foundation announced they would be making a generational, legacy-ensuring investment in the city it called home for nearly 120 years. A $10 million commitment was made to the City of South Milwaukee and the South Milwaukee School District over a 10-year period.

In May 2022, the City announced a partnership with Downtown Strategies for the creation of a fiveyear strategic plan for Downtown South Milwaukee to be funded by the Bucyrus Foundation.

At their meeting on November 1, 2022, the South Milwaukee Common Council approved the final plan and committed to implementing some of its policy recommendations. With Bucyrus Foundation funds, three grant programs intended to encourage commercial redevelopment, attract/retain businesses, and assist our nonprofit community will be created.

The Bucyrus Façade Improvement Grant encourages property and business owners to apply for matching grants up to $15,000 to make exterior building improvements to existing commercial storefronts.

The Bucyrus New Business Grant provides one-time assistance in the amount of $5,000 for new and existing businesses opening a new location or expanding operations in a vacant commercial space on Milwaukee Avenue between the 800 and 1300 blocks. Eligible grant expenses include commercial lease/mortgage payments, business operating expenses, and commercial building repair and tenant improvements.

The third program being established is called the Bucyrus Foundation Civic Grant. This program allows for nonprofit organizations to apply for up to $25,000 to address a community need, improve community support, solve a problem, or enrich the people of South Milwaukee.

Grant program information can now be found on the City of South Milwaukee’s website with funding available in 2023. The City’s Economic Development Office will start accepting applications in January.

Said Tim Sullivan, Bucyrus Foundation Chairman & former CEO of Bucyrus International, Inc.: “The Bucyrus Foundation is supportive of the City’s planning efforts and the findings identified by Downtown Strategies and City officials. We are pleased to know the Foundation’s investment will assist growing small businesses, worthy nonprofits, and be used to make physical improvements downtown.”

Said South Milwaukee Mayor Jim Shelenske: “With the Bucyrus Foundation’s support, a renaissance has truly begun in Downtown South Milwaukee. Thank you to the over 400 residents, visitors, and business owners who participated in our public survey process this summer. The future of the area is bright if we can all continue to work together.”

Per the plan’s recommendations, the Council also authorized adjustments to the City’s vacant property ordinance to incentivize property rehabilitation and occupancy. Additional approvals were granted for commercial façade design guidelines, a mural to be painted on the west wall of the South Milwaukee Human Concerns building at 1029 Milwaukee Avenue, and for the purchase of benches, trash and recycling bins, bike racks, and planters to be placed along Milwaukee Avenue and at the Bucyrus Commons.

Check your mailbox for the Autumn edition of “Bridges Magazine,” the newsletter partnership between the City of South Milwaukee and South Milwaukee School District.

The digital version can be read here: https://bit.ly/SMBridgesA2022

Stories include items on the city’s 125th anniversary, profiles of new city staff, updates on Bucyrus Commons construction, honoring Medal of Honor recipient Gary Wetzel, and a business spotlight on American Legion Post #27.

School information includes more on the “Launching a Legacy” capital campaign, profiles of the new principal at Blakewood Elementary and new school resource officers, and an informative look at referendum debt.

From its website …

In the morning hours of October 6, 2009, an intruder broke into the Milwaukee-area home of 19-year old Ashleigh Love, walked to her bedroom, and shot her to death while she was sleeping. More than 13 years have passed since she was killed, and the case is still cold. No suspects have been arrested. No justice has been served.

Love & Justice is an investigative documentary-style podcast that explores the cold case murder mystery of Wisconsin native Ashleigh Love.

In the aftermath of her death, Ashleigh’s parents, siblings, best friends, colleagues, and classmates come together in an attempt to share the full story and set the record straight. No stone is left unturned while dozens of theories are presented in an attempt to answer one simple question: Who Killed Ashleigh Love? Emmy Award Winner Kyle Olson hosts.

Learn more in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. And here is the podcast Facebook page.

And here is more on Kyle, a true local success story who I was honored to work with on telling the South Milwaukee story, via film, prior to the pandemic. Congratulations, Kyle, and thanks for undertaking this important project.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

Regarding: Inappropriate Electronic Use at South Milwaukee Middle School

On October 31, 2022, the South Milwaukee Police Department was called to investigate improper photographs taken at the South Milwaukee Middle School.

The South Milwaukee Police Department did investigate, and a SMMS student did admit to taking and distributing improper photographs.

The student has been referred to the Milwaukee Children’s Court Center on a number of possible charges, including Capturing Intimate Representations Without Consent and Possess/Distribute Intimate Representation Without Consent.

The South Milwaukee Middle School Administration has also taken disciplinary action.

Here is a list of what’s up this weekend. Check out the Events page on the blog for regular updates!

• Friday, October 28: “Tales & Tombstones” tour of the First Congregational Cemetery, led by historian Nels Monson. 6 pm. Details
• Friday, October 28: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details
• Saturday, October 29: Fall Craft and Vendor Fair, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church. Details
• Saturday, October 29: Trunk or Treat, presented St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 2 to 4 p.m. A free and safe trick-or-treat zone offering games, candy, fun and food, including historic cemetery tours. Details
• Saturday, October 29: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 6 p.m. (two-hour show). Details
• Sunday, October 30: Knightwind Ensemble, South Milwaukee PAC. Details
• Monday, October 31: Official South Milwaukee trick-or-treating, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Monday, October 31: Lights on Edgewood Halloween lights show, 1322 Edgewood Ave. 7 p.m. Details

Local pubs also have Halloween-themed events going on, including parties at The Tap Room on Friday and Moran’s Pub on Saturday. And if you haven’t had time to check out the Moran’s Wizard World pop-up, do yourself a favor and stop in.

And this from the South Milwaukee Police Department …

The official Trick or Treat for South Milwaukee this year falls on Monday, Oct. 31st from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Sex offenders who are under active supervision have restrictions placed on them during Halloween, which are as follows:

• No Halloween decorations can be displayed inside or outside of their residence
• No handing out candy or participating in trick or treat activities
• No wearing a Halloween costume
• No turning on their porch light during trick or treating hours

You may view sex offenders in your neighborhood by visiting the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WI DOC) Website at- http://offender.doc.state.wi.us/public/. Please take the time to read through the conditions of use. Please also keep in mind that only those on active supervision must follow the above restrictions. Just because an offender’s name appears on the website does not mean they are on active supervision. You will not know their status unless you select their name and look for the bolded section titled “Incarceration/Supervision Status”. Random checks may be performed by the South Milwaukee Police Department and DOC Probation and Parole agents to ensure they are complying with these restrictions.

If you have further questions, please look through the WI DOC FAQ section at the above address, or call the South Milwaukee Police Department at 414-768-8060. If you believe a registered sex offender under Active Community Supervision is participating in Halloween activities you can report the information to the SAFE tip phone hotline at 1-877-234-0085 which is answered Monday through Friday between 7:45 AM and 4:30 PM.

In-person absentee voting is now open, through November 4, ahead of the November 8 election.

Find more details on the city website. From the city …

Please note that Wisconsin law requires you to submit a copy of your photo ID to us before we can mail you an absentee ballot.

Anyone planning on being out of town or unable to make it to the polling place on election day can cast an absentee ballot in the Clerk’s office, or request a ballot in writing up until the Thursday before an election. Absentee voting will be conducted in the clerk’s office the two weeks prior to an election.

2022 General Election Important Dates

• November 3rd – 5:00 PM – Last day for regular and overseas electors to request absentee ballots by mail. 
• November 4th  – 5:00 PM – Last day to register to vote in the Clerk’s Office.
• November 4th  – 5:00 PM – Last day for In-Person Absentee voting in the Clerk’s Office.
• November 4th  – 5:00 PM – Last day for indefinitely confined electors and military electors to request an absentee ballot by mail and hospitalized voter.

In-Person Absentee Voting 

• Tuesday, October 25th  – Friday,  October 28th  – 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Monday, October 31st  – Thursday, November 3rd – 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
• Friday, November 4th  – 7:30 AM – 5:00 PM 

Note:  There is no absentee voting or voter registration on the Monday prior to election day. 

Who and What Are on the Ballot?

Here is a sample ballot.

Unless you’ve been hiding under the rock at the high school, you know we’ll be choosing the next Wisconsin governor and a United States senator, among several statewide races.

We are also choosing our next representative in the state Assembly and Senate. (I’m all in for Nathan Jurowski and Chris Larson in those races, as you might have guessed.)

Also on the ballot: non-binding referendum questions on “semi-automatic military-style firearms” and marijuana. And you will note South Milwaukee is now a part of the First Congressional District, due to gerrymandering; Republican incumbent Bryan Steil and Democrat Ann Roe are on the ballot.

From the South Milwaukee School District …

The South Milwaukee Choir will hold its first concert of the 2022-23 season tonight at 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, October 25) at the Performing Arts Center.

The concert is titled “Unity, Embracing New Beginnings.” It features many solo voices, full choirs, strings, guitars, drums, gumboot dancing, and flute, and even has a guest appearance of School Resource Officer Adam Harnen who will join the choir for the final number. 

Last week South Milwaukee schools celebrated Unity Day, an event that is meant to reinforce an anti-bullying message in schools, and across the nation. This performance carries that theme into music and dance.

And listen to the Concert Choir performing over the PA on Unity Day last week …

This happened on Thursday, Oct. 19. Please keep this man’s family in your thoughts and prayers.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …