South Milwaukee Blog

Bucyrus paid $9 million for the former Midwest Airlines headquarters building in Oak Creek, according to a story just posted on BizTimes.com.

Here is a link to the story, which clearly states that Bucyrus is moving its corporate headquarters to Oak Creek from South Milwaukee. (Other media outlets, and Bucyrus itself, have been a bit fuzzier on that reality.)

From the BizTimes.com story:

“At $9 million, Bucyrus purchased the 120,833-square-foot office complex for $74.48 per square foot. The property had been listed for $14.9 million, or $123.31 per square foot. …

Bucyrus, which manufactures mining equipment, has grown significantly in recent years and in February closed on the acquisition of the mining division of Terex Corp. With that acquisition, the company says it will create approximately 700 jobs in the Milwaukee area in the next 2 to 3 years. That means the company needs more office space, which is why it is purchasing the Oak Creek campus. Bucyrus plans to renovate the Oak Creek buildings and will move its corporate staff there in about 3 to 5 months.

The sale of the buildings should provide a property tax boost to the city of Oak Creek. Midwest Airlines did not pay property taxes on the property under a state property tax exemption for airlines with hub facilities in the state.”

Update: Here is the actual ordinance we passed. It basically mirrors the state law but clarifies issues around definition of an enclosed space, permitted smoking areas at municipal buildings and the use of approved cigarette receptacles.

As you probably know by now, the statewide smoking ban goes into effect July 5.  (Hooray!)

And, as you may not know, the City Council unanimously voted last week in favor of a local smoking ordinance that clarifies a few points contained in the state anti-smoking law.

You can learn more about both the state law and local ordinance at an informational open house from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15, in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave. While the open house is aimed at business owners, anyone who has questions about the ban is welcome to attend. Please note that this meeting is for informational purposes and to answer questions regarding compliance with the law.

Learn more about the state smoking ban on the Smoke Free Wisconsin website.

One night down, 19 to go. And night one went great.

Opening night of the 2010 South Milwaukee Downtown Market was a big success, with more than 50 vendors taking part and hundreds (maybe more than a thousand?) area residents enjoying shopping, food, music and fun.

Thanks to everyone who came out, and we hope to see you next week and beyond.

Tell your friends, check out our website and be sure to friend us on Facebook!

Here is some more news from around the South Shore …

• South Milwaukee Man Organizing a Canada Day Celebration (Journal Sentinel)
• Mother of Six Found Dead (Journal Sentinel)
• Support for the Drexel Interchange (Bay View Compass)
• Cudahy Approves Increase in Liquor Licenses (Journal Sentinel)
• 2 Oak Creek Officers Cleared in Shooting Death of Suspect (Journal Sentinel)
• Trial Ordered for Former Cudahy Student in Overdose Death (Journal Sentinel)

By now, most of the 4th District should have seen a copy of the summer newsletter Dave Bartoshevich and I put together … and the invitation to join us for a 4th District town hall meeting on Saturday, June 12.

You can access a PDF of the newsletter here. It contains updates on a few 4th District public works projects and a quick guide to some South Milwaukee summer events, among other news and information. It also has details on the upcoming town hall meeting at City Hall, 2424 15th Avenue, where we’ll be discussing a number of topics and taking questions.

We hope to see you there.

As your aldermen, we are committed to keeping our 4^th District residents informed on key issues and to giving you an opportunity to voice your opinions. This blog, the newsletter and these biannual meetings deliver on that promise.

Just three more months to go …

The ongoing improvements to 15th Avenue between College and Rawson Avenues will be complete by August 30. That’s according to a letter sent to area property owners this week by City Engineer Kyle Vandercar.

Three phases are planned:

• May 20 to June 11: North of Oak Creek Parkway to College Avenue
• June 14 to July 11: Intersection of 15th Avenue and Oak Creek Parkway
• July 25 to August 30: North of Rawson to Oak Creek Parkway

Of course, the plans may change due to weather, change orders or other circumstances, but this is good news because it means work should be done in time for the start of the 2010-11 school year.

Keep in mind that connecting streets will be closed during construction phases, and traffic will need to use other routes. Please be patient during this time … and keep your eye on the prize (a great new road through the 4th District).

If you have any additional 15th Avenue construction questions, contact Chad Bigler at OTIE at 414-856-1345. You may also reach Kyle at 414-762-2222, ext. 136.

Here are some other items of note from the South Shore …

• Discussing School Funding with State Rep. Brett Davis
• City Won’t Use Eminent Domain to Acquire Farmland
• Rail Ideas Await Their Fate in Milwaukee
• KRM Opponents Question Cost, Ridership Figures
• Dog Park Construction Commences

So, I leave for a Memorial Day weekend vacation and apparently miss a lot …

As you all know by now, Bucyrus announced on Friday it has “completed the purchase of the former Midwest Airlines Corporate Center located at 6744 South Howell Avenue in Oak Creek, Wisconsin from Westminster Badger LLC.”

And, according to Bucyrus, “due to the continued growth of the company, Senior Management and other personnel will be moving to the new location making room for additional employees at its South Milwaukee facility.”

This sounds great, and in many ways it is. Hundreds of new jobs are coming to South Milwaukee due to the company’s expansion, and we should celebrate that, as I have regularly on this blog.

But is it all good news? I fear not.

My first question upon hearing the news on Friday is one that still remains: Will Bucyrus still be based in South Milwaukee?

This is not an insignificant question and should not be overlooked. Thousands of communities, large and small, across the country have large manufacturing plants, but we’re different. To people around the world, we’re the actual home of Bucyrus International, the world’s largest mining equipment manufacturer. It is based in South Milwaukee and has been for 117 years.

This is more than a name on a press release. It is a huge point of pride for us, something that no other city can boast.

I worry that will change … and Bucyrus will now be officially based in Oak Creek.

Media accounts differed as to whether or not that will be the case.

Read coverage in the Journal Sentinel, Business Journal and BizTimes.com. And here is the actual press release.

• The BizTimes.com account says clearly that Bucyrus “will move its corporate headquarters from South Milwaukee to the Oak Creek site.”
• The Business Journal is less clear on that fact, stating that Bucyrus “will move headquarters personnel from South Milwaukee to Midwest Airlines’ former headquarters space in Oak Creek” and “all of the company’s senior management staff, including (CEO Tim) Sullivan will move to the Oak Creek site.”
• The Journal Sentinel, apparently the only local media outlet to land an interview with Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan on Friday, is similarly unclear: “The former Midwest Airlines corporate center will have between 200 and 300 employees, including Bucyrus top management, but the company will continue to have 1,500 employees at its headquarters in South Milwaukee and stopped short of calling Oak Creek its new corporate home.”

In other words, I still don’t know the answer to my question.

This is an important distinction. I look forward to hearing the answer, although we may not know for sure until that first earnings release after the move to the former Midwest Airlines headquarters is complete.

Trust me, I will be looking very closely at the dateline: Will it say “South Milwaukee” or “Oak Creek”?

Jackie Ove, Public Health Administrator of the South Milwaukee Health Department, recently received the prestigious award of 2010 Health Officer of the Year.

Congratulations, Jackie! It’s a well-deserved honor.

Learn more on the front page of the city’s website.

The South Milwaukee Downtown Market is returning bigger and better in 2010.

The outdoor street market — billed as a “farmers’ market … and so much more” — will be held every Thursday starting June 3 on 11th Avenue, south of Milwaukee Avenue. Hours are 3 to 7:30 p.m. in June, July and August and 3 to 7 in September and October. The market concludes October 14.

We’ve made a number of upgrades for 2010 and have added some great new vendors, including those selling fresh meat, eggs, cheese and honey. We’ve also added more prepared food vendors, so why not do a little shopping and then stay for dinner?

Also, enjoy our expanded site, new seating area and entertainment options — including some great music.

Check out our press release for more information. Also learn more at our website, and be sure to add us as a friend on Facebook.

It’s truly been a pleaure to be a co-founder and active participant in this event, and I am so very excited to see it take off like it has. We hope to see you there this summer, and tell your friends!

Here are some other Journal Sentinel headlines of interest from around the South Shore …

• Agreement in Works with Former Cudahy Judge Over Case Backlog
• Waukesha Mayor Sets Water Meetings with Oak Creek, Racine
• Amateur Golf Overcomes Obstacles
• South Milwaukee Water Bills Expected to Spike

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this evening’s public information meeting on the Pennsylvania/Nicholson Avenue reconstruction project.

The crowd was larger than I anticipated, but maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised given the nature of the project. There was a good mix of Oak Creek and South Milwaukee residents, and most came with an open mind.

I hope everyone had a good chance to study the two four-lane options — divided and undivided — and had most, if not all, of their questions answered and concerns addressed. There will be additional chances to offer your feedback going forward, and I pledge to keep you posted on those.

I, too, continue to learn more and more about this project, and I appreciate all the feedback I’ve been given so far.

Do not hesitate to contact me about this going forward, and feel free to post comments below.

And don’t forget that there is still time to submit written comments. Comments are due June 11 to Foth Infrastructure & Environment, 2514 South 102nd Street, Suite 278, West Allis, WI 53227, Attn: Munzer Haidar, P.E.

A woman confessed to stabbing a man during an altercation inside one of the Alpine Meadows apartments Tuesday evening, police said.

The 51-year-old man suffered injuries to his arm, chest and leg and was taken to Froedtert Hospital for treatment. The 49-year-old woman was taken to the county jail, and charges could come later this week.

Learn more in the full press release. I’ll keep you posted when I get more details.

The 4th District is seeing its share of road improvements.

In 2010, it’s 15th Avenue. In 2012, it’s going to be Nicholson Avenue.

Now there’s one on the drawing board for 2011: College Avenue between Nicholson and Packard.

The roughly one-mile project — funded with federal stimulus money administered by Milwaukee County — includes pavement patching, signal improvements and pavement grinding, according to a public information meeting notice I saw today.

When completed, it will create a first-class road from Packard west to Howell Avenue. As I’m sure you know, extensive work on College around the airport is already underway and continues into 2011.

Want to learn more about the project? A public information meeting will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 2, at Cudahy City Hall. You may also contact Mike Malcolm, project manager for OMNNI Associates, at 920-830-6175 or via email at mike.malcolm@omnni.com.

Don’t forget about the upcoming public information meeting on the Pennsylvania/Nicholson Avenue reconstruction.

Stop by anytime between 5 and 7 p.m. at City Hall, 2424 15th Ave., to learn more about the project and the two most viable alternatives.

Check out my previous post on this topic here.

I hope to see you there and look forward to hearing what you have to say about the project.