South Milwaukee Blog

I love the way South Milwaukee is redeveloping. Emphasis on “re.”

As communities all around us throw up soulless spec buildings, South Milwaukee is attracting developers and business owners focused on bringing creative second and third generation reuses to landmark former properties in our city. The latest examples are in the news this week.

Bucyrus Campus

The redevelopment of the campus — from the opening of the Bucyrus Club to the new homes for companies big (Steele Solutions) and small (Styled Aesthetic) — is already a big win for the city. Now, the southern portion of the campus has been sold, with a developer bringing forward new plans for 179 apartments and other uses. From the Journal Sentinel …

Developer Scott Crawford, LLC has been working to create a multifamily and commercial development on the property at 1100 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee’s downtown for the last three years. The project has seen multiple iterations with the number of apartments and amount of retail space varying with each new submission. It was even completely canceled at one point.

The latest proposal is set to be reviewed by South Milwaukee’s Plan Commission Tuesday.

Note: I am told the commission meeting was cancelled, but there will be a special meeting on Nov. 7, when the project is expected to be considered by both the Plan Commission and Common Council.

The review follows the recent sale of the parcel to Bucyrus ACME, a limited liability company led by Que El-Amin of Scott Crawford, Inc. The 4.4-acre commercial parcel was sold for $2.75 million, according to online property records. The sale was recorded Oct. 17.

The latest plans, dated Oct. 10 in Plan Commission documents, indicate 179 apartments ― 68 in the Technical building, 26 in the Corporate building, 45 in the Heritage building and 40 in a new three-story building on the west side of the property. The Heritage building is proposed to include 7,730 square feet of retail space on the first floor with apartments on the remaining three floors above.

Other amenities in the plans include a playground behind the Corporate building, an art alley behind the Technical building and bicycle racks. There will be 384 parking spaces on the property.

South Park Lanes

Premier Pickleball Club & Complex opened on Friday at the former South Park Lanes, which closed in 2014, reopened as an indoor soccer facility, and is now home to one of the more unique redevelopment projects in the region. From its Facebook page, the new business is a …

Premier indoor facility with 12 dedicated courts facilitating open play, lessons, clinics, and tournaments. The complex also boasts event spaces, an exercise gym, pro shop, and member service amenities.

Here is a schedule of events for the weekend …

It’s a busy week! From the blog Events page …

• Friday, October 25: Tales & Tombstones, guided tour of the historic First Congregational UCC Cemetery, 6 p.m. Details
• Friday, October 25: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details
• Friday, October 25: Piano Men: Generations, 8 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
• Saturday, October 26: Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival, 2-4 p.m., St. Mark’s Church.
• Saturday, October 26: Official city-sponsored trick-or-treating. 5-7 p.m.
• Saturday, October 26: Lights on Edgewood trick or treat block party, 6-8 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details
• Sunday, October 27: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details
• Thursday, October 31: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details

Election Day is officially Tuesday, November 5, but early voting is already underway at South Milwaukee City Hall.

From the City of South Millwaukee …

Last day to request an absentee ballot by mail: October 31, 2024

Last day to register to vote in Clerk’s office for the election: November 1, 2024

In-person absentee voting in the Clerk’s office:

• October 22-25 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm;
• October 28-31 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm;
• November 1 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Additional infromation …

• Sample ballot
• Polling place map
• Check your registration status, request absentee ballots online, and get additional information on the MyVote Wisconsin website here.

My Choices

And if you’re looking for my recommendations … no surprises here … I will be voting for …

• President/Vice President: Kamala Harris-Tim Walz
• U.S. Senate: Sen. Tammy Baldwin
• U.S. House 1st District: Peter Barca
• Wisconsin State Assembly: Rep. Christine Sinicki

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

From school district emails sent to high school and middle school families …

Thursday

Today, at approximately 1:40 p.m., the High School and the Middle School were placed in a brief HOLD. At the same time, District officials and the South Milwaukee Police Department removed a staff member from the high school due to an investigation. The HOLD was released at 1:47 p.m.  

As a reminder, the school may call a “HOLD” when there is a situation that requires the students and staff to remain in their rooms until the incident is resolved. Please refer to our District Family Safety Newsletter to review our Standard Response Protocol. 

Investigations involving staff members are extremely serious and administration officials are following all internal protocols and applicable state laws. The District is also cooperating with our partners in the South Milwaukee Police Department.

We respect the privacy and confidentiality of our staff and students. There is also a need to maintain the integrity of the investigation to obtain a final determination of the circumstances and any resulting decisions. Therefore no further information will be made available regarding this matter at this time. It is always our goal to be as forthcoming as possible with our community, so we will share additional information if and when we are able.  

Friday

We do not have any additional information that we are able to share at this time. Families and students that were directly impacted have been contacted.  If you have any questions or if your child has any additional information they would like to share, please contact the South Milwaukee Police Department or myself at 414-766-5035. If your child is impacted by this information and needs additional support at school, our student services team is available to meet with the students at school. Please contact your child’s counselor or the High School Principal, Mike Arendt, at 414-766-5110 to set up an appointment.

Find the latest event updates on my Events page.

• Thursday, October 17: South Milwaukee Community Meal, 5-6:30 p.m., First Congregational Church Hall. Meal, provided by local organizations, is free of charge. Details
• Friday, October 18: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details
• Saturday, October 19: Fall Craft & Vendor Fair, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Trinity Lutheran Church-South Milwaukee, 2507 5th Ave. Details
• Saturday, October 19: South Milwaukee Spooktacular, 4-8 p.m., South Milwaukee Senior Center.
• Saturday, October 19: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details
• Saturday, October 19: Rick Wakeman, presented by ACG, 8 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details
• Sunday, October 20: Trunk or Treat, 3-5 p.m., Zion Lutheran School, 3600 S. Chicago Ave. Details
• Sunday, October 20: Lights on Edgewood, 7 p.m., 1322 Edgewood Ave. Details

Happy to see this really cool outdoor light show return in October. Shows began last weekend and continue throughout the month. Definitely worth a visit!

From the Lights on Edgewood Facebook page …

Halloween 2024 is here! We are so excited to be back. Here’s our schedule:

• Friday October 11: 7PM
• Saturday October 12: 7PM
• Sunday October 13: 7PM
• Friday October 18: 7PM
• Saturday October 19: 7PM
• Sunday October 20: 7PM
• Friday October 25: 7PM
• Saturday October 26: 6 – 8PM – Trick or Treat block party
• Sunday October 27: 7PM
• Thursday October 31: 7PM (Halloween)

All shows will last approximately 30 minutes (except for October 26).

Our show is located at 1322 Edgewood Avenue in South Milwaukee. Weather permitting, we will have speakers outside so you can stand across the street or sit at the edge of the yard/driveway and enjoy the show. If you want to stay in your vehicle, you can tune to 101.5 FM to hear the music on your radio. Please do not block driveways or any passing traffic and stay to the side of the road.

For your safety, please do not wander into the display as there are wires along the ground that could be tripping hazards.

We are once again collecting donations in the form of non-perishable food and pantry items for South Milwaukee Human Concerns. There will be a collection bin at the end of the driveway.

The playlist for each show will be different so come back to see us as many times as you can for the full experience. Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you! Happy Halloween!

One year, four new downtown murals. With the ribbon cutting last week of two new works, public art has come to South Milwaukee’s downtown like never before.

And it would not have happened without the hard work of people committed to reinvigorating our city center. A special shoutout to Growing South Milwaukee, which, through volunteers, planned, fundraised for, and (in partnership with several talented local artists) brought to life amazing murals outside Sorce Martial Arts, Immortal Toys and Collectables/ChowChow Treats and Bakery, and Parkway Floral in the past year — the latter two just last week. With more to come!

Learn more about Growing South Milwaukee on Facebook here.

To the City of South Milwaukee, the mural you commissioned outside South Milwaukee Human Concerns is equally as beautfiul.

And to the Bucyrius Foundation, whose funds have helped contribute toward all of this, thank you. The impact this foundation is having on our city is just getting started, and it will be felt for generations.

I can’t wait to see what work of art is coming to downtown South Milwaukee next!

From the City of South Milwaukee …

Update on Marquette Avenue Water Main Break 

The water main break as been fixed, but Marquette is still closed from 12th Avenue to the railroad bridge due to road damage caused by the break.

Here’s what’s happening next:

• Today: Our Water/Wastewater Department is replacing the concrete under the asphalt.
• Tomorrow: A contractor will start removing the damaged asphalt.
• Wednesday: Asphalt replacement is scheduled (if all goes as planned).

Once the road work is complete, we’ll reopen the road. Thank you for your patience!

It’s that time of year again …

And might I suggest you just mulch? 🙂 I reshare the case I made in 2016 here.

Otherwise, here is information on the city’s collection process. Happy fall!

South Milwaukee lost a dedicated community servant — and great woman — recently.

Rest in peace, Bernice Czarnezki. From her obituary …

A lifelong advocate for service, Bernice volunteered tirelessly for numerous organizations. She served as an alderperson and poll worker, assisted with South Milwaukee flu clinics, and organized the Tuesday dance for seniors for 25 years. At the Milwaukee Airport, she welcomed travelers as a greeter at the Travelers Aid station. Her commitment to her community extended to South Milwaukee High School, the Performing Arts Center, and the Trinity Memorial Hospital Advisory Board, among others.

In 2018, Bernice was honored by the Mayor of South Milwaukee for over 40 years of distinguished service. A dedicated member of the South Shore Lions Club, she served as treasurer and received the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award for her humanitarian efforts. She was also recognized as Citizen of the Year by the 128th Air Refueling Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard and acknowledged by the SE Suburban Unit of the Wisconsin Democratic Party for her unwavering commitment.

From that proclamation in 2018, when I was proud, as mayor, to recognize Bernice for her 46 years of service to the City of South Milwaukee:

WHEREAS, the City of South Milwaukee relies on the participation of its citizens in the many and varied volunteer opportunities in our community, and is proud to celebrate our board and commission members and others who give of their time and talents every day to make our city a better place; and

WHEREAS, Bernice Czarnezki is worthy of special acclaim due to her longstanding and distinguished service to the city; and

WHEREAS, Bernice has volunteered her service to South Milwaukee in a number of ways for more than four decades. She has served as a member of the Board of Appeals since 1973, was a Second District Alderperson from February 1992 to April 1993, and was a pollworker for many years, to name a few; and

WHEREAS, such devoted service to the community should be acknowledged and praised.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that I, Mayor Erik Brooks and the Common Council of the City of South Milwaukee, extend our sincere and heartfelt thanks to Bernice Czarnezki for her 46 years of service to the City of South Milwaukee, and thank her for all of her contributions to our community both past, present, and into the future.

Every weekend seems to bring big special events in and around South Milwaukee. Love it!

See the full list of South Milwaukee events on my Events page.

• Thursday, October 3: Downtown Market-Music by ELVIS (last market). 3-7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Details
• Saturday, October 5: Fall Craft & Vendor Fair, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., First Congregational UCC Church. Details
• Sunday, October 6: Friends of Grant Park Trek ‘n Treat, 1-4 p.m., Grant Park Area 5. Details
• Sunday, October 6: Rotary Club of Mitchell Field Food Truck Frenzy, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Milton Vretnar Memorial Park, Saint Francis. Details

Get the full listing on my Events page. See you around town!

• Thursday, September 26: Family Fall Festival at the Downtown Market+Northliners (country). 3-7 p.m., Bucyrus Commons. Details
• Thursday, September 26: South Milwaukee Homecoming Parade, 6 p.m. Route: Starts at 15th and Maple Avenues, north on 15th Avenue to Oak Creek Parkway. Pep rally and bonfire follow near 15th and Oak Creek Parkway. Details
• Friday, September 27: South Milwakee Homecoming football game. 7 p.m. Details
• Saturday, September 28: The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, 7 p.m., South Milwaukee PAC. Details

The Mary statute is back home at Divine Mercy Parish.

From the South Milwaukee Police Department …

After thirteen months, the Virgin Mary statue stolen from Divine Mercy in August of 2023 was recovered by Officers Wentz, Harnen, and Horsley. It was returned to Divine Mercy staff. We’re glad to have returned it to where it belongs. Two suspects have been identified and are cooperating with our investigation.

Confirmed on Divine Mercy’s Facebook page …

Many Thanks to the South Milwaukee Police Department and to the community for all of your prayers! The statue of our Blessed Mother has been recovered and returned today!