Tower Site Development Plan Emblematic Of Milwaukee's Needs

The Milwaukee Common Council's Zoning and Neighborhood Development Committee today approved a $35 million redevelopment plan for the former Tower automotive factory site on the city's west side.

This is precisely what Milwaukee must do with underutilized industrial and other available acreage in and near its low-income neighborhoods - - clean these sites, invest in improvements, and partner with local non-profits and traditional businesses to create jobs and add to the tax base.

It's especially important for Milwaukee because the city has been land-locked by a special, anti-annexation state law since 1955, so while other communities can add land for development, Milwaukee cannot.

It's a constant process of reinvestment, redefinition, and risk-taking - - made crucial because Milwaukee has so many low-income and minority residents who are financially unable to move to neighboring communities, let alone get to them on inadequate transit, where job development is accelerating.

There is a nice description of the project in this story in the Daily Reporter. I am happy to see my son Sam quoted: he is business development director at one of the non-profits involved.