Reporting Confirms Norquist's River Development Vision

Glad to see the Journal Sentinel's take on the Milwaukee property boom along the water distributes the political credit and validates activist urban planning and investment: 

The idea of public walkways along downtown's riverfront originated in Mayor Henry Maier's administration. 

It was pushed by Maier's successor John O. Norquist, after he was elected in 1988.In 1991, [developer Gary] Grunau and others formed the Milwaukee RiverWalk District.

Two years later, Norquist and the Common Council approved spending around $10 million on filling in many of the gaps within the RiverWalk from Clybourn St. to Highland Ave. on the east bank, and Clybourn to Pleasant St. on the west bank. A pedestrian bridge at Highland was included...

Norquist expanded the RiverWalk into the Historic Third Ward and north of Schlitz Park. Additional segments, funded by a mix of city and private dollars, have been added during Mayor Tom Barrett's tenure.

Today, there are still gaps. But Milwaukee's RiverWalk runs almost 2 miles between the harbor and Humboldt Ave. And each new riverfront development, such as the 2007 completion of Manpower's headquarters in Schlitz Park, brings another RiverWalk segment.