View Single Post
  #41  
Old Posted Apr 16, 2012, 2:35 PM
Nowhereman1280 Nowhereman1280 is offline
BANNED
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Pungent Onion, Illinois
Posts: 8,492
Quote:
Originally Posted by simms3_redux View Post
Bottom line is the place isn't all bad and there is hope. I really equate Jacksonville to Milwaukee. Both cities give me similar vibes, and both are sort of "forgotten." Granted Milwaukee is larger and denser and kept its core, the vibe there is similar. It's a city than can really give you the wrong impression unless you know someone there who can show you around and show you a good time. Both are cities where everyone knows everyone, literally. It's fascinating.

I'll have more pictures to come.
I understand what you are getting at, but Milwaukee is on a whole different plain than Jacksonville. As you mentioned Milwaukee's core is still largely intact due to a major revolt against the freeways which resulted in several failed freeway spurs (Park East, US 41, I-794, 145/Fond du Lac Ave) where the master plan was foiled. Since the 1990's the central core of the city has been on a massive upswing that has included the destruction of the most offensive of those spurs, the Park East and now the potential reconfiguration of the lakefront interchange on 794.

There has been a massive ongoing boom in the city over the past 20 years that I have had the fortune to watch. It is amazing to me to see places like the 3rd ward go from abandoned to almost completely occupied (with nearly all vacant lots built out) over the course of my short life time. The healing process of the Park East scar is beginning to pick up momentum as more and more of the lots are picked off by new developments. Eventually a section of development will make it all the way across the wasteland and connect the North side of the City to downtown again and whatever lots are remaining will be filled in in quick succession.

As much as it pains me to see things like the aftermath of the Park East or the wastelands on the south side of Chicago, I never quite realize how fortunate these cities have been compared to a lot of other American cities. Both Chicago and Milwaukee have a signifigant base of sturdy building stock that remain like the elder trees after a wildfire and can act as seeds for revitalization. I'm always just shocked when I see places like Jacksonville where seemingly irreversible damage has been done to the urban fabric.


This Picture really shows how lucky Milwaukee was to get away with only one completed major freeway slashing through its core. Milwaukee was fortunate to have rejected the slash and burn that Jacksonville was subjected to:


ryersonaircraft.com

If you look at the neighborhood in the foreground surrounded by river on two sides and freeway on two sides, that is the Third Ward. Most of the open lots in that area are now filled in with the exception of the massive lots along the East party of the freeway which are kinda necessary due to the Summerfest Grounds. I would love to see the city build a huge garage right across the freeway from the Summerfest Grounds and then sell off the remaining vacant lots to developers to create a "Summerfest Village" type retail environment. For those of you familiar with Milwaukee, I think this would be an awesome place for a pedestrian oriented "Bayshore" style mall development that just melds in with the Thrid Ward and has all auto access to the garage (which would serve Summerfest as well) limited to new ramps off of 794.

Anyhow, the point is Milwaukee got real lucky as you can see from that photo.

Last edited by Nowhereman1280; Apr 16, 2012 at 2:48 PM.
Reply With Quote