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Old Posted Sep 29, 2003, 7:41 AM
Markitect Markitect is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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This Sunday's Journal Sentinel featured two point-counterpoint editorials debating the issue of open spcae within the soon-to-be-redeveloped Park East corridor in Downtown Milwaukee. The overbuilt, underutilized Park East Freeway has now been reduced to rubble, which will ultimately turn into 26 acres of prime Downtown real estate ripe for redevelopment.

The Park East is down. Now what? - Plan for more urban open spaces

The Park East is down. Now what? - Development, open spaces can coexist

I take the stance described in the second editorial. The corridor has a lot of great potential for new developments and various types of open space. Such spaces don't necessarily have to be in the form of expansive parks (a la Central Park in New York City); they can take the form of hardscaped and softscaped suqares and plazas, smaller parks, treelined boulevards and streets, plus the extension of the RiverWalk (which can be designed to be both hard-edged and natural). The criticism of using all or a portion of the corridor to create a larger park at a time when the County is slashing funding and deferring maintenance on already existing parks throughout the city and county is also a very valid point.


An article from Monday's Business Journal summarizes some of the developments in the Westown section of Downtown that are proposed, underway, or nearing completion.
  • 606 Building (Wisconsin Tower) - Plans for former office building to be converted into apartment and condo units
  • James Lovell Street warehouse - Yet-to-be-named conversion of warehouse into condo units
  • Boston Lofts - New condo units above Boston Store's recently remodeled retail and office space
  • Majestic Building - Office space being converted into condo units
  • Woolworth Building - Recently rehabilitated office space for redevelopment firm
  • Milwaukee Theater - Former Milwaukee Auditorium remodeled/reconfigured
  • Shops of Grand Avenue - Remodeled/reconfigured retail spaces in downtown mall
  • Amtrak Station - Plans to extensively remodel/upgrade existing Amtrak station into a venue that serves trains and buses
  • PabstCity - Proposed conversion of former Pabst Brewery complex into a mixed-use enertainment, office, retail, residential district
Read the article for a detailed explanation: Westown rebuilds on residential - Apartments, condos rescue ailing commercial, office district
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