BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE RALPH HOLLMON, CHAIR Rhonda Manuel, Vice-Chair Jayme Montgomery Baker, Fidel Verdin, Theresa Garrison, Christopher McIntyre, and Clifton Crump Staff Assistant, Chris Lee, 286-2232, Fax: 286-3456, clee@milwaukee.gov Legislative Liaison, Jeffrey Osterman, 286-2262, joster@milwaukee.gov Thursday, December 10, 2015 9:00 AM Room 301-B, Third Floor, City Hall 1. Call to Order. Meeting called to order at 9:06 a.m. 2. Roll Call. Present - Crump, Garrison, Montgomery Baker, Manuel, Hollmon Excused - McIntyre, Verdin 3. Review and Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes from September 24, 2015. Ms. Montgomery Baker moved approval, seconded by Mr. Crump, of the meeting minutes from September 24, 2015. There were no objections. Excused were Mr. Verdin and McIntyre. 4. Bronzeville RFP and Project Updates. -2770 N. 5th St. Project Individual appearing: Ted Matkom, Gormon & Company, Inc. Mr. Matkom gave a project overview. The project is for 50 senior housing apartments at the former 5th Street School and Coggs Clinic on the corner of 5th and Hadley Street. The project will be the third one out of three current proposals in the area, including the former Garfield school and the Milwaukee Enterprise Center. The other projects are for family housing and will have an eight point advantage in applying for WHEDA tax credits. All these projects will apply for WHEDA at the same time and can all possibly be funded. The next WHEDA awarding will be May 2016. If the senior housing project is not funded, an application for the next WHEDA round will be made. The senior housing will be similar to Gormon’s other senior housing conversions, such as the one at the former Jackie Robinson School. It will have a show piece for the neighborhood in terms of art and history, hallways showcasing Bronzeville culture and art, a community room that will be accessible to the public via reservation, and a City of Milwaukee Page 1 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015 COMMITTEE parking lot that will be redone in the rear. Two community meetings were held in which the community requested for and will be given use of a basketball court on the parking lot and access to the community room via reservation. Mount Moriah Baptist Church will use a portion of the parking lot adjacent to the church and is supportive of the project. The project was approved by the City’s City Plan Commission and Zoning and Neighborhood Development Committee. Mr. Hollmon said that all three projects will be catalytic for the redevelopment of Bronzeville. He added that Mr. Matkom should come back next spring to give a status update to the committee. -First Stage 2017 Bronzeville Theatre Production Individuals appearing from First Stage: Sheri Williams Pannell Lucia Lozano Jeff Frank The representatives of First Stage gave an overview of the 2017 Bronzeville Theater Production. First Stage has been committed to tell stories from the community, celebrate communities, and bring awareness to the broader community. The play is called “Welcome to Bronzeville” and will be the final piece of First Stage’s 30th season and Wisconsin Cycle. Wisconsin Cycle is aimed at engaging the community by using arts as a tool to break barriers, create understanding, and find commonalities. The play is set in 1957 when Bronzeville was still vibrant and full of businesses, culture, opportunities, connection to churches of many faiths, and gainfully employed people. The play is about a family, who recently moved to Milwaukee from Lousiana, being challenged by big city life and opportunities outside of the church. Of particular focus is the son in this play who wants to be an entrepreneur, as opposed to his father’s desire for him to be a deacon, and is experiencing the same tug and pull issues from today’s youth. There will be business impact on the community, various entertainers, and a special outsider guest. The play is an opportunity to encourage young people and learn about Bronzeville history, rich family life, and culture. The play is historical fiction and is the first part of a trilogy. The next play will be a holiday story. The final play will involve what happened when the freeway came through and disrupted Bronzeville. Many hours were spent listening to the stories of elders from the community during that vibrant time. The play is the telling of their stories. The hope is to make those elders proud, inspire, build, and bring growth to the district. The play will take place in 2017 from January 13th through February 5th and coincide with other events, such as the Martin L. King celebration and gallery nights. A venue is being explored, such as the Marcus Center. First Stage is looking for partners and funding sources. Also, they plan to fundraise, create a task force, have a final reading in April 2016, engage the media for promotion, be part of the night gallery circuit, attract the youth, engage other diverse communities, and possibly hold an after show. There is already some interest and dialogue to work with many local organizations, businesses, and Milwaukee Public Schools. The advisory committee is being asked for assistance to connect First Stage with partners and taskforce members and to provide a header for First Stage to use in its brochures. Ms. Manuel said that she serves on the planning committee of First Stage and wanted to have them present today to the committee to share their vision. City of Milwaukee Page 2 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015 COMMITTEE Other committee members responded. Many of the goals from First Stage mirror the committee’s goals. Ms. Garrison can provide some stories from her life in Bronzeville when it was still vibrant. First Stage has collaborated with Friends of Bronzeville and Bronzeville Week via workshops, and that collaboration should continue. Older churches should be reflected in the play. Engaging young people, increasing dialogue, and addressing the impact that killed Bronzeville physically with the trilogy piece are appreciated. The advisory committee is hopeful that it can, too, coincide with the play and events as it reinvents itself. The committee does not have a header but can perhaps create one. First Stage should keep the committee updated and informed about the production. -Other No other matters were discussed. 5. Milwaukee Downtown Streetcar Project Update. Individuals appearing: Jeff Polenske, Department of Public Works David Windsor, Department of Public Works Mr. Polenske and Windsor gave an overview. The streetcar project is a fixed rail vehicle and is well on its way. The vehicle that will be used will be a modern style of vehicle and not a trolley. The streetcar will be accessible to the entire community with low floor entry and year round transit. It will operate mostly in mixed traffic with some exclusive lanes and right of ways. It will be double-ended with two driving ends operating on a single line. There will be no loops. Boarding stops will occur on the side of streets and also in the center of roadways. The producer of the vehicle will be out of Pittsburg. A single fare is estimated to be one dollar based on the current route, which is small. Fare costs can be reevaluated as routes expand. Milwaukee has the density to support fixed rail transportation. Other dense cities have some form of fixed transit. Milwaukee is focused on the streetcars systems of other Midwest cities that have such a system and the same vehicle builder, such as Detroit, Dallas, and Oklahoma City. The first segment of the system will be in downtown with a 2 mile blue line and a 2.5 mile green lakefront line. The first segment will connect the intermodal station, Third Ward, lakefront, central employment center, entertainment on Milwaukee Street, Kilbourn Street, Ogden Street residential area, grocery stores, and parking along the line. 90% of the blue line design is complete. There is funding for the blue and green lines. Final design is estimated to be early 2016, and mainline construction is expected to occur early summer in 2016. There are no state operational funds, but it is anticipated that there will be some federal money for operations. Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2018. Operations are anticipated for fall 2018. There will be coordination with public and private utilities on utility movement and relocations. There will be some obstruction to businesses along the routes, and some access accommodations will be provided to those businesses. The RPP program will be utilized with a 20% DBE construction goal. There will be a workforce development training program, and it will be established by the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board. The streetcar will have many benefits. The City will be more transit friendly. The streetcar adds to an assortment of transportation options and offers a higher level of City of Milwaukee Page 3 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015 COMMITTEE infrastructure. It will complement and not compete with the existing bus transit network. With its fixed routes, it will promote development adjacent to it, new ridership, vitality, commerce, and be a link to other transportation options such as the City’s bubbler bicycle stations. The streetcar will bring more economic activity downtown, which will benefit the whole city. There is a greater vision to expand the lines to other areas. The next likely extensions are to the north to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, down to the airport, the new Bucks arena, Bronzeville neighborhood, and other areas. The federal government has approved an environmental document to extend lines to the brewery and arena; however, there is no funding yet. The arena extension will lead to expanding the line up to Bronzeville. There are current conversations with the County and suburbs for rapid bus lines as well. Member Garrison left the meeting at 10:14 a.m. Mr. Polenske replied to questions from members. The arena and Bronzeville line extensions are separate lines but are connected with the arena line being a gateway for the Bronzeville line. The advisory committee can play a role in both as it relates to Bronzeville. Conversations are going on regarding those lines. Contact information on the streetcar will be given to the clerk staff to forward to members. Mr. Hollmon made final comments. Although a strong downtown is great, the vibrancy from the streetcar should also be spread out to the other neighborhoods. DPW should come back periodically to give the committee an update. 6. Old Business. -Recommendations Submitted to Amend CCFN 100626, Resolution Creating a Bronzeville Advisory Committee Mr. Hollmon said that the committee had met its goal of submitting a list of suggestions to Ald. Milele Coggs on November 30th. He has not heard anything from the alderwoman, who may or may not include everything from the list. One of the recommendations for members to be mindful for next year is the ability for the advisory committee to hold community meetings to inform residents of major projects, such as the streetcar. -September Bucks Presentation Follow-Up On behalf of Alicia Dupies of the Bucks, Mr. Hollmon inquired members to identify the following: 1) names and contacts of stakeholders (artists, business people, community residents) from Bronzeville who can meet with and provide input to the Bucks’ arena construction team and 2) a list of schools in or surrounding the Bronzeville target area. Ms. Montgomery said that in addition to names, which were submitted to Mr. Hollmon previously, she will also acquire and forward contact information. She added that Friends of Bronzeville has had conversations with the Bucks’ president, Peter Feigin, and can support in the meeting efforts to come. Mr. Hollmon said that perhaps there should be a separate meeting between the Bucks and Friends of Bronzeville. Ms. Manuel said that she is working with Ald. Cogg’s office to shortly forward the City of Milwaukee Page 4 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes December 10, 2015 COMMITTEE school information. -Other Mr. Hollmon said that the Milwaukee Urban League hosted an Equal Opportunity Day luncheon yesterday featuring Bucks president, Peter Feigin, as the guest speaker. In addition, the luncheon also showcased the Bucks’ tailgate party from November as well as a Bucks community mural from the tailgate party, which involved many local artists such as fellow member Chris McIntyre. 7. New Business. There was no new business. 8. Items for the Next Meeting. Members discussed and made several suggestions. Invite Commissioner Rocky Marcoux from the Department of City Development to discuss: 1) the planning and integration of Bronzeville and big developmental projects such as the new arena project; 2) a general explanation of tax incremental districts (TID); and 3) the Bronzeville TID, its status, and projects funded from it. Ms. Manuel will follow-up on the availability of the commissioner to attend the next meeting. Members to review and possibly make suggestions on the houses within the aldermanic 6th district to rehabilitate as part of the Rental Housing Rehabilitation Program, a $1 million Friends of Housing rehab rent-to-own project that was approved by the Common Council (CCFN 151197). Inquire with Ald. Coggs on the status of the new legislation amending CCFN 100626, resolution creating a Bronzeville Advisory Committee. For a future meeting when ready, Ms. Montgomery Baker to discuss preliminary plans for Bronzeville Week 2016, and Mr. Crump to presenting on arts, business development, and youth development from the My Brothers Keeper action plan after its adoption by the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council. 9. Set Next Meeting Date and Time. Wednesday, January 13 or Thursday, January 14, 2016 at 9 a.m. based on the majority of members. 10. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 10:46 a.m. Chris Lee, Staff Assistant City of Milwaukee Page 5