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 Wednesday, January 13, 2016 9:00 AM Room 303, Third Floor, City Hall 1. Call to Order. Meeting called to order at 9:05 a.m. 2. Roll Call. Members Verdin and Montgomery Baker left the committee at 10:30 a.m. during agenda item 4. Present 6 - Manuel, Hollmon, Montgomery Baker, Verdin, Crump and McIntyre Excused 1 - Garrison Individuals also in attendance: Majungaray Watts Deshea Agee, Department of City Development Rocky Marcoux, Department of City Development Commissioner Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Aldermanic District Commissioner Marcoux and Ald. Coggs joined the committee after agenda item 9. 3. Review and Approval of the Previous Meeting Minutes from December 10, 2015. Mr. McIntyre moved approval, seconded by Ms. Montgomery Baker, of the meeting minutes from December 10, 2015. Ms. Garrison excused. There were no objections. 7. Bronzeville RFP and Project Updates Ms. Manuel said that her office is working on submitting a new proposal to revise the boundaries of the Bronzeville TID and include new developments within those boundaries. Currently, due to the planning process, details of the proposal cannot be disclosed. The recommendations, along with maps, will be forwarded to members prior to the next meeting. Ms. Manuel gave an update on the Garfield School redevelopment project. The City of Milwaukee Page 1 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 13, 2016 COMMITTEE Maures development team will apply for the upcoming WHEDA tax credits round with regards to the new construction building portion of the project. The WHEDA tax credit application deadline is January 29, 2016. The project plan for the former school portion is being finalized. It is anticipated that both portions of the project can finalize beginning in 2017. The project plan has changed from what was proposed originally. Melissa Goins and her team may come to the next or following committee meeting to give new updates. Ms. Manuel gave an update on the King’s Fresh Food Market project. The deal has not fallen through, and the Martins are still committed to find funding to continue the project. They are currently getting bids from contractors and are a little behind schedule. There is more work that needs to be done than what was anticipated. Ms. Manuel said that there are two other development projects in addition to the Garfield School project. 8. Old Business. -Status of Resolution to Amend CCFN 100626, Resolution Creating a Bronzeville Advisory Committee Mr. Hollmon said that recommendations to amend the resolution were submitted timely to Ald. Milele Coggs last year as requested by her. Included in those recommendations was the recommendation to expand the boundaries. The committee is waiting for the alderwoman to provide input on the new legislation to revise the committee. The alderwoman has not provided input yet to the committee. 9. New Business -Bronzeville Week 2016 Ms. Montgomery Baker and Ms. Manuel gave a brief update. Bronzeville Week has been approved as an official City event from August 6-13, 2016. The event’s purpose is to bring awareness and interest to the Bronzeville district. City departments should provide assistance to stage the event as needed, such as sound system set up, event clean up, and plant beautification. There has already been calls received from bidders and interested participants. Planning for the event will primarily begin next month in February. -Black Male Achievement Advisory Council My Brother’s Keeper Action Plan Mr. Crump gave a brief update. The report will be presented at the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council’s (BMAAC) next meeting on January 25, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall. All are invited to attend. The report is a document based on dignity as a guide and is in a narrative written to boys and men of color. The document further details the BMAAC’s activities and goals to eradicate racism, improve outcomes, and improve organizational participation in addressing core issues. The document is basically a “call to arms” and an interactive document that others can plug in to what they are doing. A BMAAC work group may form shortly to work with other groups, such as MATC and WCS, to implement this call. BMAAC members, many of whom represent other groups such as Milwaukee Public Schools, should spread and solicit this report to their respective sectors. Mr. Crump added that a group called “Campaign for Black Male Achievement” ranked Milwaukee 15th out of about 50 cities in target funding from philanthropic City of Milwaukee Page 2 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 13, 2016 COMMITTEE organizations to support black men and boys. The ranking puts the City in line with Jackson, Mississippi and Newark, New Jersey. The City needs to work more with philanthropic groups to acquire more funding. 4. Discussion on the Integration and Planning of the Bronzeville District. Commissioner Marcoux gave a PowerPoint presentation and overview. Many past, current and future projects and areas were discussed. The overview primarily focused on planning and integration from the Park East redevelopment, downtown projects, lakefront gateway redevelopment, new arena and ancillary development, and downtown streetcar project. Details of the presentation can be found entitled “DCD Commissioner Presentation 1-13-16” within Common Council File Number 151379. The Park East redevelopment was saved by the removal of freeway ramps, creation of Mckinley Blvd., and from the reinvestment efforts, including those of Milwaukee School of Engineering, Milwaukee Area Technical College, the Tannery, North End phases, Common Hill, Manpower, Moderne Condominiums, Aloft Hotel, the Brewery, Hillside, and Zilber Park. The area is growing and connecting. Traffic flow will increase to Dr. Martin L. King Jr. (MLK) Drive and the freeway. The new arena and ancillary development is important for economic vitality to remain for the Park East and for the Park East to be a gateway to the north side and other areas. There is a visual disconnect and a dead zone from 6th Street to McKinley Street. Of importance is for the Bucks to bring animation to all faces of the arena and the streets, including Juneau Street and 6th Street. The City has approved a general development plan but will need to approval in 60 days the Milwaukee Bucks’ detailed plans. There was a compromise on 4th Street, which will be owned by the City and may likely be a pedestrian mall closed for one block. The streetcar will likely be extended through this street and go north on 6th Street or MLK Drive. Phase one of the project will be the arena, parking garage, and practice facility. The parking garage will be owned by the City and covered with housing or office around it. Phase two will be the demolition of the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Phase three will be the other ancillary developments. The cost of the arena is $500 million. $250 is from public investment. TID 84 and 22 are two City mechanisms to fund the City’s $47 million obligation. There will be 25% local retailers required on the live block, 25% Small Business Enterprise (SBE) participation in construction, 18% SBE participation in professional services, and 40% Resident Preference Program (RPP) participation. There has been tremendous redevelopment happening in the lakefront gateway including the Couture building, 833 E. Michigan building, streetcar line, a potential headquarters site for Johnson Controls, and removal of freeway ramps. Streets have been redone such as Lincoln Memorial Drive, Kilbourn Avenue, and Michigan Street. Downtown development has been beneficial to the entire City in contributing 18.6% of the City’s tax base despite comprising only 3.2% of the City’s land. The streetcar system is being planned to extend to the Park East. There will be a subsequent process for community planning to then extend the system north either on MLK Drive or 6th Street. The overview also briefly included other areas or projects such as Century City in the 30th Street Corridor, City in-rem sales, single family housing production, and affordable housing. City of Milwaukee Page 3 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 13, 2016 COMMITTEE City in-rem foreclosures and sales have steadily increased as well as for commercial in-rem; however, there are not many in commercial in-rem. All sales contribute back to the City’s tax rolls. There has been a healthy mix of 1400 new single family homes produced since 2005 in private sales and through organizations such, as Habitat for Humanity, Harambee, and Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee, in many areas, such as the Legacy subdivision, Josie Heights, Highland Homes, and Circle Walnut Crossing. The City is recycling housing inventory with its affordable housing. There have been 6500 affordable housing units built since 2004 in communities. Lastly, the overview focused on investment in the 6th aldermanic and Bronzeville districts relative to the Garfield school redevelopment, Bronzeville Week, Wellness Commons project, City in-rem sales, North Avenue, 6th Street, Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drive, and Brooks Plaza. There will be an application for the 9% competitive WHEDA round on the new building for the Garfield school redevelopment project. The results will not be known until April this year. DCD is working with the developer also for a 4% noncompetitive deal. There is a push for the project. DCD and the developer are working on closing the gap for funding. There may be a tax incremental financing piece. Building is still owned by Milwaukee Public Schools. The plan is to have both the new build and the school redevelopment portions occur at the same time. Bronzeville Week celebration has been successful, has brought attention to challenges in the area, and will continue. Wellness Commons has many good happenings and businesses opened there, such as Outpost and Juice Kitchen. In the 6th aldermanic district 60% of the City in-rem sales in have been to owner occupants as preferred by Ald. Coggs. Also in the district there have been 4 commercial in-rem sales, and 6 sales in new single family home construction. DCD will continue to work with Ald. Coggs to resolve Brooks Plaza and remove barriers to developers there. The Dollar Tree is no longer there. Commissioner Marcoux made concluding comments. The Bronzeville effort is important to prevent a tale of two cities from downtown. Redevelopment needs to be channeled there where the community is doing the development. DCD is helping to encourage equity partnerships and investment, especially from the Milwaukee Bucks and its owners. Valuation rates in Bronzeville and elsewhere need to go up to the point where developments can be supported without subsidy. Until then, the City has to assist in making up the gap. There will be many good happenings for Bronzeville in 2016. Chairman Hollmon said that the commissioner should come back to the advisory committee to focus discussion on the Bronzeville district, specifically concerning what downtown development can bring to the Bronzeville neighborhoods. 5. Discussion on Tax Incremental Districts (TID) and the Bronzeville TID. Commissioner Marcoux said that a TID is the district or boundaries and a TIF is the City of Milwaukee Page 4 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 13, 2016 COMMITTEE funding mechanism. Both terms are used interchangeably. 6. Discussion on the Rental Housing Rehabilitation Program in the 6th Aldermanic District. Mr. Kilmer gave an overview of the program. The program focuses on rental rehabilitation through two avenues: Target Investment Neighborhood (TIN) program and expansion program. The TIN program targets Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) areas, which range from 6 to 12 blocks each throughout the city. There are 9 TIN areas. One is located in the 6th aldermanic district along the Beerline trail, and the TIN is called the Beerline TIN. It coordinated through partners with Riverworks. The boundaries of this TIN are Capitol Drive to the north, Concordia Avenue to the south, Holton Street to the east, and 4th Street to the west. Applications for new TINs are taken in every year from neighborhood partners. There is no Bronzeville TIN. The Beerline TIN expires in two years. The TIN rental rehabilitation program offers matching forgivable loans to existing responsible property owners, who own 1 to 4 unit properties, within the TIN areas. The City offers $14,999 per unit for rehabilitation. For duplexes, that amount can go up to $29,998. Property owners are required to match, at a minimum, the City’s amount. There are a number of compliance requirements that must be met. Property owners must obtain a landlord training certificate from the Department of Neighborhood Services. The property must be inspected and be code complaint and lead safe after the rehabilitation work is done, and the property must remain code complaint and lead safe for 5 years. Tenants must be income eligible in making only 50 or 60% of the area median income. Annual recertification is done on tenant qualifications. Rents are capped and are dependent on the number of units in a property. The expansion rental rehabilitation program is part of the Strong Neighborhoods Plan initiative created two years ago by the Mayor, and it is more relevant to the Bronzeville district. It is similar to the TIN program. The expansion program differs from the TIN program in that it is citywide and allows for any responsible property owner to purchase properties, rehabilitate them, and acquire qualified tenants. Interested property owners can access City homes available for sale through the City website www.Milwaukee.gov/CityHouses. There is a 30-day current listing for owner occupants and an extended listing for properties that are listed past 30 days. Interested individuals should find a real estate agent to work with DCD. Listings will have an asking price and an estimated rehabilitation cost. The process for both programs first requires that buyers submit an offer, written as being contingent on acceptance into the rental rehabilitation program, and an application to DCD. DCD will review the application; pull a credit report; confirm home ownership of other properties; confirm any outstanding taxes and code violations; do the financial underwrite for the purchase and rehabilitation, inspect and write a scope of actual work; assist in bidding for contractors; and review both the construction and financial pieces. Past these steps the loan closes, the purchase is made, and rehabilitation can commence. The loans become forgivable once the rehabilitation is finished and all aspects of compliance are satisfied after 5 years. Details of the presentation can be found entitled “Rental Housing Rehabilitation Program” within Common Council File Number 151379. Mr. Agee said that the Beerline TIN was extended through Ald. Coggs. City of Milwaukee Page 5 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 13, 2016 COMMITTEE Chairman Hollmon said that due to the meeting running long, Mr. Kilmer should come back to continue the discussion with members at the next or subsequent committee meetings. 10. Items for the Next Meeting Agenda. Ald. Coggs commended the work of the committee and had no other comments. If appropriate, the next meeting or subsequent meeting agenda items are to include the following: -Commissioner Marcoux to return and discuss items 4 and 5 again with a narrowed focus on the Bronzeville district. -Mr. Kilmer to return and discuss item 6. -A presentation from King Solomon Baptist Church on its activities and interest in Bronzeville development. -A RFP update on the Garfield School redevelopment project from Maures Development. -Recommendations to amend the boundaries of the Bronzeville TID. -An update on the Black Male Achievement Advisory Council My Brother’s Keeper Action Plan 11. Set Next Meeting Date and Time. Wednesday, February 10, 2016 or Thursday, February 11, 2016 at 9 a.m. based on the majority of members attending. 12. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 11:11 a.m. Linda Elmer, Staff Assistant Chris Lee, Staff Assistant City of Milwaukee Page 6