BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

200 E. Wells Street City of Milwaukee Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202 Meeting Minutes BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY COMMITTEE LASHAWNDRA VERNON, CHAIR Raynetta Hill, Vice-Chair Theresa Garrison, Anthony Smith, Baboonie Tatum, Rayhainio Boynes,Terrence Moore, Sr. Staff Assistant, Chris Lee, 286-2232, Fax: 286-3456, clee@milwaukee.gov Legislative Liaison, Ted Medhin, 286-8681, tmedhi@milwaukee.gov Monday, January 9, 2023 9:00 AM Virtual Meeting This will be a virtual meeting conducted via GoToMeeting. Should you wish to join this meeting from your phone, tablet, or computer you may go to https://meet.goto.com/362516773. You can also dial in using your phone United States: +1 (872) 240-3212 and Access Code: 362-516-773. 1. Call to order. Meeting was called to order at 9:08 a.m. 2. Roll call. Present 6 - Vernon, Boynes, Smith, Tatum, Hill and Moore, Excused 1 - Garrison Also present: Ed Richardson, Dept. of City Development Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Ald. Dist. Amy Turim, Dept. of City Development Matt Haessly, Dept. of City Development 3. Introduction of new membership. New members Hill and Moore, Sr. were welcomed and made brief introductions as Executive Director of the Historic King Drive BID and an Economic Development Specialist in the Dept. of City Development Commercial Corridor division, respectively. 4. Election of a vice-chair. Member Boynes nominated member Hill to be elected vice-chair, seconded by City of Milwaukee Page 1 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 9, 2023 COMMITTEE member Moore, Sr. There was no objection. In response to inquiry, Mr. Lee said that member Hill could recused herself and abstain from committee deliberations and voting should any conflict of interest arise on any agenda item. Member Hill accepted the nomination and was elected as vice-chair. 5. Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes from September 19, 2022. The meeting minutes from September 19, 2022 were approved without objection. Vice-chair Hill abstained. 6. Bronzeville RFPs, listings, projects, programs, initiatives, events, grants, activities, plans, or other aspects for review, approval, discussion, or update. A. DCD Commercial Corridor grants Member Moore, Sr. gave an update. $826.80 signage grant, $5,000 facade grant, and $16,334 store activation grant (a grand total of $22,156) from their office were awarded to MLK MKE Dream Social Lounge at 1806 N. MLK Jr. Dr. The business also acquired Brew City matching funds. Anticipated in the future were a few potential applications in the district. B. BOZA Applications i. 1703 N. Vel Phillips Ave. & 406 W. Walnut (Office & Commercial Structure) Appearing: Sharon Grinker, Sid Grinker Restoration Michael Grinker, Sid Grinker Restoration Jason Korb, Korb & Associates Architects Mr. Richardson said that there was a proposal to construct a 7-story mixed-use development. Board of Zoning Appeals (BOZA) approval was being sought due to the development having a maximum height of 90 feet, which was 30 feet over the maximum height allowed at 60 feet. Also needed may be a calculation for parking. The proposal was before the advisory committee for review and approval prior to BOZA review. The Grinkers and Mr. Korb presented. A dimensional variance was sought due to the increased height. Due to the small site, the additional height was needed to make the development financially viable. The site was part of the Sid Grinker campus along with their business and other nearby or adjacent properties. They have been in the fire and water damage restoration business since 1975 there. They have outgrown their space and renovated various campus properties to better serve their business office (1719 N. Vel Phillips Ave.), warehouse, and operations. They were committed to remain in the area. The main floor will be commercial, and separate, subsequent BOZA review City of Milwaukee Page 2 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 9, 2023 COMMITTEE would be needed should a retailer be installed there if it was not a permitted use. The project would include green building techniques. The 6 upper floors would be office space. Whole building would feature glass. There would be a garage at the north. The west would not be activated as much, and solar panels could be installed there. Members commended the Grinkers for staying in the community and continuing to grow there. Members and Ald. Coggs questioned the development team, office rents, hiring of local contractors from the community, replacement of the 7th floor with a roof amenity, use of balconies on each floor, exemption on parking, and commercial square footage. The Grinkers and Mr. Korb replied. There were no other partners other themselves. The additional height approval was needed before they could determine rents. They were not able to produce rent estimates presently. They were not far along enough in the project to determine their construction plans. They were familiar and were open to explore working with local contractors. The roof amenity was still on the table, could either replace the 7th floor or be added on top of it. Reduction of floor would still require dimensional variance since the height would still surpass 60 feet. Balconies were a new workforce design trend post-COVID to allow outdoor space to offices, and plantings could be incorporated on them. Mr. Richardson said that the Grinkers believed they had sufficient adjacent campus parking to accommodate the new development and that DCD has not been able yet to calculate their parking. Ald. Coggs commented. The development would dwarf other buildings next to it, especially being on a hill. She would advocate for a reduction in one floor with a roof amenity instead. Her biggest concerns were related to parking and public safety due to increased traffic in the area. The area already had parking challenges and high traffic, such as from a 30 foot loading zone on the strip and traffic from Golda Meir. The commercial space should attract and incorporate African American businesses and culture. The Grinkers and Mr. Korb further commented. They they were actively looking to co-develop with the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (MYAC) parking on MYAC's northeast parcel. They were open to being an active part of the community and welcomed all suggestions on design and fit with Bronzeville. Total commercial square footage was about 4,000. They were conscience of parking and were committed to make the density and traffic dynamic work. Total overall square footage was still small at 28,000 feet due to the small site. There was enough land to meet parking, including ADA handicap accessible stalls at 2% of total parking. Their maximum height would fit in with the overlay height requirements despite not being in the overlay. Mr. Richardson added that BOZA has pushed out scheduling this application to either next week or its next meeting on February 9th. Members said they still had unanswered questions relating to (parking, height, rents, potential uses) and were not prepared to offer a recommendation. Mr. Lee said that the committee could entertain scheduling a special meeting prior to the next BOZA meeting, once determined, to review the matter again. City of Milwaukee Page 3 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 9, 2023 COMMITTEE Member Boynes moved to hold the item and reschedule it for a special meeting, if needed, prior to a BOZA meeting and review of said item. There was no objection. Chair Vernon directed members to prepare questions to clerk staff to forward to the Grinkers for their response. C. DCD Real Estate i. 6th and North Ave. Bronzeville Creative Arts and Technology Hub The Bronzeville Advisory Committee may convene into closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats., for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of funds, or conducting specified public business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session. The committee may reconvene into open session for the regular or remainder of the agenda. Ms. Turim said that the development was still pending negotiations, future approval for sale, and that updates would to be shared to the committee under closed session. Member Smith moved that the committee convene into closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats., for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of funds, or conducting specified public business whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session. There was no objection. The meeting convened into closed session at 10:12 a.m. Appearing: Michael Adetoro, FIT Investment Group Liz A., FIT Investment Group Eric Tillich, Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Dennis Hanson, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan Amy Turim, Dept. of City Development Matt Haessly, Dept. of City Development Member Smith moved that the committee reconvene into open session. There was no objection. The meeting reconvened into open session at 10:41 a.m. D. Other No other discussion. 7. Public comments. No public comments. City of Milwaukee Page 4 BRONZEVILLE ADVISORY Meeting Minutes January 9, 2023 COMMITTEE 8. Next steps. A. Agenda items for the next meeting To include the BOZA application for 1703 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave. & 406 W. Walnut (special meeting possibly) and possible DCD Real Estate RFP submittals review. B. Next meeting date and time (March 20, 2023 at 9 am) 9. Announcements. Member Smith announced the following Marcus Performing Arts Center events: Step Afrika! performance on January 19, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. preceded by a Greek organizations roll call and panel discussion on January 18, 2023 hosted by Donald Driver. Attendees of panel receive 50% discount to 1/19 performance. 39th Annual Martin L. King Jr. Birthday Celebration on January 16, 2023 at 4 p.m. Will be in-person, free, and feature a full program including a performance by Antoine Reynolds, Sr. & Ensemble and speech contest winners. Vice-chair Hill announced the Historic King Drive BID's annual meeting and panel discussion on January 20, 2023 from 3 to 7 pm. featuring overviews of 2022 and 2023. Invites would be sent out for people to register. Vice-chair Hill and Ald. Coggs announced an 2023 MKE Business Now Entrepreneurship Summit with workshops and resources on January 28, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Dr. Martin L. King Jr. School. Keynote speaker and demonstration would be vegan chef, Chef Joya at 11 a.m. 10. Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 10:52 a.m. Chris Lee, Staff Assistant Council Records Section City Clerk's Office City of Milwaukee Page 5