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| | 4. | | Bronzeville RFPs, listings, projects, programs, initiatives, events, grants, activities, plans, or other aspects for update, discussion, presentation, review, motion, recommendation, and/or approval.
Minutes note: a. DCD Real Estate
i. 2601-09 and 2615-43 N. Dr. Martin L. King Jr., Dr. RFP application
presentations, review, and/or recommendations.
The Bronzeville Advisory Committee may convene into closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85(1)(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session. The committee may then reconvene into open session for the regular agenda.
Member Tatum recused herself from the meeting and was excused at 9:13 a.m.
Ms. Smith commented. Six proposals were received. After internal technical review, three finalists were invited to present.
Applicant presentations were made in alphabetical order by company name.
Appearing to present on the development project proposal “The Mosaic”:
Nicole Robbins, Executive Director (MLKEDC)
Evan Reed, Founder & Principal Consultant (Prime Consulting Services)
Meg McKenna, Director of Client Relationships (CG Schmidt)
Andy Wiegman, Managing Director (CG Schmidt)
The development proposal was for an MLK Museum and new gathering place for Bronzeville. The development team consisted of MLKEDC, Continuum Architects, C.G. Schmidt, and Prime Consulting Services. The project was named "the Mosaic" based on Ms. Robbin’s prior background in art. A mosaic was described as different smaller pieces — ceramics or glass — coming together into one big concept, and as something very beautiful for the community. The development was framed as taking smaller aspects to make a mighty development that would provide opportunity for local residents and bring more visitors into the Bronzeville neighborhood. The concept would be in line with the former TOD study with the goal of bringing more attraction to the corridor, align with by Alderwoman Coggs’ vision to make King Drive a destination, and the intent to continue activating the corridor through the National Main Street Partnership.
The site design would include installations for local artists, including larger and smaller installations for the public space designated as Mosaic Park and along the building facade. Components would include: King's Collective , a food hall similar to 3rd Street Market Hall, with separate entries for different food vendors; balconies to activate the street corridor; lighting integrated with the mosaic concept; esidential entries and future amenities; and public seating nooks along the sidewalk. The purchase price for the parcels was stated as $280,000.
MLKEDC was the lead and sole developer. Ms. Robbins would serve as the attorney for the purchase. A separate LLC would be offered for the development, and she was also a licensed realtor acting as the buyer attorney in this capacity. MLKEDC has activated commercial and residential space for over 30 years and has invested over $67 million in affordable housing and commercial development infrastructure in neighborhoods around Bronzeville, Harambee, and Riverwest. The proposed development would be a new chapter to continue MLKEDC’s legacy of quality affordable housing and commercial opportunities.
The project would align with the City's vision for Harambee and the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District, which called for planning for housing, retail, and commercial development along King Drive. The Mosaic was programmed as 60 mixed-income units, four stories, with 19% affordable. King's Table Collective commercial food hall would serve up to five vendors providing international cuisine intended to be inclusive of different backgrounds. Mosaic Park would be a 10,000-square-foot public gathering place with a permanent public access easement.
The unit mix included several 1, 2 and 3-bedroom apartments. MLKEDC's current resident base included many families, with some families staying 10 to 15 years before purchasing one of the homes the organization rehabilitated or otherwise transitioning to homeownership. The development was intended to provide space for residents to thrive and feel comfortable and safe. 1-bedroom units were included to accommodate an increasing number of professionals on the organization's waitlist who did not have families. Ground-floor amenities would include a fitness center, co-working space, media room, community room, leasing office, package room, lobby, and mail room.
The public park was sited on the corner of MLK Drive and Clarke Street to draw people toward the intersection and animate that corner. The building was located along the street frontage to create street activation. Parking was placed at the rear of the site, with an alley at the back used for all services, trash, and loading and unloading for the commercial portion, which shielded the parking from the street. The park was programmed for diverse activities, including a performance area for small pocket-park performances, art installations for local artists, seating areas, and patio seating for the food hall opening directly onto the park. The building facade was intended to serve as signage for the park, with a large-scale art element spanning three stories envisioned as a neighborhood beacon. Building edges along MLK Drive were designed with ins and outs and alcoves to activate the street. The food hall and multifamily common spaces — the community room, fitness center, and co-working space — were organized along that street frontage. The alcoves were designed to add human scale with room for landscaping, lighting, benches, and artwork. Colors were chosen for vibrancy: a blue bulkhead to bookend the mosaic, accent yellow panels, and wood accents on the lower level trellis and food hall to provide warm tones.
Sustainability features included the 10,000-square-foot park providing significant pervious area, bioretention and bioswales within the park serving as both landscape features and stormwater infrastructure, islands and green spaces within the rear parking lot, and the potential use of porous pavement for the parking area. The development was projected to provide over 60 construction jobs, with priority hiring for the 53212 zip code through the Residents Preference Program (RPP). The rent range would be between $800 and $2,000 per month. Additional impacts cited were the permanent public gathering space at Mosaic Park, public arts programming, and continued anchor investment in the corridor.
The food hall (King’s Table Collective) was an opportunity to support the backbone of the neighborhood by maintaining an active commercial corridor. Goals included combating food desert concerns and addressing post-pandemic restaurant closures by providing space for established operators. A shared kitchen was planned for all five food entrepreneurs, with lower-cost rent intended to improve sustainability on King Drive. The plan included patios, 10 dedicated commercial parking stalls, communal seating, and flexible zoning for dining, events, gatherings, and concerts.
There were two committed vendors – Wok on Campus and Sam’s Place Jazz Café and Abyssinia Coffee. Albert Yee was the owner of Wok on Campus and two food establishments within 3rd Street Market Hall, and historically an owner of a restaurant near St. Joseph's Hospital. He has offered affordable cuisine across neighborhoods for 40 years, has catered for China Lights, and was seeking to be part of the King Drive corridor. Sam Belton, operator of Sam's Place Jazz Cafe and Abyssinia Coffee, had recently closed operations in the former Greater Milwaukee Foundation space. He was seeking a smaller footprint focused on coffee and smaller food service. He would be able to perform with his jazz band in the community space, replicating programming previously offered at Sam's Place on the north end of King Drive.
Public access programming for Mosaic Park would include performance areas for spoken word, opera, and cultural concerts; an interactive sculpture garden; a children's play area; community seating; integrated stormwater garden features; and coordination with other nonprofit organizations for programmed events. The shared kitchen was 1,600 square feet within a total 5,621-square-foot commercial space allowing for five vendors.
The total project cost was $27.6 million. Planned sources included Low-Income Housing Tax Credits from WHEDA, supported and impact investments, and deferred developer fees. The sources and uses were built upon LIHTC equity, permanent debt, and mission-based investors aligned with corridor growth. It was noted that the tax credit award amount was unknown due to the competitive process, and that grant applications would be pursued if there was a shortfall, but that the model was built without reliance on outside grant support. From an operating standpoint, the project was stated to meet all traditional lender requirements for debt service coverage, loan-to-value, and operating ratios, given the low cost of permanent debt based on tax credit subsidies. Lower-level line items such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Federal Home Loan Bank funds would be adjusted based on initial credit applications.
Community outreach has been organic and mission-driven to include resident engagement, commercial business engagement, block parties, direct engagement with the King Drive BID, partnership with Neighborhood House, coordination with the Bronzeville Advisory Committee, and technical support for RPP. As of April 1st, MLKEDC had internalized property management and no longer used third-party management for the majority of its properties. Their property management was fully credentialed nationally for property management, with staff previously taking calls directly on weekends. This change was intended to support mission expansion and ensure resident and commercial tenant comfort.
C.G. Schmidt had assisted with initial cost estimates, feasibility study, original design, and overall schedule, with work timed to follow WHEDA tax credit awards. There was interest in the project's placemaking and community fabric benefits. C.G. Schmidt has been active on MLK Drive with projects, including ThriveOn, with success in meeting and exceeding RPP and Emerging Business Enterprise (EBE) goals. Early involvement was intended to help define goals beyond statistics for community engagement.
Ms. Robbin’s background included service as a board member starting in 2014 as pro bono attorney; subsequent recruitment to lead MLKEDC, prior service as a court commissioner in Milwaukee County; part-time role as Director of Housing and Real Estate Development where the single-family housing program was started; and mixed-use development and creating homeownership opportunities for Black and Brown families. Credentials included graduation from the ACRE program in 2015, family history in the Harambee neighborhood, and a business background.
C.G. Schmidt has 30 years of service, with a strong market in affordable housing across Wisconsin and many WHEDA LIHTC projects. Specific Milwaukee projects included a development at Walnut and 5th near the site, the Community Within the Corridor project approximately one mile away, and the St. James Lofts at 15th and North, a historic renovation with new addition.
Mr. Reed has over 25 years in the Milwaukee community. His background included a Marquette University Finance degree, commercial lending, work at the community development financial institution LISC, assistance to the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Northwestern Mutual in developing investment programs, and full-time consulting for the past year supporting access to capital for small business owners and financial modeling for developers with a focus on building an ecosystem around affordable mission-based capital.
Appearing to present on the development project proposal “Victory Over Violence”:
Brandon Methu, Principal Partner (Northernstar Companies, LLC)
Rafael Garcia, Executive Director (Community First)
Miguel Castro, Jr., Director of RFP Coordination
Alex Rodriguez, Real Estate Development Director (Community First)
Mr. Methu was the principal partner of Northernstar Companies and has served for years as chairman of Community First, the co-developer on the project. He had not served on that board as a resume-builder but had sat in rooms where Milwaukee's central city residents discussed what it meant to keep on, to lose, and to fight for a neighborhood that the rest of the city had written off. He had sat with Rafael Garcia and, that together, they had built not a program or a contract, but a posture — a belief that people who live in a place are its most important resource. When the RFP was announced, he had not asked whether Northernstar Companies should respond, but whether the firm had earned the right to. They have spent years doing the work that earned that right. The project was presented not to the neighborhood, but with it.
The proposed development project name was “Victory Over Violence”. The name victory was not something the development team could deliver to Harambee, but something the community had been building through grief, through loss, and through people who refused to leave and refused to be silent. The development would be a structure to hold space for that work — a building that signaled the neighborhood was worth investing in, worth staying in, and worth building a life in.
Northernstar Companies has structured over $150 million in LIHTC and Opportunity Zone transactions, managed over 300 units across Wisconsin, and had been selected by Milwaukee County as a qualified developer. Mr. Methu’s credentials did not build trust, but presence and consistency did.
Community First has worked in Milwaukee's central city since 2012. The organization did not show up only for press conferences, but showed up on Tuesday mornings when a homeowner's furnace broke and no one else answered the phone. They were the largest administrator of Milwaukee's Neighborhood Improvement Program, administering CDBG and HOME funds directly to low-income homeowners who had stayed in the city. Mr. Garcia was leading the organization daily, with Mr. Methu having helped build the governance that sustained it. Community First was not an outreach strategy, but was the conscience on the project.
JLA Architects has served as the architect of record on 16 tax credit developments in the last decade, including the MLK Library apartments in Milwaukee. Joseph Lee was credited with designing the building to live inside the Bronzeville development standards.
Stevens Construction has built over 7,600 multi-family units in five years with 100% on-time delivery, has an existing relationship with JLA as well as RPP-compliant providers such as Prism Technical
The soul of the project was attributed to three people: Miguel Castro, a United States Marine combat veteran and architect and coalition leader, who had spent his career asking how design serves the people who use it; Reggie Baylor, rooted in Harambee, whose creative direction was described not as a mural program but as the project's visual identity and storytelling — a claim that the building belonged there and was made by people who knew the street, not imported from a national firm's portfolio; and Alex Rodriguez, who handled day-to-day execution on the developer side with the same rigor his organization brought to all work.
The proposed development consisted of 61 units, five stories on 1.38 acres across two city-owned parcels, 23 1-bedrooms, 25 2-bedrooms, and 13 3-bedrooms. 62% would be family-sized units. The unit mix would serve and reflect families living in Harambee and not something imagined. Total development cost was just over $18 million, approximately $300,000 per unit, with an expectation of support through WHEDA's Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. A minimum of 10,000 square feet was set aside for community green space, with a permanent public easement. The green space would belong to the Harambee neighborhood (not the developer) in perpetuity. The building was designed to fully activate the King Drive frontage, with no curb cuts on King Drive or Clarke Street, leaving the sidewalk to pedestrians. 75 parking stalls were to be accessed entirely from the alley, consistent with community development standards.
Two tenants had committed with letters of intent: Twisted Plants and Uniting Garden Homes, Inc. Twisted Plants was a 100% vegan, Black-owned restaurant to anchor the King Drive frontage, providing healthy food access on a corridor that had seen restaurants come and go while the rest of Milwaukee dined out. Its patio was designed to open directly onto the community green space, with an affordable lease structure intended to ensure presence for a generation. Uniting Garden Homes Inc. would bring a specialty mushroom retail operation rooted in culture, wellness, and community branding to the second King Drive storefront. Both prospective tenants were not recruited after the RFP closed but were partners who had been part of the conversation about what the project should be.
Project design consisted of two systems: Hardware: a 5-story mixed-use building designed by JLA with Reggie Baylor, with every visual decision intended to reflect Harambee rather than overwrite it; and Software: the engagement framework, including planned design charrettes, coalition outreach, programming partnerships, and a housing pathway. These elements were not features added to strengthen the proposal but were reasons the project would work. Both elements were designed together from the beginning.
The project also had a holistic health and wellness concept. Wellness was defined not as a program or a room, but as a condition dependent on whether someone could come home to a safe, stable, affordable place, whether children had somewhere to play, whether nearby food respected their bodies, and whether they could see themselves reflected in the art on the walls. The project would treat wellness as a design standard, not an add-on, comprising stable housing, healthy food, co-created green space, cultural expression, and a pathway out of renting into owning.
Community engagement was a cornerstone of the project. Three days before the RFP deadline, on March 20th, Community First led an open session at the MLK Library. Harambee residents and stakeholders attended, and the team listened. Feedback summarized from that session included honoring Ms. Robinson's legacy in the building and in the park. Her name would be part of project discussions up to opening, with plans to begin discussions with her family to appropriately honor that legacy. Other feedback received included a desire for a healing-centered development with supportive services reaching root causes of instability, not a housing transaction ending at a lease; a park serving as not as an amenity but as a critical extension of housing, with programming moving between public and semi-private events anchored to residents' needs and voices; and housing for households earning $30,000 to $60,000, with set-asides for people using wheelchairs and with special needs. Specific organizations named by residents included Safe and Sound, the NIDC, the BID, and Community of Grace Baptist Church.
The development’s three green space concepts were not finished designs but starting points. The design were intentionally left incomplete because the design belonged to the community, not to the development team. One introductory session had been held. There would be four structured charrettes planned through design development and ongoing community engagement through occupancy.
The development would offer a 3-stage housing pathway model: Stage 1 - Stability: 61 income-restricted apartments for households who were unhoused, home-seeking, or cost-burdened; Stage 2 - the Bridge: career development and skill building through coalition partners like UGHI, including wellness and entrepreneurial programming to provide the resources residents need to build skills, financial capacity, and stability; and Stage 3: Ownership: permanently affordable homeownership through the Milwaukee Community Land Trust, with MCLT Executive Director Lamont Davis having given his personal support. Most LIHTC proposals would end at stage one, while this proposal would include all three stages. A person moving into the building on King Drive should have a real path to staying on King Drive as an owner and neighbor with a stake in the neighborhood's future.
In closing, every proposal would offer housing. Housing was the floor, not the ceiling. The belief was that this development would be differentiated from the others. Their team had built trust before the RFP existed, based on Mr. Methu’s years at Community First, not as a developer seeking a partner but as someone who believed in the organization's work. Their designer, Reggie Baylor, was already rooted in Harambee. His work spoke to the neighborhood from within rather than translating it for an outside audience. Their programming partners — Uniting Garden Homes Inc., Art Intersection MKE, New Earth, and Twisted Plants — have submitted letters of support representing commitments already made and not hoped for. Their pathway to ownership treated the LIHTC compliance period as a beginning, not an endpoint. They had knowledge of Harambee having endured disinvestment, vacancy, and violence through cycles in which Milwaukee's resources flowed away from the corridor. They would like the right to build something confirming what residents had always known: a building stating that the people of Harambee deserved permanence, beauty, and a green space designed by their hands belonging to their children. They were not coming to save anything. The community had already been doing the saving. The community deserved a partner that understood Victory Over Violence as a neighborhood ecosystem, not a tax credit transaction.
Appearing to present on the development project proposal “Victory Lofts”:
Anthony Kazee, KG Development Group, Principal
Donna Page
Jarius Shaw, The Shaw Companies
Babonnie Tatum, Rise ‘N Grind Cafe
Neaokie Spillers-Collins, Pure Entertainment
Butch Robinson (son of Jeannetta Robinson)
Torre Johnson
Timothy Wolosz, Engberg Anderson
Eric Huberty, Engberg Anderson
Their team had conducted extensive community outreach. They had first sought to honor Jeannetta Robinson. Her son, Butch Robinson, had been actively engaged, along with MSOE. Liam, MSOE leader, had activated the park during different activities and was continuing that work over the years. They had obtained signatures from residents of the 2600, 2700, and 2800 blocks, totaling 60 signatures from the immediate community. Two community meetings had been held on May 7th to gather feedback on what residents wanted to see in the park. Mr. Kazee was a leader in the King Drive corridor. Ms. Spillers-Collins was an anchor tenant for programming.
Their project name "Victory Lofts” carried weight, history, and the heartbeat of a community that has long known what it means to fight for something greater than itself. The site was at North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Clarke Street in the heart of the Bronzeville Cultural and Entertainment District. The site was more than a development, it was a celebration rooted in community, designed for connection, and built for victory. Their project was the result of what happens when visionary leadership, strategic investment, and deep community commitment come together at one place, at one time, with one purpose. Their project was a transformative mixed-use redevelopment combining housing, culture, and economic mobility into a community-rooted ecosystem. It was positioned as a comprehensive answer to long-standing challenges on Milwaukee's north side: displacement, disinvestment, and disconnection.
Victory Lofts was organized around six pillars: Entrepreneur Workforce Housing – giving working people, creatives, and small business owners a place to plant roots; Cultural Programming and Entertainment – celebrating the rich identity Bronzeville has always carried; Workforce Development Pipeline – creating real pathways to real careers in the building trades; Economic Mobility Pathways – because opportunity must be more than a promise; it must be a system; Green Infrastructure and Public Space – because environment and dignity go hand in hand; and Community-Centered Activation – because every decision begins and ends with the people who call the neighborhood home. The location was intentional, not accidental, sat along the historic King Drive corridor named in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., would be highly visible, highly accessible, and be deeply meaningful, at the intersection of history and possibility. The address was called not just a street number but a statement of purpose.
The proposed development consisted of 48 housing units (described as quality, affordable homes designed for people building Milwaukee's future); 7,500 square feet of a cultural hub and commercial kitchen space (described as a working, living center for culinary entrepreneurs, performers, and community gatherings); more than 10,000 square feet of public plaza and green space (open to the community, designed with intention and built to last). Victory Lofts was not a single-purpose building but was a vibrant, community-centered destination integrating housing, culture, commerce, and workforce development into one cohesive whole.
Housing was the foundation. Without stable, quality housing, economic mobility would not be possible. There would be three unit types: 1-bedroom units designed for working professionals, entrepreneurs, and creatives building their foundation in Bronzeville; 2-bedroom units serving small families and collaborating partners needing room to grow and thrive; and 3-bedroom units supporting intergenerational living and larger family structures, with family described not just as a household but as a network and a legacy. Every unit was not just as a place to live, but was a launch pad.
The 7,500-square-foot cultural hub would be a living, breathing center for arts, culinary excellence, and community gathering. Planned uses would include live performances, spoken word, music, workshops, cultural festivals, community events, and a professional-grade commercial kitchen for culinary entrepreneurs ready to advance their craft. The hub was not a passive amenity but was an engine for expression, commerce, connection, and continued elevation of Bronzeville's cultural identity on the national stage. The development would also include a community green space on the north side and a bio-retention garden on the west side. These would be intentional, environmentally responsible designed, and inviting elements for neighbors, families, and visitors to gather, rest, and connect. Green space was called equity — signaling to residents and the world that the people here matter.
The project would pay tribute to Ms. Jeannetta Robinson. She was aneducator, community leader, and tireless champion for Bronzeville. She had personally hand-selected bricks from foundations of previous buildings on the site, each carrying memory, identity, and meaning. Those bricks were to be preserved and integrated into the development. The iconic "V" within the park space was to be incorporated into the community design, and elements of the site's stories were to be carried forward, made visible and present, as a testament to continuity, respect, and cultural identity. The stated principle: "We do not erase, we build" was the Victory Lofts’ promise.
Victory Lofts was not simply a construction project but was a 4-stage workforce development ecosystem building people at the same time. Stage 1 was a 12-week pre-construction training program, conducted on or adjacent to the site, using the actual project as a live training environment. Stage 2 was a construction employment pipeline, where participants would work directly on Victory Lofts, gaining more than 18 months of hands-on experience under licensed supervision. Stage 3 was union and apprenticeship pathways, where demonstrated skills would open doors to union membership, apprenticeship placement, and long-term career development. Stage 4 was a sustainable community model, where completion would create a skilled workforce capable of powering future projects and driving long-term economic mobility.
There was strategy to remove barriers to unlock potential at scale pertaining to economic mobility and community stabilization. Economic mobility would require both opportunity and support infrastructure. There would be a community stabilization model, led by The Sigma Group CDC, delivered through dedicated community health workers addressing real-world barriers: transportation assistance, communication and device support, community resource navigation, medical alignment, and workforce stabilization services.
The development would bring positive impacts: construction, permanent employment, entrepreneurial growth, and corridor activation — all in one project. There would be 60 to 80 good paying construction and skilled trade jobs employing Milwaukee residents. The 48 housing units would provide stability and dignity. Total development cost was $15.6 million, which was a significant strategic investment in Bronzeville. More than 18 months of hands-on construction experience would be offered in building the next generation of Milwaukee's skilled trades workforce.
Regarding financing, the $15.6 million capital stack was strategic and layered, reflecting commitment from public, private, and philanthropic partners. The financing structure included Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, WHEDA financing, construction financing, Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program funds, Housing Trust Fund, Tax Increment Financing support, foundation support, and developer fee. The financing structure would reflect both financial discipline and the trust placed in the project, team, and community.
Victory Lofts was committed to sustainable and responsible redevelopment. Elements included environmental due diligence, green infrastructure, native landscaping, bio-retention systems, stormwater management, and pedestrian-oriented planning. Sustainability was not a marketing term but was a design principle and a community obligation taken seriously at every stage. When viewed as a whole, the overall project impact would be profound resulting in housing stability, workforce opportunity, cultural activation, community gathering, neighborhood investment, corridor revitalization, and economic mobility. Victory Lofts would create for individuals, families, and the community. It would be a place to live, a place to gather, a place to create, a place to grow, and a place to belong.
The development team included KG Development Group, Shaw Companies, Sapphire Enterprises, Catalyst Construction, The Sigma Group, A Solution Group, Engberg Anderson Architects, and BakerTilly. The team represented the best of a collaborative, community-centered development in building together not just a structure, but a future and a legacy. The project had been developed as the team's ACRE project, with graduation in 2025.
The performance art space was a multi-use space for live performing artists. The vision was for Bronzeville to have a space for performing arts, dinner theater, and varied performances so residents would not have to travel to Chicago or venues like City Winery to see performances. Ms. Spillers-Collins had experience as a dance mother of two daughters, one in professional dance and one performing nationally, both involved in dance since age six. She has 25 years of experience, having worked with artists including Big Daddy Kane, having brought artists to Milwaukee, currently working with Summerfest, and being the reason Tyrese was coming to Milwaukee. She was the anchor tenant for the commercial hub space, which would include a commercial kitchen to provide food service during live entertainment. She was also a psychotherapist who would bring mental health programming to the space.
Parking would include 29 spaces for events along the park space. These was agreement to use Milwaukee Health Services parking during events. Valet services would also be offered to ensure vehicle safety and security. The live performance venue would not be a nuisance. It would be a sophisticated, elegant, and needed venue in Bronzeville.
Park activation was a priority. There was still work to activate the park. Continuing to honor Mrs. Jeannetta Robinson was important. Plans would include having the mural redone using local artisans. There would be a full programming cadence consisting of daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly events. Examples would include a maker's market pop-up for local entrepreneurs, dance, Tai Chi, and other community-oriented events. Existing elements in the park paying homage to Mrs. Robinson were to be retained.
Mr. Robinson was the son of Jeannetta Robinson. He supported his mother and her memory and work nationally, worldwide, and especially in the community where it started. He was a television producer, musician, and songwriter, and noted he had written the song used in the presentation. He recounted that his mother, while walking by the empty lot, had said it would be wonderful to have a park in memory of those who had lost their lives to violence, and had called it Victory Over Violence Park. He has participated with her in early cleanup efforts, with 50 to 60 people picking up bottles, paper, and bricks. A major contractor had stopped, spoken with his mother about her vision, and decided to work with her, bringing bulldozers and building the park. The park was built for $10, built with faith and love, through community, schools, volunteers, individuals, and businesses coming together. His concern was to ensure that the park not be lost and remained as Victory Over Violence Park. Monuments in the middle of the park were pieces of original foundations from buildings burned down during the riots, which his mother had suggested repurposing, leading to creation of the monument. He supported Victory Lofts in keeping Jeannetta Robinson's memory and hard work alive.
Mr. Johnson was in support of Victory Lofts. He had a lifelong connection to the work, having gone from the penitentiary to boys' school to serving on the board of the organization associated with the park. He cleaned the park regularly because it reminded him of family. His Facebook picture was of the park. He was happey to work with MSOE when they redeveloped the park without funding. He had advocated to the city and others because everything in the community related to Black people seemed to disappear, and that this was part of a legacy that included Ms. Robinson. The park had helped people like him stop committing violence, and that he had been working steadily for 20 years with the blessing of Ms. Robinson and others. There was need for a space in the community to celebrate Black history without having to go to the Italian Community Center or other venues outside the neighborhood. He supported Anthony Kazee, having watched him grow up, and support for the project as honoring legacy. He has driven through the alleys and streets daily as a resident of the 53206 and 53212 zip codes, was serving on committees, and was committed to keep advocating for Ms. Robinson. There was also plans to name the portion of the street between King Drive and the side of the building after Ms. Robinson.
The MSOE Honors Program was a community partner of Butch Robinson and the park. Their work involved trash cleanups and community engagement events. Victory Lofts was strong because it considered homelessness and presence at the park, kept space clean for events, and was investing back into the community.
Engberg Anderson was a small to mid-size firm with passion for community engagement. Their current work included Metcalfe Community Park Bridges and work with Neu-Life Community Development. They had involvement and total investment with every community project that the UWM School of Architecture had put on. Their process involved studying both the physical tectonics of a site to improve walkability and the social context, which was arguably more important in balancing cars, people, and culture. Victory Lofts site was not a "done" project but was an opportunity for engagement. They have over 20 years of experience working in Bronzeville, including current work on the Bronzeville Cultural Hub, and past work on the Wisconsin Black Historical Society/Holocaust Museum, Pete's Fruit Market, and other projects. Mr. Huberty’s wife had just graduated from Marquette University with a Master's Degree in nursing, is Black, and planned to work at the health services building just south of the site, making his family part of the community.
In closing, the development team would keep environmental considerations first and last in mind. They had experience with existing buildings and would ensure there be proper cleanup for future children, families, and park visitors. Each member of the development team had roots in Bronzeville, whether living, working, or worshiping there. All were deeply committed to seeing the growth and elevation of the district, which was the reason for their passion for the project.
Ald. Coggs commented. She was appreciative to each of the teams that presented their interest in Bronzeville. She and Akuwa Dantzler had attended CYD as teenagers. Their experiences reflected what the space had long represented for families — a place of care, development, and belonging. What ultimately made a space like the CYD building meaningful was not the structure itself, but how people choose to honor it. Any future use should reflect those values. CYD represented love in action, through thoughtful stewardship, community-centered investment, and respect for the people and history.
Members thanked the presenters for their consistent persistence to invest in Bronzeville and discussed that all three proposals were great; would receive feedback regardless of the outcome; that a recommendation would be a difficult one to make; that the recommended project be one centered on a healing space, originality, and community; that all the organizations support the recommended project regardless of the outcome; and that there be more opportunities for all regardless of the outcome.
Ms. Kari and members discussed going into closed session briefly to deliberate then reconvening into open session to allow for all presenters to come up together to answer questions, if any, from the committee. The committee could decide to deliberate and make a recommendation or pursue more time to gather information and reconvene in the near future to make a recommendation.
Meeting recessed at 10:44 a.m.
Meeting reconvened at 10:57 a.m.
Member Smith moved that the Bronzeville Advisory Committee may convene into closed session, pursuant to s. 19.85(1)(e) for the purpose of deliberating or negotiating the purchasing of public properties, the investing of public funds, or conducting other specified public business, whenever competitive or bargaining reasons require a closed session.
Ayes – Brooks, Moore, Sr., Boynes, Smith, Vernon
Excused – Tatum, Hill
The meeting convened into closed session at 10:58 a.m.
Present - Brooks, Moore, Sr., Boynes, Smith, Vernon
Excused – Tatum, Hill
Also present:
Kari Smith, DCD
Matt Haessly, DCD
Kyle Gast, DCD
Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Ald. Dist.
Member Smith moved that the committee reconvened into open session. There was no objection.
The meeting reconvened into open session at 11:11 a.m.
Presenters were called back to the table.
Chair Vernon discussed next steps. Members would compile and submit their questions, if any, to staff by 12 p.m. on May 13th. DCD staff would submit those questions all applicants on May 14th. All applicants were to submit their responses to those questions by May 18th, committee members were to complete and submit their rubric evaluations directly to staff by May 21st, and a prospective special meeting would be scheduled virtually for June 1st at 9 a.m. for the committee to make a formal recommendation based on the total evaluation scoring totals from the submitted rubrics. Members' evaluation should include all relevant materials including full application submittals, presentations and proceedings from today’s meeting, any additional materials as needed, and the committee’s rubric (which was disclosed and included in the RFP).
ii. Other
There was no other discussion.
Member Tatum rejoined the committee at 11:14 a.m.
b. DCD Commercial Corridor updates
Member Moore, Sr. said that a signage grant was approved at 425 W. Walnut St. for Unifocal, Inc. | | | |
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