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| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 9:05 a.m. | | | |
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| | | | Also present:
Minutes note: Ald. Milele Coggs, 6th Ald. Dist.
Amy Turim, Dept. of City Development
Matt Haessly, Dept. of City Development
Sam Leichtling, Dept. of City Development | | | |
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| | 3. | | Review and approval of the meeting minutes from September 18, 2023.
Minutes note: Meeting minutes from September 18, 2023 were approved without objection. | | | |
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| | 4. | | Bronzeville RFPs, listings, projects, initiatives, events, grants, activities, plans, or other aspects for update, discussion, review, and/or approval.
Minutes note: A. 434 W. Walnut 2-story parking structure with retail (BOZA variance) for review and/or approval
Development team appearing:
Mike Grinker, Sid Grinker Restoration
Sharon Grinker, Sid Grinker Restoration
Jason Korb, Korb & Associates Architects
Kevin Rogers, Korb & Associates Architects
The development team presented. The committee previously approved their corner office building on Vel R. Phillips Ave. and Walnut St. They were proposing a related project to construct a 3-tiered 2-story parking structure with 44 parking spaces on 5th St. and Walnut St. with a 1,710 sq. ft. commercial frontage use to keep the block active. No tenant has been identified yet for the commercial space. Parking would be behind the commercial space and on the upper floors and be hidden from sight as much as possible. The development would be a proactive attempt to help address and reduce parking pressure in the neighborhood. The site was an existing surface parking lot. They would incorporate green landscaping as much as possible. There would be opportunity to install an art mural on the facade. They were still working with the Dept. of Neighborhood Services to determine the proper BOZA retail use variance and to clarify if parking would be a principal or secondary use.
Chair Vernon was looking forward to the art piece opportunity.
Ald. Coggs was supportive for additional parking and thanked the Grinkers for helping to address parking concerns. She would like to incorporate green features and the facade art piece into City approvals.
Mr. Leichtling said that Ed Richardson from his office would work with the Grinkers on incorporating those two aspects and that he was confident today's feedback would lead to a good outcome.
Member Boynes moved to support the BOZA variance and redevelopment proposal. There was no objection.
B. MKE United Anti-Displacement Fund update
Appearing:
Langston Verdin, MKE United/Greater Milwaukee Committee
Mr. Verdin gave a presentation. The anti-displacement fund (ADF) was a 5-year pilot program established in 2019 to guard against anti-displacement for legacy homeowners. Program partnership included MKE United/Greater Milwaukee Committee as program sponsor, Riverworks Development Corp. as program administrator, MEDC Milwaukee as 3rd party eligibility certification, Greater Milwaukee Foundation as fiscal agent, and City of Milwaukee for technical assistance.
The ADF provides grants to offset property tax increases for eligible homeowners in neighborhoods adjacent to Downtown Milwaukee. Neighborhoods would include Halyard Park, Brewers Hill, Harambee, Haymarket, Hillside to the north and Walkers Point, Clock Tower Acres, and Harbor View to the south. ADF dispersed $109,492 in 2022. ADF had helped the average age of 67, 75% identifying as Black and/or Latino, and average household income of $24,768. ADF had supported 83 homeowners (75% to the north and 25% to the south) and paid out on average $1,319 to each homeowner. Since 2019 ADF had provided 346 grants to homeowners in the amount of $316,717, had received 526 applications and 415 renewal applications, and had seen average payment increased by 203%. Property taxes were increasing, which was expected.
ADF was in its 5th year and was accepting applications. It had evolved from a safety-net to a model of practice nationally. Current funding would dry up in 2027. $1.2 million had been fundraised to fully support the ADF for 5 additional tax seasons. There was the goal to fundraise $1.8 million more to total $3 million, which would fully fund the program for 10 additional tax seasons.
Member Boynes inquired about public awareness and promotion of the fund.
Chair Vernon said that sustainability and support to legacy homeowners was important. She would like the program to explore expanding beyond legacy homeowners to other homeowners, like the artist community, and to acquire additional collaborations/partnerships, such as with the ARCH program.
Mr. Verdin replied. Much promotion was done in the early years. Outreach would be done to homeowners based on property tax key information. Letters would first be sent to existing funded homeowners to reapply and recertify followed by notice to all other eligible tax key homeowners. More would become eligible with the medium income increasing. Riverworks would do door-to-door communication to homeowners next week. Riverworks was the program operational and application lead. Folks should be directed to Riverworks. ADF was focused only on legacy homeowners right now. If given more funds and with increased medium income, there can be careful and intentional consideration to expand to new homeowners. There was been commendable local partnerships, such as with the RON Coalition. His father in Harambee was a recipient. More philanthropy would be welcomed.
C. Anti-Displacement Neighborhood Preference Policy reauthorization update
Mr. Leichtling gave an update. ADF was one of several strategies of the overall Anti-Displacement plan competed in 2018. The unique Anti-Displacement Neighborhood Preference Policy focused on helping local renters stay in their neighborhoods by giving preference to them to live in new affordable and mixed-income housing developments that were receiving City Tax Incremental Financing funding. These developments would have to designate 20% affordable units for local residents. The policy was established in 2019 through the leadership of Ald. Coggs and was reauthorized in 2021 and in 2023 for 3 more years to 2026. Zip codes eligible in this policy were 53204, 53208, 53212, and 53233. Fair Housing Review statistical testing of the policy did not result to show any negative prejudice, discrimination, or disparate outcomes from the policy.
Through implementation there had been 9 housing projects subject to the policy with 102 out of 513 total affordable units to provide neighborhood preference. Examples included ThriveOn King (53212), Thirteen31 (53204), and 37th Street School Apartments (53208). In the pipeline subject to the policy would be 3 more housing projects with 46 out of 244 total affordable units to provide neighborhood preference. These projects were Bronzeville Creative Arts and Technology Hub (53212), 3116 N King Drive (53212), and Greenfield Ave. Commons (53204).
With the reauthorization of the policy, DCD would carry out next periodic disparate impact testing and report to Council on any recommended policy updates and modifications before the end of 2026.
Members commended DCD and Ald. Coggs for their work with the policy.
Ald. Coggs thanked DCD and said that all the anti-displacement strategies helped to lessen displacement and gentrification of residents. They had anticipated displacement and gentrification impacts from the new Fiserv arena redevelopment and looked at best practices and policies. Without these efforts, much more displacement and/or gentrification would have occurred.
D. DCD Real Estate update
Appearing:
Nicole Robbins, MLK EDC
Gregory Davis, One5Olive
Anthony Kazee, KG Development
Ms. Turim said that due to a credit refresh and one developer awardee policy by WHEDA, there would have to be a reconstitution of the developer partnership structure for the development project at 3116 N. MLK Dr. Remaining aspects of the project remained unchanged and just the partnership was being reconfigured for the WHEDA credit refresh application. She would defer to the advisory committee on taking any actions, if any, on this reconfiguration.
Mr. Kazee added that he would only be a consultant to the development team, but they will try to appeal to WHEDA with regards to the credit refresh. Equity investors requested WHEDA to do the credit refresh.
Ms. Robbins added that MLK EDC would have 100% site control, WHEDA could possibly make an exemption based on their other work done, the credit refresh was due to the delays with COVID-19 and increased construction costs during that time.
Chair Vernon said that more information was needed from WHEDA regarding their policy on credit refresh and that the committee supported the reconfiguration.
E. DCD Commercial Corridor grants update
Member Moore, Sr. gave an update. 2976 N. MLK for developer Ryan Battee was awarded a $2,750 facade grant and a $25,000 storefront activation grant. 2667 N. MLK for Ofelia Speaks was awarded a $5,000 facade grant. 1937 N. MLK for Niche Book Bar was given $50,000 from TID 48 funds to cover a gap. 1936 N. MLK for JenGerDoll Medical Wigs was given a $1,450 signage grant.
F. Other
There was no other discussion. | | | |
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| | 5. | | Review and approval of the 2024 meeting schedule.
Minutes note: Mr. Lee said that 2024 meeting dates were January 22, March 18, May 20, July 22, September 23, and November 18 at 9 a.m.
Member Moore, Sr. moved approval of the 2024 meeting schedule. There was no objection. | | | |
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| | 6. | | Public comments and/or announcements.
Minutes note: There were no public comments and announcements. | | | |
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| | 7. | | Next steps.
Minutes note: A. Agenda items for the next meeting
To be determined.
B. Next meeting date and time
Monday, January 22, 2024 at 9 a.m. | | | |
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| | 8. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
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