|
| | 1. | | Call to order.
Minutes note: Meeting called to order at 6:08 p.m. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 2. | | Roll call.
Minutes note: Present 5 - Hinton, Hill, Dotson, Lewis, Rath
Absent 1 - Duckworth
Excused 1 - Fisher | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 3. | | Review and approval of the previous meeting minutes.
Minutes note: The meeting minutes from August 20, 2019 were approved without objection. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 4. | | Granville Development District projects, RFPs, listings, programs, initiatives, events, activities, grants, or updates.
Minutes note: a. Good Hope Library
Mr. Sam McGovern-Rowen, Milwaukee Public Library, appeared and gave an update. Some main or unique components to the new Good Hope Library include a fireplace, lounge, laptop bar, main service desk, indoor gate, community room with movable glass doors, main stacks area, teen cube, maker space for engineering creation activities, children's area, children's storytelling section, children's bookshelf feature, and study rooms. The community room can be used afterhours and during idle times during the day. The library is in its finalization phase with the finishing of the interior, testing of the building system, closing of the Mill Road location, and transport of library materials. The grand opening of the new library is anticipated for March 28th. The committee is welcomed to use the library as a venue for its meetings.
b. Johnson's Park site
Dwayne Edwards, Dept. of City Development, appeared and gave an update. The project proposal is for a 3-phase multi-million dollar development for a hotel, apartment building, and sports complex. The current proposal was chosen out of 9 applications that were made to the department. The process is still in its early stages. WHEDA tax credits have been applied for, and the awarding would be announced in May. The developer is waiting to see if his application has been awarded, and if so, then he will proceed further with moving the project forward and coming before the committee with more details. There are no alternative options besides the current proposal. If the developer is not awarded with WHEDA tax credits, the land can be remarketed for a new development proposal.
c. Fletcher Elementary School site
Harvey Goldstein, Business Development Consultants, appeared and gave an update. The proposal is for a 99-unit apartment building, a YMCA and Crossway Church service center on the first floor for tenants and the community, a possible Community Healthcare Center, attractive elevations, units with balconies, gymnasium for tenant and possibly community use, outdoor playground, basketball courts, green space, kitchen, urban agriculture, possibly baseball and soccer fields, and ample outdoor parking. Apartments will have affordable 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units at $825 to $1,100 in monthly rent costs. An application was made for 9 percent WHEDA tax credits. Depending on being awarded or not, total project costs can be $28 million or up to $40 million. If not awarded WHEDA tax credits, the project would still proceed with 4 percent bonds.
Member Lewis added comments. The development was four years in the making and serves as the next phase to enable residents to become homeowners with rents above low-income rents. The Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks should be pursued to sponsor the soccer and basketball fields, respectively. The project falls into an opportunity zone and has access to those funds.
Member Lewis inquired about a possible dental facility and an open concept for the balconies.
Mr. Goldstein replied and added remarks. Outreach is being done to acquire possibly a dental office with graduate students. The balconies probably would not be open and would need to create their own light. The project will be transformative for the area. Next steps entail submitting formal site plans, listing of tenants, rezoning, and vacation of 96th Street to build over it. Opportunity zone funding may not be used for the project due to high return on investment requirements. The anticipated timeline of the project include closing in April or May, construction in September, and grand opening in late spring or summer of 2021.
d. DCD Commercial Corridor grants
Terence Acquah, DCD Commercial Corridor, appeared and commented. The City has a citywide Fresh Access Food Fund (FFAF) grant program with $400,000 available in total funds for the year. The grant is a 50 percent matching grant that provides financial support to activities that increase fresh food access and healthy food choices in underserved communities. FFAF is available to for-profit and not-for-profit businesses aligned with the goal of the fund. Businesses can use the grant to purchase a variety of things or activities including equipment, fixtures, furniture, build outs, vehicles, facade, signage, community gardens, educational instruction, and outreach materials. Grant award matching amounts include $2,000 to $5,000 and $5,000 to $50,000. Applications are open via an RFP and will close February 8th. Submittals should show a need for the underserved, and organizations should partner up to apply. An information session is set for February 6, 2020 at Mitchell Library at 1 p.m. More information can be forwarded to the committee.
Member Lewis added that the grant program initiative originated from Ald. Khalif Rainey, an application can be made for the Family Foods site on Brown Deer Rd., and an application can be made for the Fletcher school redevelopment for the commercial kitchen and agriculture piece.
e. Ross Employment Solutions
Nicole Hagen and Reno Wright, Ross Employment Solutions, appeared and commented. They have moved their offices from Mill Rd. and 76th St. to 7800 W. Brown Deer Rd. this month. Although offering primarily W-2 program services, they've expanded to offer more services beyond W-2. They are able to service custodial parents, non-custodial parents, and more men. The new facility looks more pleasing, and customers have reacted positively. There is a children's playroom, 24/7 security, business service center open to the public, and a grand conference room available to the public and afterhours. They hold job fairs, have on-site interviews, want more buy-in, have a mental health provider on site, and have an open house on March 25th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The security at the office can now better help navigate people.
Members commented. Ross Employment Solutions should continue to coordinate services in the area and inform both the old and new communities about the location change. No complaints have been received yet on the location change. Security at the business is now at the front instead of the back, which is an improvement.
f. Other
There was no other discussion. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 5. | | Review of the intent, role, responsibilities, and goals of the committee.
Minutes note: Chair Hinton asked for further clarification on the role of the committee and members moving forward.
Member Lewis said that the committee should provide oversight along with her aldermanic office over redevelopment projects; offer review, feedback, recommendations, changes, approval, or disapproval of business operations and redevelopment projects to developers and to her office; be a voice for the community; may review or discuss any number of topics or concerns beyond redevelopment that they feel are important to them and the community concerning the Granville Development District; may hold community meetings; and may send out a press release to bring awareness about the committee.
Members discussed a number of potential items and concerns to discuss, review, or advocate for at meetings going forward. Those items would include, but not be limited to, street and curb appeal or upkeep, more parks, better integration and cooperation with the Granville BID, public safety, and community inclusion in the workforce.
Member Lewis added that a 1 percent sales tax is being proposed that would help with repairing streets, the district is part of opportunity zones and there is access to opportunity zone resources, there is opportunity to add new BID members and board members, there is a safety concern with the County expanding the trail within the district, and perhaps the County should come to the committee to address the trail expansion.
Member Hill added that she will soon be working full time at the BID and the BID has about 350 businesses. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 6. | | Review of the Granville Development District boundaries.
Minutes note: Mr. Lee said that, at the committee's previous directive, the boundaries of the Granville Development District were changed from "W. County Line Road, W. Brown Deer Road, N. 60th Street and N. 108th Street" to "W. County Line Road, W. Good Hope Road, N. 60th Street, and N. 107th Street". | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 7. | | Announcements.
Minutes note: Chair Hinton announced that there will be further rehabilitation of the Social Development Commission office building with upcoming repairs of the roof and installation of a new facade with windows.
Member Ald. Lewis announced the opportunity to attend with her in May an International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSE) conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has attended the conference annually to shop the Granville district to vendors there, learn about the latest revitalization trends and ideas, and has brought those ideas back to influence development in the district. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 8. | | Review of meeting frequency.
Minutes note: Members discussed holding monthly meetings for educational purposes for a duration followed by a visioning session and then a reassessment of the meeting frequency. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 9. | | Set next meeting date and time.
Minutes note: To be determined for a weekday evening within the last two weeks of February. A possible meeting venue is the new Ross Employment Solutions facility. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 10. | | Agenda items for the next meeting.
Minutes note: Agenda items include continued review of Johnson's Park site redevelopment proposal, overview of opportunity zones, review of an assisted living facility in the district, and committee goals. | | | |
|
Not available
|
|
| | 11. | | Adjournment.
Minutes note: Meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.
Chris Lee, Staff Assistant
Council Records Section
City Clerk's Office | | | |
|
Not available
|
|