A Letter From the President: September 2015
The Greater Milwaukee Committee’s initiatives – in which many of you are involved – have unique and important impacts on our community. Two of our initiatives in particular are top-of-mind right now.
As you know, the GMC launched the creative placemaking committee last fall. The committee presently focuses on three main areas – the Beerline Trail Extension in Riverwest/Harambee, West Wisconsin Avenue, and Walker’s Point. Last week, the Beerline Trail Extension (also known as Beerline X) hosted events as part of Riverworks Week 2015, an event by Riverworks Development Corporation to showcase the area as Milwaukee’s emerging creative district.
Riverworks Week events included speakers, a “Dolphin Pool,” the Open Air Medina Market and many participating businesses in Doors Open Milwaukee (a celebration on the Beerline X was rescheduled due to severe weather). Hundreds of Riverwest and Harambee neighborhood residents, as well as residents of other Milwaukee neighborhoods, came out to support the week and the important work going on along the trail.
Riverworks Week shows the impact that the GMC and its creative placemaking committee have had on placemaking and economic strategy in Milwaukee. This corridor in Riverwest and Harambee of large industrial buildings often underused or vacant is now redefined as a growing creative district with the buildings now full of micro-creative industries. Real estate brokers and entrepreneurs now see the area as a spine for redevelopment. We look forward to continuing to work with our many community partners – and many of you – to encourage vibrancy, creativity and economic development in Milwaukee.
Our creative placemaking efforts on West Wisconsin Avenue are transforming the way people think and interact with the street. The Avenue is coming alive with over 300 new units of housing and another 400 proposed for development. WAM-DC is active on other redevelopment plans for the area. NEWaukee’s Night Markets bring alive an area in the past seen as empty and unsafe at night. Ten to twelve thousand people showed up for each Night Market this summer. Creative Alliance Milwaukee’s Spot 4MKE is bringing people and life to the long term vacant lot on 4th and Wisconsin.
The GMC’s Innovation in Milwaukee (MiKE) initiative exemplifies the impact the GMC can have on innovative talent development strategies. Milwaukee has everything it needs for a thriving economy – small and large businesses, corporate headquarters, college students and plenty of talent – but it often struggles to connect everyone together.
Enter Walk the Talk. MiKE this year is partnering with Creative Alliance Milwaukee to host this one-day conference focusing on the intersection of creativity and innovation. The conference includes workshops and keynotes throughout the Third Ward and Walker’s Point – two of Milwaukee’s most innovative neighborhoods – to move attendees from talk to action.
Walk the Talk, on Wednesday, October 7th, connects artists, entrepreneurs, educators, young professionals, established professionals, industry experts, designers, creatives, and everyone in between, through speakers, workshops, one-on-one conversations with Milwaukee’s “Super Colliders,” a food truck lunch hour, a recess break and more. Showcasing the innovative and creative people, projects and businesses in Milwaukee, Walk the Talk provides a new and unique way for people to connect.
We hope that you’ll share information on Walk the Talk and our creative placemaking work with your networks and beyond.
Sincerely,
Julia Taylor President