Milwaukee’s long-awaited new juvenile prison has reached another milestone in the years-long construction process.

The end of bidding for contractors to construct the new prison inches the state toward the fulfillment of state law and the closure of Lincoln Hills School for Boys, a Type 1 juvenile correctional facility, the most secure type of juvenile correctional facility in the Wisconsin Department of Corrections system. 

A goal of building the prison in Milwaukee is to have youths who are incarcerated remain in their communities, as stated by Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers’ in a news release. While there is neighborhood opposition to the new prison, those in favor say that it will better support Milwaukee youths in this way.  

Bidding ends

Bidding by potential general prime contractors to build the prison ended on May 22.  

It’s “usually several weeks” before a successful bidder is selected, assuming there is one, Tatyana Warrick, communications director for the Wisconsin Department of Administration, said in an email.

“Contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder who is a qualified and responsible bidder that results in the lowest total construction cost for the project,” she said. 

After a contractor is selected and contracts finalized, groundbreaking can take place. 

The project’s completion date is estimated to be summer of 2026, but the actual date will be set in the construction contract with the contractor, Warrick said. 

When complete, the prison will accommodate approximately 32 boys and employ approximately 70 staff, according to the Department of Corrections. 

Residents’ reactions

The site for the new prison is located on the North Side, at 7930 W. Clinton Ave., the former site of an emissions testing center.

Although the site was approved by the Milwaukee Common Council and Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson, some residents are not pleased. 

Many of their concerns revolve around the perceived risks to nearby residences and businesses posed by a prison in the area.

During a City Plan Commission meeting in December 2022, for example, Margaret Thorn, a nearby resident and block watch captain, expressed safety-related concerns, saying that her house has been broken into twice.

“And what that does to an individual frazzles you,” she said. “They take your stuff but what they give you is fear. And it’s a fear that you can’t get rid of.”

Thorn and her neighbors are unhappy about “this facility being crammed down our throats,” she said.  

Kathy Fulfer, who has lived in the area her whole life, told NNS that “It used to be a lovely place to live with new investments and development. Unfortunately, there has been little positive growth on the far Northwest Side of Milwaukee in many years.”

The proximity to friends and family “will be great for the prisoners, not so great for the surrounding community who have had it forced upon them,” she added. 

Keeping youths closer to home

At the same December commission meeting, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Judge Lena Taylor, who was then a state senator, disputed the common arguments about negative effects of prisons on nearby neighborhoods. 

“I respect the fears that people have, but they are not warranted,” Taylor said.

The Department of Corrections’ position is that there is no research to support concerns that prisons increase crime or negatively affect property values, Beth Hardtke, director of communications for the department, said in an email. 

Taylor also emphasized how a Milwaukee-area prison will help keep Milwaukee youths incarcerated there connected to their families and communities. 

“I don’t know the Milwaukee that we’ve become. But I believe that this is a part of the Milwaukee that we need to be, which is one that will allow us to heal families,” she said. 

As of May 29, there were 53 boys at Lincoln Hills, according to data provided by the Department of Corrections. Thirty of these boys – over half – are from the Milwaukee area.  

Ald. Larresa Taylor represents District 9, the district in which the prison will be built. She takes a balanced approach to the differing views on the prison.

“I want to fully represent the desires of the community and what is best for them,” she said. 

Devin Blake is the criminal justice reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. His position is funded by the Public Welfare Foundation, which plays no role in editorial decisions in the NNS newsroom.

A Milwaukee teen is facing a felony charge in a crash last week that killed a 33-year-old man.

Prosecutors with the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office have charged Julian Stanberry-Sproles, 18, with hit and run – resulting in death, according to a criminal complaint released on Wednesday.

More: Milwaukee man faces homicide charges in hit-and-run crash that killed three women

If convicted of the charge, a Class D felony, Stanberry-Sproles faces up to 25 years in prison.

Stanberry-Sproles surrendered to Milwaukee police after the crash, which occurred June 7 on the 3500 block of West Capitol Drive just before 11 p.m.

Police said in a statement the accident occurred as the driver traveled west on Capitol and made a right turn to go north on North 35th Street. The driver hit the pedestrian as he attempted to cross the street.

More: Man charged in hit-and-run collision that killed two southside Milwaukee brothers

Demetrius Roman Roberson died at the scene.

Police said the driver initially fled the scene, but later turned himself in.

More: ‘A slap in the face’: Driver in hit-and-run death of Dana Williams gets 1 year behind bars

In April, the Wisconsin Policy Forum reported pedestrian-involved crash fatalities in Milwaukee County reached a two-decade high of 32 in 2022.

The nonpartisan policy research group also compared data from Milwaukee County to eight similar urban counties in other states. It found Milwaukee ranked slightly above the middle of the pack in traffic deaths in 2022, but the county ranked among the highest in traffic deaths for Black and Latino residents.

The Republican National Convention has officially moved into Fiserv Forum.

Planners and the “build-out” team started their work June 3 to turn the home of the Milwaukee Bucks into the main venue for the convention, which runs July 15-18.

But can the public still get into the arena at all before the convention? In particular, is the Bucks Pro Shop still open?

Here’s what to know about whether you can access parts of Fiserv Forum as the RNC continues setting up inside:

Is Fiserv Forum still open to the public before the RNC?

The atrium of Fiserv Forum closed to the public June 3, the same day the RNC began moving into the arena.

During the RNC, only people with credentials will be allowed to enter. The venue will be closed to the public during the convention.

Fiserv Forum will also remain closed to the public until the RNC finishes its post-convention “move-out,” an RNC source said.

More: What we know (so far) about how the RNC will impact those who live and work in downtown Milwaukee

Is the Bucks Pro Shop still open to the public before the RNC?

While visitors won’t be able to access the atrium, the Bucks Pro Shop will remain open to the public until July 8. There’s a separate entrance to the store that doesn’t run through the atrium.

The Bucks Pro Shop website notes the Fiserv Forum location will be closed through July 25, potentially indicating how long the move-out process will take.

During that time frame, the Bucks are asking fans to visit their other Pro Shop location at Bayshore mall, which is open Tuesday through Sunday. The Pro Shop also operates out of three Name of the Game stores in Wisconsin.

Will Fiserv Forum still offer public tours ahead of the RNC?

While Fiserv Forum typically offers behind-the-scenes tours, no public or private tours are being offered from now through September, according to the venue’s website.

When they are offered, the tours last about 90 minutes and cost $21.58 for adults and $16.19 for children.

More: What to know about Secret Service’s final planning for the RNC in Milwaukee

More: These Milwaukee restaurants and bars will be closed to the public during the RNC

Are there any concerts scheduled at Fiserv Forum this summer?

No concerts or shows are scheduled for Fiserv Forum until Aug. 2. But June and July are typically slower months for the venue — no concerts were held in those months last year, and just two the year before that.

More: Construction begins on FPC Live’s Deer District music venue in Milwaukee

Alison Dirr of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contributed to this story.