Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson got a brief moment in the Democratic National Convention spotlight Wednesday evening.

The second-term millennial mayor gave joint remarks about infrastructure upgrades with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval at the United Center in Chicago, where the DNC was in its third day.

Johnson credited President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee, with helping to bring back Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood after it was decimated by freeway expansion.

“In Wisconsin, keeping promises is important. So is making amends for your mistakes,” Johnson said. “One of those mistakes happened 60 years ago in a neighborhood called Bronzeville, brimming with Black music, Black culture and entrepreneurship. And then came urban renewal and the construction of Interstates 94 and 43, ripping our communities apart.

“Sixth Street was widened and people of color were displaced, homes destroyed, businesses shuttered, all for a quicker commute. Under Kamala Harris and Joe Biden, we’re bringing Bronzeville back.”

The neighborhood now has more green space, bike paths and walkable streets, he said.

“The music is coming back, the culture is coming back, and thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the opportunities are coming back,” he said.

Biden came to Milwaukee in March to highlight $36.6 million in federal funds from the Infrastructure Act to convert a 2.6-mile section of Sixth Street to a “complete street.” The effort seeks to make streets safe and convenient to pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and anyone else who wants to use them, regardless of age or ability.

He had previously described his remarks as a “baton handoff” and downplayed their significance in the political career he has been working to build since his early teens.

The mayors’ three or so minutes on stage came on the night Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, the party’s vice-presidential nominee, was scheduled to give the keynote speech.

In an interview with the Journal Sentinel at the Wisconsin delegation’s Wednesday morning breakfast, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley said he was “so elated for everybody from Milwaukee who’s going to be speaking.”

“This speaks directly to the fact that if you’re going to win the White House, you got to go through Wisconsin. Which quite frankly means you got to go through Milwaukee,” Crowley said. “So, to have Milwaukee represented means a lot.”

Crowley said he couldn’t remember anyone from Milwaukee speaking on the convention stage in the past several years. Kenneth Stribling, a retired Teamster from Milwaukee, also spoke Tuesday night.

Two Milwaukee advocates for lead pipe removal also briefly took the stage Wednesday evening. Crowley said that “speaks to a broader issue” of providing clean water to children and families free from lead or PFAS.

Alison Dirr can be reached at adirr@jrn.com. Hope Karnopp can be reached at hkarnopp@gannett.com.

Milwaukee and southern Wisconsin have played a major role in this year’s presidential election.

Between hosting the 2024 Republican National Convention in July and a Kamala Harris campaign rally Aug. 20, it makes sense why some Milwaukeeans might be wondering if the Democratic National Convention is coming to town.

The answer is no, the DNC is not taking place in Milwaukee. It’s happening about 90 miles away in Chicago from Aug. 19 through Aug. 22.

Still, important players in the election have stopped by the Milwaukee area this week to campaign in Wisconsin, a key swing state likely to play a big role in who wins the election. A few hours before Harris’ widely attended Fiserv Forum rally kicked off, Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance spoke in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse ― his third visit to Wisconsin since he was named Donald Trump’s running mate at the RNC.

Although Milwaukee isn’t hosting this year’s DNC, residents may remember that the city was slated to host the Democratic convention in 2020 before COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced the 2020 DNC to scale back to a largely virtual event at the Wisconsin Center (now the Baird Center).

Here’s what to know about the year’s DNC.

Where is the Democratic National Convention?

The 2024 Democratic National Convention is taking place in Chicago from Monday, Aug. 19 through Thursday, Aug. 22. The United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks, is hosting the convention’s major evening events and speeches.

Each day of the convention includes a full schedule of events for delegates, but the main programming of the DNC takes place from about 6 to 10 p.m. each night of the convention. Official daytime business, meetings and briefings are taking place at McCormick Place, another convention center in downtown Chicago.

More: How to watch and stream the 2024 Democratic National Convention

What is the Democratic National Convention?

The DNC is a weeklong event where Democratic delegates from each state officially select the party’s nominees for president and vice president.

Traditionally, delegates vote at the convention for the nominee, but DNC organizers held a virtual vote this year to confirm Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee ahead of the convention. Harris also announced her vice presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, prior to the convention.

Like the RNC, well-known political figures and celebrities are expected to speak and be in attendance at the DNC. So far, highlights from the convention have included speeches from President Joe Biden, former President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

More: Takeaways from DNC Day 2: Obamas blast Trump, Tony Evers’ face plant and Lil Jon

More: After RNC spotlight, Milwaukee Democrats Cavalier Johnson and David Crowley head to DNC

The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse, which has dotted the city’s landscape since 1926, has been empty since 1966. And despite a local nonprofit’s promises to restore the historical landmark in 2013, it remains untouched and inaccessible.

Brookfield-based nonprofit Optima Enrichment acquired the lighthouse for free from the National Park Service in 2013, promising $2.5 million worth of major renovations in hopes to create a publicly accessible museum by 2015. Now, almost ten years later, not much has changed.

After Madison resident Steve Tyska purchased property in Sheboygan last year, he noticed a lighthouse in the harbor was in need of some renovations. Thinking it could be a fun project to tackle after retirement, he dove into research.

That’s when he stumbled on past Journal Sentinel articles about the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. Upon learning of Optima Enrichment’s goals to renovate the building, he called the organization’s owner, Brookfield optometrist Randall Melchert, for some advice.

“This guy tried to do, on a much bigger scale, what I was thinking about doing,” said Tyska.

But Tyska said he was never able to reach Melchert. Disappointed he was unable to find out what came of the project, he contacted Public Investigator.

“10 years later, nothing’s been done,” Tyska said. “Who is overseeing this project? Should the city get involved?”

Despite multiple attempts to reach Melchert through email and phone, Public Investigator was also unable to get in touch with him.

In 2016, Melchert told the Journal Sentinel his nonprofit raised less than $20,000 since it received the deed, which was mostly spent on insurance.

“We were a little optimistic,” Melchert said at the time.

National Park Service spokesperson Jordan Fifer said the lighthouse is still owned by Optima Enrichment.

According to Fifer, the National Park Service is aware that the group hasn’t raised enough money to fulfill its obligations under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

Under the act, federally-owned historic lighthouses can be transferred at no cost to federal, state or private entities that pledge to preserve them. The entity that acquires the lighthouse must make it publicly available for educational, recreational, cultural or historic preservation purposes.

If this fails to occur, Fifer said, it’s up to the federal General Services Administration to determine if if the entity should lose ownership.

Fifer said the National Park Service monitors compliance with the act every two years and “maintains regular contact” with the General Services Administration.

Public Investigator asked the General Services Administration whether it has kept tabs on the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse. The agency did not respond by the time of publication.

Meanwhile, Port Milwaukee spokesperson Madison Goldbeck said the city has no authority or jurisdiction over the lighthouse.

Had no other qualified nonprofits or government agencies expressed interest in the Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse at the time, it would’ve been sold to the highest bidder, according to the Journal Sentinel’s 2013 article.

For now, Tyska said he’s hopeful an article may spark public officials’ interest.

The Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse is one of the last examples of a fully enclosed breakwater lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Its Fresnel lens — the glass that once surrounded the lighthouse’s bulb — is currently on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc.

“It’s something that could potentially be a benefit for the city if it was tended to,” Tyska said, “and it’s certainly something that could be a liability to the city if it’s neglected.”

Quinn Clark is a Public Investigator reporter. She can be emailed at QClark@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Quinn_A_Clark.

About Public Investigator

Government corruption. Corporate wrongdoing. Consumer complaints. Medical scams. Public Investigator is a new initiative of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and its sister newsrooms across Wisconsin. Our team wants to hear your tips, chase the leads and uncover the truth. We’ll investigate anywhere in Wisconsin. Send your tips to watchdog@journalsentinel.com or call 414-319-9061. You can also submit tips at jsonline.com/tips.