Milwaukee, WI

One block of a south side street might close. A soccer field, playground would replace it

Published

12 months ago

December 5, 2023

One block of a south side street might close. A soccer field, playground would replace it

One block of a Milwaukee south side street would be converted into a soccer field and other public spaces under a new proposal pending before city officials.

South 24th Street, between West Legion and West Rogers streets, would be closed to cars if the plan is approved by the Common Council.

The block would still be publicly owned but would be “for people and gathering. Not for cars,” said Sam Leichtling, city planning manager.

Leichtling spoke at Monday’s meeting of the Plan Commission, which endorsed the proposal.

The soccer field and playground would be just east of a building which houses Rogers Street Academy, a Milwaukee Public School at 2430 W. Rogers St., and Don and Sallie Davis Boys & Girls Club, 1975 S. 24th St.

It would provide badly needed recreation space for a densely populated neighborhood which includes a lot of younger children, said Leichtling and Nicholas Straube, MPS facilities planning analyst.

The new space would include an outdoor classroom, green space to help soak up rainwater, and a pickup and drop-off area for the Boys & Girls Club, Straube told commission members. Security bollards would help block traffic, he said.

It would be designed to “feel like the neighborhood so it belongs to everybody,” Straube said.

The proposal to create a pedestrian mall isn’t often used by the city, Leichtling said.

A prominent example is the Common Council’s 2016 decision to vacate one block of North Phillips Avenue to create the Deer District plaza, he said.

The South 24th Street plaza ties with the city’s goal of creating more public gathering spaces, Leichtling said.

The improvements would be funded with a federal grant provided to MPS through the American Rescue Plan Act, Straube said. A cost estimate wasn’t provided.

In other action, the commission recommended approval for zoning changes that would allow two north side affordable apartment developments − both tied to churches.

Cupid Development LLC and Cinnaire Solutions Corp. is proposing a five-story, 40-unit building for seniors, as well as five two-story townhomes for younger families, on vacant lots at 2953 to 2979 N. Eighth St.

Those lots are owned by nearby St. Matthews Christian Methodist Church, 2944 N. Ninth St.

Also, Trinity Development Partners LLC is proposing a three-story, 31-unit building, and seven two-story townhomes, on a vacant lot south of Mason Temple Church, 6090-6098 N. 35th St.

Both developments will seek federal affordable housing tax credits to help finance the buildings. Those credits are provided through an annual competition.

Developers that receive tax credits must generally provide at least 85% of a building’s apartments at below-market rents to people earning no higher than 60% of the local median income for 30 years.

The tax credits are sold to raise cash, with the developers then obtaining bank loans and other cash sources to complete their financing packages.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.

Source link

Click to comment

Milwaukee, WI

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee Thursday morning?

Published

7 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee Thursday morning?

As Milwaukee sees its first snowfall of the season Thursday morning, you should brace for some tricky road conditions on your morning commute.

Two to four inches of wet, heavy snow is possible in the Milwaukee area, making for a “messy morning commute,” the National Weather Service Milwaukee wrote on X. Motorists should drive slowly and with caution throughout the morning, NWS said.

Here’s what to plan ahead for if you’re commuting in Milwaukee on Thursday.

What are the road conditions in and around Milwaukee this morning?

As of 8:15 a.m. Thursday, all of Milwaukee and its surrounding areas — including Interstates 41, 43 and 94 — were seeing “slippery stretches,” according to 511 Wisconsin. Several highways are also seeing one or more lanes blocked due to crashes or stalled vehicles.

If you’re traveling on I-94 this morning, NWS wrote on X that conditions south of the I-94 corridor, especially between Milwaukee and Madison, would “quickly deteriorate” as snow continues.

In affected areas, drivers should plan for slushy snow accumulation and low visibility on the roads, NWS said.

Accidents reported in Milwaukee on Thursday morning

As of 8:15 a.m. Thursday, several crashes or incidents have been reported in Milwaukee that could affect traffic, 511 Wisconsin reported:

7:49 a.m. – I-794 West 1.3 miles beyond the ramp from Carferry Road. The center lane is blocked due to a crash.
7:44 a.m. – I-43 South at ramp from Wisconsin Avenue. The left shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:50 a.m. – Ramp from I-94 East to I-43/94 South. Shoulders are closed due to a disabled vehicle.
7:51 a.m. – I-794 West at Michigan Street. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
7:52 a.m. – I-43 South at I-794 East. The center lane is blocked due to a crash.
7:57 a.m. – I-43/94 North at Ramp from 6th and Mineral Street. The center lane is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.

Accidents reported in Milwaukee suburbs on Thursday morning

7:15 a.m. – Disabled vehicle on ramp from Burleigh Street to I-41/US 45 North.
7:22 a.m. – I-94 West 1.3 miles beyond the ramp from Highway 100. The right shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:23 a.m. – I-43 North at Hampton Avenue East. The left shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:37 a.m. – I-94 West at ramp from Moreland Boulevard East. The right shoulder is blocked due to a crash.
7:42 a.m. – Highway 38 South at Air Cargo Way (by the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport). The right lane is closed due to a crash.
7:52 a.m. – I-41/894 South 0.3 miles beyond the ramp from National Avenue. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
7:54 a.m. – Ramp from I-94 West to I-41/US 45 North. The right shoulder is blocked due to a disabled vehicle.
8:05 a.m. – I-41/US 45 North at North Avenue. The 3 right lanes are blocked due to a disabled vehicle.

To look up road conditions on your morning commute, check out 511 Wisconsin’s live map.

Source link

Milwaukee, WI

Family: Missing Milwaukee girl found safe, gas station taped off

Published

15 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Family: Missing Milwaukee girl found safe, gas station taped off

Winter Weather Advisory

from THU 6:00 AM CST until THU 12:00 PM CST, Racine County, Sheboygan County, Dodge County, Ozaukee County, Washington County, Milwaukee County, Fond Du Lac County, Jefferson County, Waukesha County, Kenosha County, Walworth County

Source link

Milwaukee, WI

Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

Published

23 hours ago

November 20, 2024

Press Room

Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

MILWAUKEE — Monday night was terrifying for Ashley Kirkwood. She received a call from her daughter that no parent ever wants to hear.

Kennedy Kirkwood, 16, was crossing Locust on Holton in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood when she was hit by a black SUV turning onto Locust.

The car slowed down but then drove off without checking on Kennedy. The teenager was left alone, injured, and in the rain.

“It’s just heartbreaking that we’ve become a culture of, ‘Okay, we’re just going to leave a person like that,’” Kirkwood said.

Brendyn Jones/TMJ4

Ashley spoke with TMJ4 about the incident, saying watching the video was difficult for her.

“As parents, that’s something you always worry about,” Kirkwood told TMJ4.

Watch: Mother of Riverwest hit-and-run victim looking for accountability

Family speaks out after 16-year-old injured in hit-and-run near Holton and Locust

She works on the other side of the city and couldn’t be there immediately, so she turned to social media.

Kirkwood posted about the incident on the Riverwest Facebook page.

“Thankfully, within minutes, Riverwest responded,” Kirkwood said. “Over 100 comments, and they were right out here.”

Helpful neighbors stayed with Kennedy until authorities arrived to take her to Children’s Hospital. Kirkwood said she’s grateful to the Riverwest community for their support.

Kennedy is safe at home, but now Kirkwood is looking for answers.

She told TMJ4 she spoke to authorities the night of the incident and called them back after obtaining video of the accident. As of Wednesday afternoon, she had not heard back from police about any updates on the incident.

“I understand that she wasn’t injured to the point where it’s something we’re seeing every day, but we need to take this seriously, and people need to be held accountable,” Kirkwood said.

Kirkwood plans to reach out to Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs and Mayor Cavalier Johnson about the situation.

Milwaukee police say they are looking for the driver of a black SUV. Anyone with information is urged to call authorities at (414) 935-7252.

Kirkwood told TMJ4 she understands things happen, but choosing to leave the scene is unacceptable.

“This was a human being, and we left her out in the rain after running her over,” Kirkwood said.

Talk to us:

Hey there! At TMJ4 News, we’re all about listening to our audience and tackling the stuff that really matters to you. Got a story idea, tip, or just want to chat about this piece? Hit us up using the form below. For more ways to get in touch, head over to tmj4.com/tips.

It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.

Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip

Source link