The Republican National Convention was forecasted to have $200 million economic impact on Milwaukee

The balloons dropped. The delegates arrived and left with souvenirs along with promises to return to Milwaukee. Mayor Cavalier Johnson proclaimed mission accomplished, “We were able to elevate Milwaukee,” he said in a post-convention interview with the Journal Sentinel.

Even the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, noted the huge economic impact of hosting the convention on Milwaukee, quipping during his acceptance speech Thursday night that he was “trying to buy” Wisconsin’s vote. He put the impact at $250 million, though the official estimate is $200 million. The actual numbers will be closely scrutinized in the weeks and months to come with reports of disappointing sales from some downtown businesses.

As life downtown slowly returns to normal and we stop seeing Milwaukee and RNC on national news, we’d like your take on the convention and it’s impact on Milwaukee. This is not a question about the politics of the event. Indeed, the standard line from event organizers was that the RNC wasn’t about blue or red, but green.

We will begin posting your feedback as soon as grades start rolling in:

A big thanks to readers who have weighed in throughout the week about the convention, including:

Donald Trump’s acceptance speech: Rambling mess of falsehoods. I liked all of it! God spared this man for us!

The selection of J.D. Vance for VP: A Trump clone. Much-needed youth.

Your mood heading into the convention: Here is what you are most looking forward to, and dreading, about the RNC

Reaction to an attempted assassination: How you’re feeling after Saturday’s Trump rally shooting

MILWAUKEE — With Brady Street Fest and Northwestern Mutual’s Annual Conference happening this weekend, thousands of people are coming through Milwaukee. 

As downtown returns to normal following the Republican National Convention (RNC), businesses and residents are thrilled to see the crowds.

“Today feels like a normal Saturday after a slow start to the week. Yesterday and today have been bouncing back better,” Angela Heglund, the assistant manager at Broadway Paper, said.

On average, Heglund said the business typically makes $1500 daily. During the four days of the RNC, she said they didn’t hit $1000.

“There were a couple of days where I was like ‘Is it worth it to be open?’, Heglund questioned.

While the RNC brought in thousands of people across the country, other businesses told TMJ4 they had hoped for more RNC business.

On Brady Street, businesses and bartenders said they were shocked by the lack of people.

“I could accept not getting money out of the RNC, but to lose money? I lost several thousand dollars last weekend,” Hyacinth Nembhardt, the Owner of Concoctions, said. 

Kaylee Staral

That’s why Nembhardt and Heglun are glad to see so many people back in town.

On Brady Street, hundreds were out enjoying live music, food, drinks, and vendors at Brady Street Fest Saturday. 

Similarly, throughout downtown and beyond, financial associates with Northwestern Mutual are arriving in the city for the company’s 144th annual meeting.

A representative from Northwestern Mutual said they’re expecting nearly 11,000 people to visit, with guests staying at 35 hotels across Milwaukee, Brookfield, and Wauwatosa.

“For 41 years, we’ve come to Milwaukee and we love it,” Charlie Prothro, a conference attendee from Texas, exclaimed.

Kaylee Staral

“These are our roots. Our family will eat at the restaurants and spend money at the local merchants. We love it here.”

Northwestern Mutual anticipates an economic impact of $19 million for the city.

The boost is something businesses said is much needed.

“I think the money that we made during Summerfest and the money we’re going to make from the Northwestern conference will even out what we did not make during the RNC,” Heglund said.

Kaylee Staral

With Brady Street Fest Saturday and the Harley Davidson Homecoming Festival just around the corner, other businesses shared excitement for the busy summer ahead.

“Today feels like a big win. I’m looking forward to that for the rest of the summer. Milwaukee is a great place to do business,” Nembhardt smiled.

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By Ted Chisholm

When we elect leaders to represent us, we rightfully ask them to explain how their policies will provide a tangible benefit to our community. As a candidate for Milwaukee County Treasurer in the August 13 Democratic primary, I am frequently asked that question. I am always happy to respond because the County Treasurer’s Office can do much more to support a thriving community for all.

First, the County Treasurer can drive economic growth that actually benefits our communities, and not just well-heeled developers in downtown Milwaukee. The Treasurer is responsible for enforcing property tax delinquencies in eighteen of Milwaukee County’s nineteen municipalities – the City of Milwaukee has its own elected treasurer. That means that in Glendale, Brown Deer, Wauwatosa, Shorewood, West Allis, and communities across our county, the Treasurer can take action to foreclose on vacant and abandoned industrial and commercial sites whose owners have failed to pay property taxes in years.

All too often, vacant and abandoned properties languish for years, while Milwaukee County foots the tax bill to the municipality. This is a problem for our entire community, and the Treasurer’s Office must do more to acquire these properties, even if that means working with state and private-sector partners to identify, on the front end, funding that the county’s economic development staff can use to make the properties suitable for sale upon acquisition.

By acquiring vacant properties more rapidly, the Treasurer’s Office can help restore them to active use. Once a property is acquired by Milwaukee County through foreclosure by the Treasurer’s Office and the Office of Corporation Counsel, the property can be cleaned up, as is often required of old industrial sites and sold by the county’s Economic and Community Development Division. The sale of these properties will create new revenue for Milwaukee County, enabling greater investment in human services and infrastructure that benefit all Milwaukee County residents.

At the same time, in communities directly served by the Treasurer’s enforcement function, there is a need for greater housing equity and for the buildout of locally-owned businesses – including Black-owned businesses seeking to expand. When we look at growing communities like Brown Deer, Glendale, Oak Creek, and Franklin, we see a common pattern: the potential for business growth and investment in new markets.

At the same time, industrial and commercial prospects are not the only opportunities made available by the redevelopment of land obtained by the Treasurer’s Office. Milwaukee County needs more affordable housing, particularly in our suburban communities, that is truly accessible and welcoming to all members of our community. The Treasurer’s Office can help catalyze this critical form of development by working with municipal partners to acquire abandoned properties that could be redeveloped into opportunities for new housing, such as single-family homes, multi-unit complexes, or mixed-use residential developments with retail outlets on the ground floor.

I hope this summary helps illustrate how an engaged and effective Treasurer’s Office could provide better service to our community!