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Committee adopts East Side Business Improvement District expansion, hospital campus included
Summary
The committee adopted a substitute resolution approving an expansion of the East Side Business Improvement District that would include Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s campus and add assessed revenue.
The Community and Economic Development Committee voted to adopt a substitute resolution approving annexation of additional territory into the East Side Business Improvement District (BID). The proposed expansion would add commercial properties — including the Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital campus and adjacent businesses — and is expected to increase assessed BID revenue by roughly $34,000 based on the 2024 assessments presented to the committee.
Matthew Regick, neighborhood business development administrator in the Department of City Development, joined Ryan Lasig and Joey Wisniewski from the East Side BID to present the proposal. Lasig said the BID’s current assessment rate is $5 per $1,000 of assessed value with a $5,000 maximum assessment per property and that the proposed expansion would incorporate a set of properties that have requested BID services. Lasig said the expansion would enable additional beautification, sanitation, marketing and community events.
Lasig described outreach and letters of support from property and business owners, and singled out ongoing conversations with Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s leadership. He said the BID had engaged hospital leadership, including the hospital’s CEO, and had secured their support for inclusion.
Alderman Brower expressed support; Alderman Brower also told the committee he would introduce an amendment at full council to remove approximately six residential properties from the annexation if those residents do not wish to participate. The committee’s recommendation was adoption of the substitute resolution; Alderman Jackson moved for adoption and the transcript records the committee adopting the measure by unanimous consent with “hearing no objections.” The amendment Brower described would be offered at the council floor on the 23rd.
The committee record includes details on the BID’s activities — marketing and promotions, graffiti removal, beautification projects such as Black Cat Alley and Ivanhoe Plaza, and large events including the Summer Solstice Music Festival and Milwaukee Film — as context for the expansion.
