Committee approves several land dispositions, a WEDC grant nomination and TID amendment

A Milwaukee council committee approved a series of land disposition and development items including sales of city-owned lots to a nonprofit community garden, two tax-deed property sales to local buyers, a nomination for a Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Community Development Investment (CDI) grant and an amendment to Tax Incremental District (TID) 78 to fund lakefront gateway infrastructure.

Sale to community nonprofit: the committee approved a resolution (File 241598) to sell three adjacent city-owned lots at 3138–3150 N. 9th St. to We Got This, a nonprofit that operates neighborhood community gardens and a summer youth program. Tess Winn, real estate specialist with the Department of City Development, said the parcels total about 1,400 square feet and that the organization has used the lots since 2022 under a community garden permit. We Got This plans to upgrade beds, fencing, orchard trees, a rainwater collection unit and a storage shed. A representative identified as Alex told the committee the group ran a summer program serving more than 315 distinct youth last year (averaging about 12.5 participants per week across a 12-week season), paying participants $20 for each four-hour Saturday work shift; the organization said it reached capacity and sometimes had to turn away 25–35 youths per week. Alderman Stamper moved adoption and the committee ordered the sale.

Tax-deed property sales and neighborhood businesses: the committee approved File 241600, the sale of tax-deed properties at 2875 and 2879 N. 20th St. in the 15th Aldermanic District to a local entrepreneur, Miss Chandra Duncan (Warriors Roasted Corn/Roasted Corn Plus LLC). Duncan said she intends to operate a catering business and use the adjacent vacant lot for outdoor roasting and patio space; she also plans to renovate an upper unit for residential use. A purchase price and some renovation figures were discussed on the record; the transcript did not provide a clear, verifiable sale price and reported a renovation estimate described as about $85,000.

The committee also approved File 241599, the sale of a tax-deed property at 1978 S. 6th St. to neighborhood investor Crystal Lemmer. Matt Hazely of the Department of City Development said the city acquired the property in December 2023; Lemmer said she intends to renovate both a commercial building and a single-family home on the parcel, stabilize the residential unit, then convert the commercial portion into a community café and meeting space.

WEDC grant nomination: the committee approved a resolution (File 241597) authorizing nomination of a developer—s rehabilitation project for a WEDC Community Development Investment grant. City staff said WEDC will contract directly with the developer if the application is successful; the application is intended to support the renovation of a long-vacant building at 3953 N. 76th St. (file references developer Derrick Spears). The developer estimates rehabilitation costs of roughly $965,000; WEDC—s CDI program can provide up to $250,000 on a 1:1 match for eligible hard construction costs.

TID amendment to fund the Lakefront Gateway: the committee approved an amendment to the TID 78 project plan (File 241596) to authorize expenditures for reconstruction of Michigan Street between Cass Street and Art Museum Drive and to complete the key intersection at Lincoln Memorial Drive and Michigan. Dan Casanova of the Department of City Development described prior phases of the Lakefront Gateway that have already been completed; Kevin Muse, city engineer with the Department of Public Works, said the work will remove existing high-speed right-turn slip lanes, replace long-standing temporary overhead signal wiring with permanent signals, formalize medians for pedestrian refuge and reduce crossing distances where feasible. Staff noted Lincoln Memorial Drive in the immediate area carries about 30,000–35,000 vehicles per day; the intersection has not been fully reconstructed in over 20 years. Alderman Samaria moved adoption and the amendment was ordered.

Each of the file items was moved and adopted in committee with no objections recorded on the transcript.