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Milwaukee outlines inventory and new strategies to manage 3,300 city‑owned vacant lots
Summary
Department of City Development officials told the council committee they now inventory about 6,000 vacant parcels citywide, roughly 55% (≈3,307) owned by the city, and outlined four buckets of strategy: maintenance, interim uses, side‑lot/sliver sales, and targeted new construction supported by subsidies and partners.
Milwaukee Department of City Development officials briefed a Common Council committee on the city—s vacant‑lot inventory and a multi‑track plan to reduce blight and promote reuse.
DCD estimated the city now owns about 3,307 vacant lots — roughly 55% of an estimated 6,000 vacant parcels across Milwaukee. Of the city inventory, staff told the committee about 280 parcels are judged currently unbuildable, 320 would be buildable only if combined with adjacent lots, and about 2,700 parcels are currently buildable, depending on site specifics.
Carrie Smith, real estate manager for DCD, said staff will focus on four areas: maintain the existing inventory (mowing, trash removal and site monitoring paid out of a land‑management fund), expand interim and community uses (matching grants for pocket parks, gardens and public art), simplify transfers of sliver parcels to adjacent owners, and support new construction through partnerships with nonprofits and developers.
On maintenance and funding, officials said the land‑management fund — supported by proceeds from tax‑deed sales and a special account in the city budget — covers contractors and DPW services for mowing, dumping removal and other site work. The department also collects rent on some tax‑deed properties and uses those receipts to buffer the land‑management account. DCD staff said changes in state law and a recent court ruling require tighter accounting of sale proceeds and may reduce the city—s flexibility when excess proceeds must be returned to prior owners.
For interim uses, DCD described Healthy Neighborhoods matching grants (roughly $100,000 available citywide) and a Healing Spaces initiative that has funded sensory gardens, pocket parks and activation grants. DCD said it has deeded roughly 20 very narrow "sliver" lots to adjacent owners for free this year and has about 50 side‑lot sale applications pending. Staff said side‑lot prices generally start at assessed value and that discounts require aldermanic approval.
On new construction, DCD listed neighborhood backbone TIDs and nonprofit partnerships — including Habitat for Humanity and the County Development Authority — to build clusters of single‑family and duplex units in targeted districts, citing Walnut Circle and Josie Heights as examples of fully improved lots (water/sewer in place) where the city has sold lots for $1,000 plus subsidies. DCD also described an intent to issue a request for qualifications to select developers for a Revive housing pilot, which would pair federal and local subsidy to build attached housing (duplexes/townhomes) on city lots.
Aldermen pressed staff on capacity and timelines, including how long it takes to close a side‑lot sale (staff said six to 12 months on average) and how interim projects might be protected when a lot is later sold for development. DCD said it will provide aldermen with district‑level inventories and pledged quarterly follow‑ups to track progress.
The department asked aldermen to weigh localized priorities as DCD develops district‑by‑district strategies to convert city‑owned lots back to productive uses.
Ending
DCD officials said the department intends to return with district‑level breakdowns and recommended policy changes; aldermen asked for a one‑on‑one briefing on priorities for their wards.
