Committee recommends UW Milwaukee lab to prepare National Register nominations

City staff told the Finance & Property Committee the city was awarded a $28,500 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office to hire a consultant to prepare two National Register historic-district nominations and one historic-property nomination.

Kyle Kearns, Director of Community Development, recommended awarding the contract to the UW Milwaukee Archaeological Research Laboratory, saying the firm had done the city’s earlier intensive survey, was familiar with the community and submitted a proposal under the grant budget. "They were a little bit under budget as well, and so, it leaves a little contingency in the event that there's any overages," Kearns said.

Committee members asked how the recommendation was made. Kearns said the request for proposals included review criteria such as cost, experience with similar projects, and team qualifications. Chair Michael Tim asked what, if anything, changes for property owners once a district is listed; Kearns replied, "Absolutely nothing," and explained listing allows owners to apply for tax credits if they make historically accurate improvements but does not prevent demolition or alterations.

The committee moved and approved awarding the work to UW Milwaukee; staff said the National Park Service review process will take roughly a year after submission and another six months to a year for a determination.

Staff will return with contract documents and a timeline for nomination preparation.