The Milwaukee Common Council on Monday approved the Milwaukee Urban Stables on a vacant four-acre city-owned lot at 143 E. Lincoln Ave., in Bay View.
The stables – located adjacent to the KK River Trail, just across the Kinnickinnic River from Baran Park – would house the Milwaukee Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit along with an equine-assisted therapy center.
The 30,000-square foot facility will include 24 stalls for horses, indoor and outdoor riding areas and community rooms.
The city will sell the land MCEC Development, LLC, and will lease back space for the MPD's mounted patrol horses.
The facility will also offer "outreach and education programs" that are expected to reach about 5,000 children annually, according to a news release issued on behalf of Ald. Tony Zielinski, in whose district the facility will be located.
A partnership with Zablocki VA Hospital to provide equine-assisted therapy for veterans is also being discussed for the facility, which is expected to be completed by next autumn.
"Far too many young people in Milwaukee do not have sufficient opportunities to heal from exposure to chronic trauma," said Zielinski.
"The resources this facility will provide through equine-assisted therapy will be invaluable. Additionally through outreach and educational programs, community members can learn more about MPD and equine practices in a very positive, year-round setting. This will no doubt foster improved community-police relations."
The city currently rents stable space for police horses in Caledonia and in Walker's Point.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
