Three proposals for new mixed-used developments – including a new library – on the site of the King Library, on Locust Street at King Drive, are being considered by the board of the Milwaukee Public Library.
A fourth proposal was submitted by Milwaukee's Vangard Development Group but is not being considered due a lack of detail in the proposed housing component according to the library's Sam McGovern-Rowen, adding that the design was not scaled to the actual site and was actually a conceptual image used in a design charette for a proposed building on Hadley and King.
According to Ald. Nik Kovac, who is a member of the board, the library board will discuss the proposals at its meeting on Tuesday and may even vote to select one at that time.
Here are some details on the three that are still under consideration:
Proposal #1
Development Team:
Harambee Great Neighborhood Initiative
Riverworks Development Corporation
Horizon Development Group
American Design
- 15,508-square foot library
- 37 mixed-income apartments
- Affordable housing tax credit financed
- 46 library parking spaces (4 lower level)
- 25 resident parking spaces (lower level)
Proposal #2
Development Team:
Young Development Group, LLC
JLA Architects
Cinnaire
Gorman & Company, Inc.
- 17,000-square foot library
- 1,400-square foot retail space
- 44 market rate apartment units
- Partially financed with New Markets Tax Credits
- 51 library parking spaces (23 above ground and 28 underground)
- 45 resident underground parking spaces
Proposal #3
Development Team:
Royal Capital LLC
Engberg Anderson Architects
- 17,500-square foot library
- 38 mixed income apartment units
- Affordable housing tax credit financed
- 51 library parking spaces (28 above ground, 23 underground)
- 40 resident parking spaces (underground)
Proposal #4 (no longer under consideration)
Development Team:
Vanguard Group
Korb & Associates Architects
JCP Construction
- 17,500-square foot library
- Partially financed by New Markets Tax Credits
- Proposed Retail: Citynet Jazz Café
- Housing mix not specified
- Parking spaces not specified
You can stay up to date on the project via the Milwaukee Public Library's project web page.
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.
