Milwaukee will welcome tens of thousands of visitors next week when the Republican National Convention comes to town.
The four-day convention will be held from July 15-18.
Here is what you need to know:
What is the RNC?
The Republican National Convention, or RNC, is a presidential nomination convention held every four years. It is the forum at which the Republican Party officially nominates its candidates for president and vice president.
The goal of the RNC is to unify the Republican Party, celebrate its achievements and prepare the party for the upcoming U.S. presidential election on Nov. 5. The RNC marks the formal start of the general election campaign for the Republican Party.
Who is coming?
More than 50,000 people are expected to visit the city, including convention delegates, volunteers, law enforcement staff and members of the media.
Where will the convention take place?
According to the City of Milwaukee’s website, RNC activities will take place primarily at the Fiserv Forum, 1111 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave.; the Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave.; and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Panther Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave. Smaller events will take place throughout the Milwaukee metro area as well.
How will the convention affect you?
If you plan to be in the area leading up to and during the RNC, temporary road closures in and around the security perimeters of the convention will be in effect, beginning Thursday, July 11 to accommodate the construction of security measures.
There will be various street and interstate closures around the Henry Maier Festival Park area from 5 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, July 14.
And there will be several street closures throughout Downtown Milwaukee at various times, starting Sunday, July 14 and ending Friday, July 19.
Note: The westbound I-794 ramp to the northbound I-43 ramp will have intermittent closures as needed for bus traffic.
You can find a map of restricted areas on the City of Milwaukee’s website.
Will city services operate as usual?
Most city services are not expected to see any changes in the way they operate while the RNC is in town, but some will change.
According to the City of Milwaukee’s website, all Downtown offices of the Clerk of Circuit Court will be temporarily relocated to its offices at the Vel R. Phillips Youth & Family Justice Center, also known as Children’s Court, located at 10201 W. Watertown Plank Road.
Court services will be available to the public in person during regular business hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to meet customer service needs. The Milwaukee Justice Center, located at 901 N. Ninth St., Room G9, will also be closed.
The Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management, or OEM, will be impacted during the planning process and the RNC itself. There will be no scheduled education or outreach events scheduled July 11-20, but OEM will function as normal should there be any emergency events.
How will bus routes be affected?
Milwaukee County Transit System is expecting changes to bus routes and plans to announce those changes on the RideMCTS’ website closer to the convention starting.
In the meantime, riders should prepare for delays and factor in a little extra time for travel.
Closings and canceled events
The RNC comes with a series of public and private events, many of which will make some public spaces unavailable to locals. Here are some things that will be unavailable during that time.
The Milwaukee Public Museum is located within the RNC’s vehicle screening perimeter and has announced it will be closed July 15-18.
To accommodate RNC visitors and others, the museum will extend its hours, closing at 7 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., on July 13, 14, 19 and 20.
Betty Brinn Children’s Museum also will be closed during the RNC and has moved its usual third Thursday community access day, which features free admission, from July 18-25.
The entire Turner Hall building, 1034 W. Vel Phillips Ave., is rented out during the RNC, meaning the basement workout space will not be available to the public.
Cathedral Square’s Jazz in the Park, typically held on Thursdays, will not take place during the week of the RNC.
Additionally, FunkClub Wagon, a floating stage that features live music on the Milwaukee River on Wednesday nights as part of the MKE River Roundup Concert Series, will also take a break during the RNC week.
Calling ahead may be best practice during the convention.
Economic impact
According to a statement from Alison Prange, the chief operating officer for the Milwaukee host committee, the city anticipates that the economic impact for Milwaukee will be $200 million, including direct, indirect and induced spending.
Direct spending refers to spending by delegates and attendees on hotels, bars, restaurants, car rentals and venue rentals.
Indirect spending includes the increase in production for vendors or businesses due to the convention.
Induced spending consists of the wages paid to workers as a result of the heightened business activity from the convention, which are then reinvested into the community.
Other things to know
According to its website, the Milwaukee Art Museum will be free on Sunday, July 14, and Tuesday through Saturday, July 16-20.
The Coalition to March on the RNC is planning a major march and rally on the first day of the RNC on Monday, July 15.
