Riverworks GIS Project

Riverworks completed a project recently with the Department of Urban Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Program at UW-Milwaukee. Dr. William Huxhold's graduate students worked on three projects total in his Urban Planning 793 course, one of which focused exclusively on the Riverworks Center area. Please check out the links below which will lead you to the interactive maps and data summaries created for the project. The links demonstrate how helpful GIS can be as a tool for community development. If you have any questions on how to use the mapping tools, please contact Chris Grandt at 414-906-9650 or by email at chrisg@riverworksmke.org.

Riverworks Center Interactive Map: Interactive map with business, housing, crime, and project data.

Riverworks Indicator Map: Interactive map with 2000 Census information.

Community-At-A-Glance: Data sets on the Riverworks business and residential areas.

Holton Street/Keefe Avenue Redevelopment Projects

Riverworks Development Corporation is expanding outside of the traditional Riverworks Business Improvment District boundaries, as we realize that the surrounding areas are in many instances in need of serious attention. At the heart of this expansion is the focus along Holton Street south of Keefe Avenue and along Keefe Avenue west of Holton. These are high traffic arterial corridors that serve as gateways into the Riverworks Center, so their redevelopment will go a long way in promoting the area.

To initiate positive change along these streets, RDC is working with RBID #36 and the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development to manage the Holton Street/Keefe Avenue Streetscape Project. This project is scheduled for implementation in in 2010. The physical improvements to sections of these streets will provide a more welcoming entrance into the Riverworks Center. To see a vision that came out of the planning process, click on the following presentation link: Streetcape Design Project.

In addition, RDC is working with Community Design Solutions (CDS) at UW-Milwaukee to promote the overall redevelopment of these streets with a focus on property improvement concepts and site design ideas. Examples of some of the visioning that was done for Holton Street (between Center St and Keefe Ave) and Keefe Avenue (between Holton St and Port Washington Rd) can be seen at the following link:

Holton-Keefe Concept Design Project

The focused effort to revitalize these sections of Holton Street and Keefe Avenue has the potential to dramatically impact the area. For more information about these efforts, please contact Chris Grandt at chrisg@riverworksmke.org or by phone at 414-906-9650.

Beerline Recreational Trail Project

RDC is co-managing the Beerline Recreational Trail Project with the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW). The trail is located along a section of abandoned railway between Keefe Avenue and Burleigh Street in the Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods. For years it has largely been ignored and left to deteriorate, and the goal of the project is to transform this underutilized land into public space that can be enjoyed and shared by residents, property owners, businesses, and the general public as a whole.

The project is being funded by DPW, RBID #36, and the Department of City Development, and altogether $250,000 has either been spent or secured for investment between 2008-2010. Marek Landscaping was hired by RBID #36 to produce the landscape design and construction plans, and Phase One of this plan was carried out in November 2008. The project will resume with Phase Two in the spring/summer of 2010. For more information on the Beerline Recreational Trail Project, please contact Chris Grandt at chrisg@riverworksmke.org. To see the plan drafts that Marek Landscaping created, click on the link below:

Beerline Trail Landscape Draft Plan

For more updates and current happenings involving the Beerline Recreational Trail Project, please visit our "News" page at http://www.riverworksmke.org/news.php.

Five Points Exchange Overview

As highlighted in the City of Milwaukee's Northeast Side area plan, the Five Points node has been identified as a key location for development. In addition to being a highly-traveled intersection where five streets meet, the Five Points Exchange is located next to on/off ramps to I-43. Serving as an entranceway into the Riverworks Center, this is another key area that Riverworks Development Corporation is looking to help redevelop. As evidence of our efforts to create synergy with our economic development projects, the redevelopment of the Five Points Exchange meshes extremely well with our plans to improve Keefe Avenue, Holton Street, and the Beerline Recreational Trail.

Take a look at an exciting vision for the Five Points Exchage intersection where Keefe Avenue, MLK Drive, 6th Street, Atkinson Avenue, and Port Washington Road come together:

Five Points Intersection