It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but I'm hard-pressed to figure out why a prime piece of Downtown real estate at 909 E. Michigan St. ever became home to a bunker-like bus terminal that appears to see very little bus traffic and even less foot traffic.
For years, before it was constructed, I waited for the No. 20 bus at its then-layoff spot around the corner on Cass Street. Never once did I think, "I'd prefer to wait in a dark, windowless building that would have a view of the lake if only planners thought to make it a pleasant space with, well, a view of the lake."
So, I greeted news today that County Executive Chris Abele and developer Rick Barrett are pitching demolishing the concrete boondoggle and replacing it with The Couture, a white tower that would be the second tallest building in the state with a sigh of relief.
Sure, the name's kinda, well, you know ... but, still, it beats the current site use. Other developers also submitted proposals for the property but I haven't seen those yet.
The 44-story 180-room hotel and 179-high-end apartment skytickler (let's be honest, 44 stories is a little short of skyscraper) will, if the market can bear it, build the city's tax base and welcome more folks to live and visit Downtown. The project also calls for retail space and parking.
The building's glassy white facade, drawn by Milwaukee's Rinka Chung – which also designed The Moderne, a currently-rising Barrett project west of the river, among other local projects – recalls other Downtown buildings, including The Moderne, the boxier neighboring U.S. Bank building and The University Club Tower up the road a piece.
Then there's the $120 million price tag. That's a lot of dough in the pockets of local construction workers. More than 4,400 of them, according to County estimates, which also suggest the project will create 200 permanent jobs. I cannot, however, vouch for the accuracy of these numbers.
But just today I was telling a visitor from Chicago about how the County has been wisely cautious about overdeveloping the lakefront, yet lately turning poorly run (or previously shuttered) existing structures into useful and pleasurable venues: Bradford Beach concession stand, Northpoint Custard, Alterra at the Lake, Harbor House.
Getting that wad of tannish-brown concrete near the foot of Michigan Avenue removed and replaced would be yet another major step forward.
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.
