City Librarian Paula Kiely was joined by Mayor Tom Barrett, Ald. Chantia Lewis and Milwaukee Public Library Board of Trustees President Michele Bria Tuesday morning to break ground on the newest library project, the construction of a new Good Hope Library branch, 7717 W. Good Hope Rd.
As has been the case with all MPL library replacement projects in recent years, the Good Hope branch is part of a mixed-use development. This one (like the new East Library and the renovations at Tippecanoe), designed by Engberg Anderson Architects, includes 65 units of affordable housing.
There will be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units.
The library – developed in partnership with Maures Development and Royal Capital Group – is a replacement for the Mill Road branch, 6431 N. 76th St.. which opened in 1970. Zimmerman Architects is the library architect on the project.
The library is expected to be complete by December 2019.
The next branch replacement project on the boards is at King Library at King Drive and Locust Street. That plan is still in the works and no completion date has yet been announced.
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.
