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Politics & Government

Oak Creek Officials Still Bullish On 27th Street

Corridor is city's 'other' revitalization project.

Redevelopment plans for the lakefront and former Delphi site have dominated public attention in recent months, but Oak Creek officials say that doesn’t signal efforts to improve the 27th Street corridor are being neglected.

“We haven’t seen the same kind of advances there because of the economy, but it’s still on our front burner,” City Administrator Gerald Peterson said.

Oak Creek city leaders have participated in meetings with officials from Franklin, which borders on the western side of 27th Street, as well as with the state Department of Transportation regarding future roadway design and aesthetics,  Peterson said.

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Additionally, there have been meetings with Milwaukee County and Northwestern Mutual involving property on the east side of 27th Street near Drexel Avenue. The swaps would move land better suited for development into Northwestern Mutual’s hands and lands better suited for parks and other county purposes into Milwaukee County’s hands, Peterson said.

“There’s a lot of work behind the scenes that goes into these projects,” he said.

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Roadway Improvements

Roadway improvements are considered a key element in drawing additional development on 27th Street, but neither Oak Creek nor Franklin controls the process or timing. The state DOT sits in the driver’s seat and the reconstruction appears a ways off.

Current plans for 27th Street , reconstructing intersections and improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. Streetscape improvements, similar to those seen north of Oak Creek along the Greenfield-Milwaukee portion of 27th, are planned. But construction on the first portion — from College to Drexel — isn’t scheduled to begin until 2015. Work on 27th Street south of Drexel might be 10-15 years away, according to a DOT report.

Oak Creek Alderman Dan Bukiewicz, whose 2nd district includes a portion of 27th Street, said until the improvements are done, there won’t be much of an additional draw to 27th Street. “Until they really know what is needed on the highway plan and the money comes in and they start reconstructing it, you’re not going to see a whole lot going on,” Bukiewicz said.

But one roadway project — the Drexel Avenue interchange — should have an impact ahead of the 27th Street reconstruction, Bukiewicz said. The freeway interchange work and reconstruction of Drexel Avenue to accommodate the interchange is expected to get under way next year. That will change Drexel Avenue from a two-lane rural road to a four-lane urban road from 27th Street to I-94.

“I truly expect 27th Street will sneak up on everybody and take off … once that interchange goes in,” Bukiewicz said.

Eyes on Delphi, Lakefront

Development at the lakefront and former Delphi site are capturing public attention over 27th Street because the discussion involves more than just roadway infrastructure.

“I don’t think people really get that excited about infrastructure,” said Alderman Tom Michalski, whose 6th aldermanic district includes part of 27th Street.

There’s discussion of putting some type of park or community facility at the lakefront. A civic center, combination of a city hall and/or library, could be at the former Delphi site as part of a mixed-use development.

“If we do build a city hall or library, or one of the two over at Delphi, I think that will be something that draws other businesses to the area,” Michalski said. “I don’t have something that I can put on 27th Street.”

Market Forces

City officials said that market forces, rather than anything public officials can do, hold the greatest power over what will happen on 27th Street.

“The market is going to dictate what gets priority and what gets attention,” Bukiewicz said.

At present, the market is interested in the lakefront and former Delphi site.

“[B]oth of those have really taken a lot of attention away from 27th Street,” Michalski said. “I also think that the economy in general has really slowed up to an extent that there just isn’t a lot of interest at this time that I’m hearing for 27th Street from developers or businesses that want to come in.”

Until the economy improves and interest in 27th Street increases, little is likely to occur.

“I really think that 27th Street is going to be more driven by a developer or an individual business that wants to come in,” Michalski said.

One likely business source for moving development along is Northwestern Mutual, which owns large sections of land, especially near Drexel Avenue. The company likely will play a huge role in getting development moving, both Michalski and Bukiewicz said.

“From the Oak Creek standpoint, Northwestern Mutual holds the key,” Bukiewicz said.

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