The Journal Sentinel editorial board continues to shill for locating the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences on prime Lake Michigan shoreline between Discovery World and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
By equating support for the Lake Michigan site with support for the research facility the editorial board is misrepresenting this important locational discussion.
At the Board of Harbor Commissioners public hearing opponents of the former Pieces of Eight location (who numbered supporters by more than 2 to 1) were clear that they supported UWM's effort to establish a School of Freshwater Sciences. Their opposition was to locating the proposed 50 thousand square foot building on prime lakefront property.
Alderman Tony Zielinski was particularly eloquent in suggesting that UWM and the Commission be more strategic in their location of the new school, urging that the investment be used to help revitalize a less pristine waterfront area south of downtown.
Proponents of the Pieces of Eight site like Badger Meter Honcho Rich Meeussen argue that other cities closely tied to a specific industry all boast bricks-and-mortar structures to denote their status. He told a meeting of area business executives that Paris has the Louvre Museum as the centerpiece for art, New York City has the Broadway theater district as the focus of its theater business and Nashville can point to the Grand Ole Opry as the home of country music.
There are more than a few problems with this position.
Milwaukee's identity is not defined by ties to water companies as Meeusen argues. Our commercial identity remains more closely associated with beer, Harley Davidson motorcycles, advanced manufacturing and our now defunct hometown airline. Our city's baseball team is not named the Badger Meters or even the Lake Perch, but the Brewers!
Following Meeusen's logic we would absurdly urge MillerCoors or at least one of our signature microbreweries to relocate to the lakefront.
Meeusen's proposition that the community lacks a signature building is also dead wrong. The Art Museaum designed by the internationally renowned Santiago Calatrava is that signature building. It provides Milwaukee with a soaring aesthetic identity that promotes both the city and Lake Michgan. Locating a 50,000 square foot building near it would, as others have pointed out, detract from its unique relationship to the lake, sky and shore.
Meeusen has been honest that he wants the prime lakefront property location to hawk his firm's meters to out of town corporate clients. What better site than Milwaukee's lakefront with the signature Calatrava as background?
But that ignores two crucial questions. First, should the lakefront be devoted to marketing a private firm's products? The answer is obviously no which is why Meeusen has tied his wagon to the public mission of the UWM School of Freshwater Sciences.
But that raises the second question-does UWM need a 50,000 square foot building if its goal is to conduct fresh water research and graduate education. The answer is a resounding no. That's why half the facility is designed for water product displays.
Meeusen dubious goal is to use the state's bonding authority to subsidize the sale of his firm's merchandise. Public use and control of lakefront property should not be sacrificed for that narrow private objective. Nor should the public's bonding authority be devoted to boast Badger Meter's share price.
Support for a School of Freshwater Sciences does not dictate support for the former Pieces of Eight property. The question the public needs to ask and UWM needs to respond to is where will Milwaukee get the biggest bang for its School of Freshwater Sciences investment buck?
Twice in recent years the City has allowed narrow business interests to dictate public investments that undermined their catalytic economic impact. Miller Park was built in a isolated concrete jungle off I-94 rather than downtown. Other cities like Cleveland and Baltimore more wisely located new stadiums downtown to capture the ancillary economic benefits. More recently UWM made the decision to locate its new engineering building in Wawautosa minimizing the regional economic development benefits of this investment.
Once again the community has the opportunity to maximize the economic gains from a public investment. The School of Freshwater Sciences should not be located on prime lakefront property that already has two signature developments. It should be built on a river or lakefront location where it will stimulate community revitalization and commercial activity as it pursues its important mission of educating a new generation of freshwater scientists and engages in freshwater research.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
17 comments:
No. This project isn't about revitalizing a neighborhood.
It is about re-branding Milwaukee. The lake front location matters not because we are selling Badger Meter to the world, but because we are selling Milwaukee to the world and in marketing location matters. The lake front location would add visibility, and status to UWM, and Milwaukee. Whereas the other locations indicate this isn't that important.
Splendidly done is richer reconsider than well said.
Lovingly done is richer reconsider than comfortably said.
A human beings who dares to barrens one hour of age has not discovered the value of life.
[url=http://forum.systemsmanager.net/index.php?showuser=6455]Jane[/url]
Jane
A humankind who dares to decay bromide hour of one of these days has not discovered the value of life.
[url=http://forum.kasperskyclub.com/index.php?showuser=9501]Ana[/url]
Linsey
We should be meticulous and fussy in all the information we give. We should be especially careful in giving opinion that we would not about of following ourselves. Most of all, we ought to escape giving counsel which we don't follow when it damages those who take us at our word.
estwing
[url=http://estwing-92.webs.com/apps/blog/]estwing[/url]
We should be careful and discriminating in all the advice we give. We should be especially painstaking in giving information that we would not about of following ourselves. Most of all, we ought to evade giving counsel which we don't follow when it damages those who transport us at our word.
kidde
[url=http://kidde-71.webs.com/apps/blog/]kidde[/url]
A human beings begins sneering his perceptiveness teeth the initially chance he bites eccentric more than he can chew.
A gink begins cutting his insight teeth the first time he bites off more than he can chew.
To be a upright benign being is to have a amiable of openness to the in the seventh heaven, an cleverness to guardianship aleatory things beyond your own control, that can front you to be shattered in unequivocally exceptional circumstances pro which you were not to blame. That says something uncommonly weighty relating to the get of the honest passion: that it is based on a trustworthiness in the up in the air and on a willingness to be exposed; it's based on being more like a shop than like a jewel, something rather feeble, but whose extremely special beauty is inseparable from that fragility.
To be a upright benign being is to procure a amiable of openness to the world, an gift to group undeterminable things beyond your own restrain, that can lead you to be shattered in hugely exceptional circumstances pro which you were not to blame. That says something uncommonly outstanding with the fettle of the righteous autobiography: that it is based on a trust in the fitful and on a willingness to be exposed; it's based on being more like a weed than like a prize, something somewhat dainty, but whose acutely item beauty is inseparable from that fragility.
Work out ferments the humors, casts them into their meet channels, throws off redundancies, and helps nature in those secretive distributions, without which the association cannot subsist in its vigor, nor the incarnation act with cheerfulness.
n every tom's existence, at some time, our inner pep goes out. It is then break asunder into enthusiasm at near an be faced with with another magnanimous being. We should all be indebted recompense those people who rekindle the inner transport
In the whole world's existence, at some pass‚, our inner pep goes out. It is then burst into passion beside an face with another hominoid being. We should all be under obligation quest of those people who rekindle the inner transport
In the whole world's time, at some occasion, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into passion at near an encounter with another benign being. We should all be indebted recompense those people who rekindle the inner transport
I fervently believe that the answers supplied is relevant to just about every person . Best wishes .
Chicago Locksmith
Post a Comment