Tonight, the public will be able to weigh in on one portion of the plan: the proposed sale of O’Donnell Park to Northwestern Mutual. NML wants the site to accommodate parking for its employees downtown (including its workers at its huge new tower).
Sounds relatively straightforward, but of course it’s not.
The county owns the land it generates income for the county but the structure is in need of repair. If it sells O’Donnell Park, it’ll get a windfall, won’t have to deal with the repairs, and the site will still be open to the public for parking. That said, the upfront revenues mean that the county will no longer generate money in the long term. And, there might be a question about whether the sale of this property to a private company is legal. It may not be if it’s on former lakebed. What’s more, the folks at Preserve Our Parks are adamantly against selling county-owned parkland to a private corporation.
I predict that things will get lively tonight.
The hearing will be held tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Downtown Transit Center Harbor Lights Room, 909 E. Michigan Street.
See you there.
Here’s the official press release:
JOINTNIGHT HEARING OF PARKS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEES TO BE HELD
ONPROPOSED SALE OF O’DONNELL PARK ON SEPTEMBER 10
PublicMeeting Designed to Get Maximum Testimony From Milwaukee County Residents on
Proposed Saleto Northwestern Mutual
A joint publichearing of the Milwaukee County Board’s Parks, Energy and EnvironmentCommittee, and the Economic and Community Development Committee on the proposedsale of O’Donnell Park to Northwestern Mutual will be held at 6:30 p.m. onWednesday, September 10 at the Downtown Transit Center Harbor Lights Room, 909E. Michigan Street.
“I hope people willget the facts before they develop opinions,” said Supervisor Patricia Jursik,chairwoman of the Economic and Community Development Committee. “This is achance for the public to hear the offer from Northwestern Mutual and determinewhat they believe is the best for Milwaukee County.”
Supervisor GerryBroderick, chairman of the Parks, Energy and Environment Committee, said he waseager to hear from Milwaukee County residents about the proposed sale.
“I’m looking formaximum public input,” Broderick said. “We want to know what our constituentsthink, not the special interest groups, on the potential sale of O’DonnellPark.”
The committees willhear a brief description of the proposal by Teig Whaley-Smith, Director ofEconomic Development and a report by Comptroller Scott Manske before takingpublic comment.
“This joint nighthearing is designed to give residents the opportunity to express themselves onthe future of O’Donnell Park, the lakefront and economic development inMilwaukee County,” said Board Chairwoman Marina Dimitrijevic.
