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Dear neighbors,
For this week's newsletter opening, rather than reader mail, I'm calling this, "Things people ask me about on the street all the time."
What's happening with the Congress Theater? Glad you asked. It's been a saga. Permanent financing and redevelopment agreement already in place. The Department of Housing and Urban Development should be making a decision on their HUD 108 loan–the final piece of the puzzle–this week or next. I'm glad so many folks are excited to live there or open businesses there, but those opportunities are still a ways off and I won't be the decision maker on leases.
And how about next door, that Trader Joe's? Great question! They've already submitted their building permit application and it's working through the system. Excited for the largest Trader Joe's parking lot in history, but I'll add that this may be the most multi-modal TJ's in the city. Glad for a grocery you can walk, bike, or bus to as easily as you can drive.
Meet Me on Milwaukee? Are you doing that again this year? How could we not!? So excited to open up the street to people and the sidewalks to commerce! Firm dates forthcoming but we can't wait to see you this August, September, and October. We even have dedicated MMoM interns (shout outs to George, Alicia, and Faye!) to help make this year even better. See you there soon.
And finally, what is being done to address mental/behavioral health crises? On the street, at local businesses, I'm asked about this more than you'd think. The CARE Teams (which provide appropriate non-law-enforcement responses to non-violent mental health crises) is expanding citywide. Emergency Medical Technicians are currently being hired for this expansion. Do I believe they should be paid like co-equal public safety employers and not low enough that they qualify for affordable housing: definitely but I'll take this as a first step in the right direction and remember that issue for this September.
On a more sober note, my office is aware of the individual who was shot on Ashland early Saturday morning. While this person was not a resident of the 1st Ward or our area, a threat to one person's safety is felt by everyone. We are working with CPD, our local businesses, and community violence intervention partners to ensure that we're prepared for a safe summer in the 1st Ward.
Sincerely,
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