Business District

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This page give data, issues of concern and solutions.

CN-CFNBA Smart Growth
5-Year Signature Plan(2005–2010) has identified the Business Improvement Districts AND Neighborhood strategic planning areas as “collective catalyst” we will support to help change the paradigm. This page is on BID Districts

Below are listed:

• Dr. Marc V. Leving 2007 Study.
• Dr. Michael Bond 2007 Study.
• Mr. Wallace White, Commissioner - Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, Observations.
• Mary Glass, Chair/CEO, Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA quote.
• City of Milwaukee - BIDs/Business Improvement Districts.
• CN-CFNBA Intelligent Campuses Initiative.

Milwaukee Data

• “There is no greater economic challenge facing Milwaukee than the crisis of joblessness among black males in the city”,

Dr. Marc V. Levin.

Taken from:
The Crisis of Black Male Joblessness in Milwaukee: Trends, Explanations, and Policy Options, March 2007, by Marc V. Levine

Marc V. Levine
Senior Fellow and Founding Director
Professor, Department of History
veblen@uwm.edu

• “Black businesses in America are crucial for a number of reasons. They are major employers of African Americans. They contribute to the economic development of the African American community by investing in it. They can mobilize resources in the Black community” (Bates, 1994; Silverman, 1999b).

Taken from:
Looking Beyond the Numbers
by: Dr. Michael Bond
Journal of Black Studies, Vol. 37, No. 5, 581–601 (2007)
This version was published on May 1, 2007.

Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Commissioner Wallace White

• “What we don’t have in the black community is the relationships,” says White. “We’ve got to figure out how to get relationships going in order to make Milwaukee a better city.”

“In Milwaukee, we have whites talking about race and blacks talking about race, but no one is talking to each other,” says White.

White cites the success of the late Atlanta mayor Maynard Jackson, who planted seeds of economic success for minority-owned firms in that city by mandating that minority-owned companies gain a fair share of municipal contracts.

“You have to have people who are driven by the purpose of creating a successful black business community,” he says.

Taken from:
Black, white business owners must forge ties
By TANNETTE JOHNSON-ELIE
telie@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 27, 2005

        Historic Third Ward Association, Inc. 

        Greater Mitchell Street Association

        The Westown Association

        Historic King Drive Business Improvement District

        Avenues West Association

        New Brady Street Area Association

        Downtown Milwaukee Management District

	Steve Adams, North Avenue CDC

	Justin Westmoreland

The global internet environment is changing by leaps and bounds.

Milwaukee
People of Color and the Working Poor - middle class make up the majority of Milwaukee.

They are “invisible” as far as being connected to the wide/wide web.

Issue
Even though, the Common Council (15 Aldermen) and Mayor Barrett signed off on a 20-year Agreement in September, 2006 for a 100% Wireless Initiative with Midwest Fiber Network, LLC, People of Color and the Working Poor are dismally neglected.

At a time of high unemployment and crushing “poverty”, it is tantamount that a foundation is put in place for immediate access-connection, literacy development, communication, quality of life, economic development, problem solving and navigation.

In July, 2006, Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA added “Linking Wireless Technology to the Inner City Initiative” to address this gap - digital divide.

MPL/Milwaukee Public Library was recommended as the most feasible first level of access in August, 2006.

Research and review by Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA of the structured MPL and Federated connections supported a natural access for the citizenry of Milwaukee.

In October, 2006, the 5-Year Signature Plan benchmarked Milwaukee Public Library system as “the platform foundation” for Milwaukeeans, especially People of Color and the Working Poor - middle class to access the internet on a regular basis.

Over the last 12 months, significant day-to-day research conducted by Mary Glass, Research Director for 5-Year Signature Plan, supports the use of the public library system as the leader in access for Milwaukeeans.

It is already in place, tied to an annual budget funded by taxpayers, has done significant installation of WiFi and computer use/training to date.

Over the past year, research by has been conducted by Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA thorugh the leadership of Mary Glass has been to look at some key areas for increased use of libraries of all description and making the libraries more “intelligent campuses” for the people.

Some immediate issues are:

• a clearer focus of how best to provide customer care through community involvement and decision making.
• connectivity with neighboring facilities - local businesses, schools and churches
• coordination of services w/other providers; i.e., Milwaukee Area Technical College, University of WI - Milwaukee, other colleges and universities, law firms, federated system
• cost of printing
• community employment and volunteers
• customer care - hours, training, flexibility, cost, digital options - dvd, cameras, etc.
• e-commerce
• e-learning
• e-mail
• ergonomics
• EXPANDED HOURS
• facilities update
• laptops as options for use
• less rigidity of rules for today’s stakeholder needs
• literacy training – more often and more sophisticated
• neighborhood investments - business, churches, schools, social organizations, business districts, neighborhood strategic planning areas
• printing options increased - color
• special environments - cell phones, earphones, document preparation, customized class training (MPL), customized class training (stakeholders), viewing of movies
• teleconferencing, video conferencing

Oases
“We are about the business of building oasitic environments in desolate neighborhoods that are people and land fertile”, said CEO Mary Glass.

Use of libraries at the ground level and creating oases within neighborhoods that are without technology was specifically attached to the 5-Year Signature Plan as its vehicle for leadership in this area.

This year, 2007, we adopted the construction of “Intelligent Campuses”.

To benchmark this concept, our Media, Wireless & YOU Symposium theme was about creating Intelligent Campuses; and, our keynote speaker, Jim Carlini, keynote address was Intelligent Business Campuses: Keys to Future Economic Development.

We have adopted specific tracks for growth and begun research and dialog for the feasibility and viability of the following:

• 2007/08 Theme - “Creating Intelligent Business Campuses, A Key for Urban and Rural Environments”
• 1st Level Access - Milwaukee Public Library, Federated Library and Wisconsin State supported schools, namely Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Area Technical College and University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
• 2nd Level Access - Private college libraries
• 3rd Level Access - Law Firms and other business centers
• 4th Level Access - Construction of specific environments that utilizes the people, land, and today’s market needs for stimulating and growing employment in Milwaukee, especially in People of Color and Working Poor neighborhoods.

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