'Connecting Milwaukee' downtown 2040 plan doubles population
MILWAUKEE - "Connecting Milwaukee," the city's 2040 plan, was approved by Milwaukee's Plan Commission Monday, July 17.
The plan is two years in the making and comes with some big changes, including more public spaces, bigger sidewalks and redesigned streets.
One of the ideas is to remove the part of I-794 that divides downtown from the Third Ward. Instead, traditional streets would go there.
Other ideas include expanding The Hop streetcar and making downtown more inclusive.
City leaders say the plan would also double the downtown population and boost jobs.
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"We want to grow our downtown residential population," said Tanya Fonesca, long-range planning manager. "We want to make our streets for people and design them for public spaces but for all modes of transportation."
Downtown Milwaukee 2040 plan
Downtown Milwaukee 2040 plan
The next step is for the Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee to consider the plan during a public hearing on July 25. Then the Common Council would have to approve it.