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Proposed Midtown Center redevelopment, revised plan includes library
Vacant since 2016, progress emerged Tuesday, Nov. 10 in the redevelopment of what used to be the Midtown Center Walmart. Part of the redevelopment plan includes a library.
MILWAUKEE - Vacant since 2016, progress emerged Tuesday, Nov. 10 in the redevelopment of what used to be the Midtown Center Walmart. The Milwaukee Plan Commission approved a revised version of the project in July. Part of the redevelopment plan includes a library.
Proposed Midtown Center redevelopment; public input wanted
The public is invited to discuss the future of an abandoned Walmart located at Milwaukee's Midtown Center.
Listening session
What To Know:
Library project leaders held a listening session to hear from people about the vision for the Midtown Branch, which will replace the Capitol Branch. The Capitol Branch will remain open until a new location is complete.
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During the listening session, people talked about what they hoped to see, including eating space, sound mitigation and seeing staff when walking through the front door. Other topics such as meeting rooms, teen and kid spaces, and layout were brought up.
The library is not the only plan for the space. The rest of the project includes affordable housing, community space and self-storage.
"There is also 200 units of housing that will be built in the former Walmart parking lot. That’s going to probably take off in a month or so. But that’s going to be happening while we’re doing our process, and they will be doing construction as well, so there will be some overlap," said Yves Lapierre, library construction project manager.
Project leaders for the library said they are targeting a grand opening for late 2028 or early 2029.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Christina Van Zelst and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from the Milwaukee Public Library, the Milwaukee Plan Commission, community members at the public listening session and Yves Lapierre.