After years of sitting quiet as a patch of green, a long-vacant, city-owned site in Bay View is back in play. Milwaukee’s Department of City Development is gearing up a fresh request for proposals and has set a neighborhood workshop to gather feedback before anything hits the market. The move puts the former Army Reserve property near Beulah Brinton Park squarely back in the middle of local planning talks.
The city’s engagement portal lists a DCD-led community workshop for next Monday from 4 to 7 p.m. at the South Shore Pavilion, where staff will collect neighborhood input that will guide a future RFP, according to Engage MKE. The meeting notice explains that comments from residents will help shape the scope, priorities and expectations of any eventual development proposal.
Site History And Earlier RFP
City records identify the former Army Reserve site at 2372 S. Logan Ave. as a multi-acre parcel that Milwaukee has marketed for redevelopment in the past. A previous request for proposals on the city’s website described the land as nearly 5.6 acres, with the western portion laid out for 14 single-family home lots and roughly 2.99 acres reserved as park space that would remain under city ownership, according to the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development. That RFP also pointed potential bidders to existing environmental reports and made clear the property would be sold “as is, where is.”
What The Bay View Plan Proposes
The 2023 Bay View area plan maps out several possible approaches for the site. It pushes taller, higher-density buildings toward the eastern side of the property, shows lower-density housing along Logan Avenue, and even includes a conceptual 14-story tower at the northeast corner aimed at taking advantage of lake views, as reported by Urban Milwaukee. Department of City Development planner Monica Wauck Smith told the outlet that the two-year planning effort drew strong participation and that the adopted plan will steer any future RFP. She described “unprecedented levels of engagement,” with hundreds of people turning out for workshops. City and neighborhood leaders have said the goal is to focus more intense development near I-794 and the lakefront edge while stepping down to transition-scale housing closer to existing homes.
Why Neighbors Will Be Watching
The Army Reserve parcel sits directly north of Beulah Brinton Park and within an easy walk of the Kinnickinnic Avenue business strip, so whatever gets built will have a direct impact on area parks, local traffic patterns and nearby property values, according to the city’s site materials. The prior RFP and related planning documents also call out nearby transit options and recent upgrades along Kinnickinnic Avenue, highlighting why the site has appeal for developers and why nearby residents are likely to push hard on building design and density limits, per the City of Milwaukee Department of City Development. Arguments over whether the land should stay as open space have surfaced more than once during earlier solicitations and plan updates.
Next Steps And How To Weigh In
Residents who want a say can show up at the workshop next Monday, and the city’s engagement page will share meeting materials and any follow-up information afterward. City staff say feedback from the session will be used to refine a formal RFP and set development priorities before any sale or selection process advances, notes Engage MKE. Those who cannot attend in person can check the engagement site for project documents and contact details to submit comments in writing.
