I Have Been To Heaven And Back

The Senate is having a weird and annoying debate on health care today, so I guess it is understandable that Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold didn't stop by... they did, however, send staffers and prepared statements, to be sent to the FWIW file...

Hey, kiddos, sit down, cuz this is going to run long and if you don't care for history and ranting, you'd better fuck off to I Can Haz Cheezburger or something ....

The Mayor, Tom Barrett, who is running for Gov and won't let you forget it, is in the hospital and couldn't make it; we were reminded several times. The County Executive, Scott Walker, who is a teabagging conservative elected by the white flight suburbs and is also running for Gov and won't let you forget it, wasn't there; but I guess the fact that it was in the largely African American center of Milwaukee makes that understandable. The fact that the largely AA hosts didn't invite him is even more understandable.

The crowd was predominantly African American, and why not? 3rd street in Milwaukee did not become known as Bronzeville for nothing. It first became a commercial district north of downtown proper, that became known as "Milwaukee's Second Downtown". In fact, my in-laws operated a hardware store at some 3rd street location lost to memories; but the connection means something to me, at least; perhaps ironic in that I always had little interest in history during schooldays.

In the early twentieth century, the area became a center of black life and commerce; the nightclubs were host to the best entertainers, and the area thrived, if segregated. Of course, well-to-do whites always visited, kind of like Harlem.

During the lovely days of "urban Renewal" when whole neighborhoods were decimated in the service of uniformity, and the ensuing white flight era when service of automobiles was the predominant metric by which public money was allocated, the area was destroyed by diaspora and disconnect from the other areas of the city; it became known by the epithet "Center City Milwaukee" by which it was understood to mean "black". freeways isolated the area on two sides (a third side barrier was not completed because the contractor went bust; the plan was stalled and prevented, thankfully, by community outcry; because the fourth phase was to cut off the City from the Lake, which was such an abysmally stupid idea that even in the 70s, it was resisted).

Finally, in the 90's visionaries such as John Norquist as Mayor and Peter Park as director of planning reversed some of this history by initiating the destruction of a stupid freeway spur that was nothing more than a glorified off ramp. but served to sever the 3rd Street area (now known as Martin Luther King drive) from the nearby downtown; coincidentally, this act freed up 8 acres of excellent space for development. That the 'economic unpleasantness' has slowed the development of this area does not devalue the original decision.

HOWEVER.

I got involved with the Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation sometime around 2003 or so, through the intercession of previous clients. We developed first phase of what was to become known as King Drive Commons; phase two followed soon after.

The diagram shows the various phases of this work. I am disgustingly proud of being able to drive down this street, minutes away from where I live, and repulsively egotistical about the ability to stand on a corner and see my work in every direction.

Phase three, the blue in the diagram, seemed threatened by the lovely economic meltdown engineered by financial thrill seekers; but through the intercession of people who really give a shit about the people of Wisconsin, it managed to make it out of the starting gate and today we celebrated that on site.

I could drone on and on about the architectural design and so forth, but that is all crap at street level. What I have been able to use my skills and experience to help accomplish is best exemplified by the woman who spoke at the dedication to Phase 2; she was brought to tears by how an affordable townhouse made life for her and her children better.....

Today, Antonio Riley from the State, and several others, made a point of talking about how the City, County, State, and Feds all brought something to make these projects happen. On Phases I and II, the projects were largely funded through tax credits sold on a third party market; due to the economic thrill ride, no investors stepped up to purchase them, even at a 40% reduction in prices; finally, Riley and the State leveraged part of the Stimulus package to make the project happen.

Finally, today, after 2 1/2 years of development, was the official groundbreaking.

Riley, during his remarks, talked about the jobs created through the financing for this project, and statewide, through WHEDA, and good for him, he's done a hella job. His discussion of jobs, of course, concentrated on construction and neighborhood jobs, and why not? But given the construction environment over the past couple of years, there is one job, merely retained, that he didn't mention.

Mine.

Me.

I know it was probably a huge mistake back in the old days to identify with a profession too much. But when I lucked into being an architect, I didn't want to be anything else; I even sold my guitar to stay in school.

BUT. It seems that architecture will never be the same after the deflated bubble and Bush Depression, and that's not the end of the world, Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose.

But be warned; anybody who wants to complain about the ineffectiveness of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act first go talk to the woman, and her children, whose life was changed by living in these buildings.

And then come talk to me, because my boot needs to meet your head.