BUSINESS LEADERS WEIGH IN ON STREETCAR
Milwaukee’s first new streetcar rolled up to the Intermodal Station last week, sparking a buzz among downtown business executives.
Some are excited about riding the streetcar, while others simply will be relieved to see the completion of track construction on downtown streets.
Streetcar rides will be free the first year due to a $10 million sponsorship deal with the Forest County Potawatomi Community. As part of that agreement, the streetcar’s official name is The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino.
Let’s be honest ... “free” is Milwaukee’s favorite price. For anything. Ever.
So, two years from now, will Milwaukee’s business community be looking at The Hop as a wise, prudent investment that has improved the quality of life and the transit of residents and visitors alike? Or will the streetcar be viewed as Mayor Tom Barrett’s $128 million boondoggle?
Truth be told, I don’t know. So, this week I conducted a completely unscientific email poll of prominent downtown business executives about Milwaukee’s streetcar, hoping to get a feel for how the prevailing winds are blowing on the street.
Here are their responses:
Mary Scheibel, CEO of Trefoil Group, Milwaukee
“I have to admit, at first I was not a fan. … But as the streetcars begin to arrive, I find myself enthused and optimistic about its future. In talking with people inside my business, most share that enthusiasm. We talk often of the importance of making Milwaukee a distinctive place to live and do business as a key to economic health and prosperity. As we grow, it’s important for us to stop the brain drain and attract talent from other cities. We need to attract businesses to plant their roots here, visitors to vacation here and even suburban residents to come downtown more often. The streetcar affords an opportunity to travel around our city much more conveniently. For city dwellers, this could become a way to work in those colder months when walking is not an option. Or to schedule a luncheon meeting somewhere off your beaten path.”
Jim Barry III, president of The Barry Co., Milwaukee
“Now that the construction is almost done and the streetcar is here, we should try to make the best of it and give it a chance to prove itself. My hope is that it will be embraced by residents of and visitors to Milwaukee. I certainly intend to try it out myself.”
Rick Barrett, CEO of Barrett Lo Visionary Development, Milwaukee
“We couldn’t be more excited about the launch of the streetcar. This is exactly the type of investment that will help our city attract and retain top-quality talent, foster new economic development and build our property tax base. That core belief is why we designed the Couture (a Milwaukee luxury highrise apartment complex on the lakefront) around the streetcar. It will also help alleviate parking pressure downtown and make all of the great attractions in our city more accessible for residents, employees and visitors.”
Robert Monnat, partner and chief operating officer, Mandel Group, Milwaukee
“Thus far, people have reacted predictably to the construction disruption and the sight of overhead wires. I’m hoping we all keep an open mind and give this system a chance to prove its worth. The streetcar is one piece of a multimodal solution for Milwaukee — a city which could be the most autocentric urban center of its size. Be it streetcars, bike sharing or any other alternative to automobiles, I don’t expect Milwaukee’s ‘community conscience’ to adopt anything ‘new’ overnight. Given a chance, I think that people will come to appreciate the benefits of diversifying the ways that we traverse our most densely developed urban areas. The streetcar will be an important asset in creating this diversity.”
Matt Dorner, economic development director, Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District #21
“We are really excited that the
first vehicle has arrived. Anticipation for the system to open is growing as track construction nears completion and vehicle testing is about to begin. As downtown and the city continues to boom with new development, The Hop will help unlock more of those opportunities to grow the tax base and create jobs while enhancing our multi-modal connectivity.”
Julia Taylor, president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee
“I’ve visited Kansas City twice since their streetcar started service. The streetcars are packed full and there were three parking lots on the initial route with new developments going up. We visited the University of MissouriKansas City Bloch School, and they were excited that the next extension would be out to their campus. I hope that Milwaukee will see the same acceptance, economic impact and connectivity. It’s made a big difference in downtown K.C.”
Julie Granger, senior vice president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
“The Milwaukee streetcar will add a fun option for limited travel between downtown points of interest. Thanks to Potawatomi, people will be able to try it out for free for the next year. Why not hop on?”
Eve Hall, president and CEO of Milwaukee Urban League and former CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce in Milwaukee
“I supported (it) in my role at the chamber because of the jobs that were to result from the development. As the Urban League CEO, I continue to support it as long as it extends its route north to Bronzeville and south as originally proposed long-term and provides employment to include diverse communities. I also support it because it serves as an additional amenity attraction to our city even though it is an expensive endeavor.”
Jeremy Fojut, co-founder, NEWaukee “We are in the time where cities are in competition for businesses and talent more than ever before. We don’t build cities for today. We build them for tomorrow, and a lot of times not understanding the needs of tomorrow is where the politics come into play. I hope that same mind-set doesn’t get in the way of advances in autonomous technology or even newer, more progressive forms of transportation. I can count over 30 times I would have used the streetcar this winter to move around downtown for meetings and events.”
Blair Williams, president of WiRED Properties, Milwaukee
“Great cities have strong transit. Transit is about starting in one place and going to another. The value of the streetcar won’t be realized until we expand the network of places to go and install its extended routes. In the near term, it may seem underutilized, but I’m hopeful that early ridership isn’t the standard against which we measure its long-term value.”
Not everyone is on board with the streetcar:
Craig Peterson, president and CEO of Buffalo Water Beer Co., Milwaukee has been a vocal critic of Mayor Barrett and the streetcar project.
“Public opinion polls have consistently shown roughly 70% of City of Milwaukee residents oppose the trolley. Tom Barrett and his followers on the Common Council have figuratively given ‘the finger’ to the voters who trusted them. They are tone deaf when it comes to listening to their constituents,” Peterson said. “This is a slap in the face to Milwaukee’s African American community who truly needs greater, more viable, transportation options. In addition, Milwaukee students can’t afford having over $40 million diverted from Milwaukee Public Schools just so a couple dozen riders don’t have to Uber to their favorite gastro pub.”
Steve Laughlin, executive chairman at Milwaukee-based Laughlin Constable, chose to have some fun with his response to my questions.
“I’m going to celebrate the opening of the Milwaukee’s new trolley by taking a railroad train from downtown Chicago to the beautiful Northwestern Railroad Station,” Laughlin said. “I’ll hop aboard the new trolley and head west toward Borchert Field for a ball game. I’ll be tempted to visit Schuster’s new department store on the way. I hope there’s time for a tour of the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. I’ve heard that someday we’ll be able to include an airplane ride in this odyssey! It’s 1918, and it’s great to be alive.”
Steve Jagler is the business editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. C-Level stands for high-ranking executives, typically those with “chief” in their titles. Send C-Level column ideas to him at steve.jagler@journalsentinel.com.