There is some construction going on on Port Washington Road south of Capitol and north of Keefe (in the part of 53212 that I always think is 53206). If you've been reading my blog, you know I am not fond of suburban sprawl. Also, this is an area I find myself in with some frequency, so I am doubly happy to see some infill in this particular neighborhood. Port Washington Road was obviously a main road out of town back in the day and many ornate buildings remain, repurposed, but most still in use.Dissected and isolated both by the I-43 to the west that carved a valley through in the 50's, and the Capitol Drive valley to the north, it's been blighted for years, sad, with the kind of statistics that make suburbanites squirm.
So I called Catalyst Construction, the company behind the larger new building, to ask what is going on. It's going to be Hope Middle School, a new K-8 building for the network of Hope Christian Schools. They just tore down what appeared to be a vacant grocery-store-turned-church, presumably for some play space.
Also, someone is building a new house just south of Capitol. At least, a foundation was dug and constructed for one, but the idea seems to be on hiatus. A few doors down another house is in a sad state of gradual destruction. It is baffling.
Just south of Keefe, in the past maybe five or seven years, Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center and Hope High School (Heartlove Place) were also built. Here's a pic (from the MJ-S in a 2006 article) of how happy people are to be released from the former. The school kids appear happy to be released daily, also.
Post Food and Liquor has now affixed new green awnings to the building, giving it a jaunty flair. Below is the same building from the above photo three years later- a shot I got this month. 
Moving south, King Drive also has several liquor other stores, including one that a former neighbor claimed sells The Coldest Beer in the WORLD!! (though I know of no research that upholds this claim) and also Green Ring II, which used to be called King on Ring, although it's actually on the corner of King and Concordia.
I'll have part two on this neighborhood soon!
4 comments:
I say that UW-M should abandon the East side with its Limousine Liberal NIMBY-ist neighbors along with its County Grounds plans and move to this 'hood. Heck, Port/Keefe/Green Bay is no worse than the Marquette area. Then we'll see how long it takes for the limousine liberals to see their East Side 'hood turn into a real ghetto.
Yeah, they could have used the "brownfield" over by the Orthopaedic Hospital (if they'd have thought of this 5 or 7 years ago) or the land that they already own (park and ride on Humboldt- the former Humane Society land).
Wow. As a former eastside homeowner who put up with all kinds of crap from college kids I'm pretty offended at being called Limousine Liberal NIMBY-ist. We were definitely not rich or snooty (nor are we now, even though we moved to WFB).
I volunteer to research that beer theory.
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