A proposal to replace the elevated Interstate 794 with a boulevard could create over a billion dollars in new development along the corridor.
A new report outlines the potential benefits of replacing a portion of Interstate 794 in Milwaukee with an at-grade boulevard to create more space for development and other uses.
As Jeramey Jannene explains in Urban Milwaukee, the Rethink 794 proposal could spur more than $1.1 billion in development and 3,000 new housing units in the 30 years following the change, according to the analysis by Larry Witzling. “The 10-block corridor would likely be redeveloped from the inside outside, according to Witzling’s analysis. Much of the initial development would take place near the Milwaukee Public Market, while new parks could be created closer to the lake.”
Witzling’s analysis shows that even with a four-lane road, removing the elevated highway would create more space for housing and other uses. “The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) previously said it would release two design alternatives for further study this year. One is expected to be a freeway-to-boulevard replacement, while another would be a roadway narrowing.”
FULL STORY: Converting 794 To Boulevard Could Yield 3,000 Housing Units, $1.1 Billion in Development
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Economic & Planning Systems, Inc.
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research