UWM Downtown

Students are the main customers of a university. It is important to the Milwaukee region that we attract students to Milwaukee and keep them here after they graduate. Therefore, our universities must always keep the students in mind when developing plans for the future. Unfortunately, UWM’s plan to move its engineering school and related research to Wauwatosa is not in the best interest of UWM students. Downtown Milwaukee, however, is an excellent place for students to live and learn, and downtown would welcome the vitality that students bring. Here are just a few of the important reasons why expanding UWM downtown would be beneficial to the students, and ultimately, the Milwaukee region as a whole:

• Class Scheduling. Having classes on the same campus or a satellite campus in close proximity, such as downtown Milwaukee, makes it much easier to get to class. As a result, more students are likely to attend class. They will also be able to have more flexibility in their schedule to allow time for a part-time job or additional study time. A recent study by Ohio State University shows that the distance a student lives from their classes is directly correlated to how many years it takes them to graduate and their overall GPA: Article
• Transit Access. In addition to being environmentally friendly and reducing the demand for parking on East Side, being able to take efficient transit to class is a major benefit to students. They do not need to spend money maintaining a car or paying for parking that could be better spent on tuition. They save time that could be better spend studying. Taking transit to the UW-Tosa site from the East Side would take over 45 minutes. However, downtown is currently served extensively by transit, with buses running from downtown to the East Side on a regular basis and taking between 10-15 minutes.
• Housing Options. The East Side provides several housing options for students, including dorms, apartments and duplexes. A UWM expansion downtown would only increase the number of housing options available to students in both the type of housing and rent levels. With a cluster of Marquette, MSOE and MATC students nearby, it is likely that private dorms or apartments aimed towards students would be added to the housing mix in the downtown area. This will reduce the strain that students are currently placing on the East Side neighborhoods. In addition, having students downtown will show our young professionals of the future the great urban living environment that downtown Milwaukee offers. When these students graduate, they will be more likely to stay in Milwaukee and contribute to the region’s success, helping to curb brain drain.
• Convenience. A downtown location for UWM would be extremely convenient for students looking for internships or part-time jobs. With over 70,000 employees downtown, there are plenty of opportunities for internships. Also, with a strong service economy with many sporting events, conventions and other special events, downtown Milwaukee is an easy place for students to get that part-time job they need to buy books and cover rent. A downtown campus would also be near several major educational and cultural amenities for students, such as the Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee Public Museum and Discovery World.
• Access to Education. UWM expanding downtown makes access to higher education easier for the residents who need it most. The strength of the Milwaukee region depends on the success of the inner city. UW-Tosa would be moving higher education further from Milwaukee’s inner city. However, putting UWM downtown will make the path to higher education easier for those who might not have even thought of college as a viable option.

We must give Milwaukee and Wisconsin residents a reason to choose to attend UWM, instead of giving them reasons not to enroll at UWM. UW-Tosa will be a major deterrent to potential engineering students solely because of its isolated and inaccessible location. The Milwaukee region cannot afford to lose some of its brightest students to other areas of the state or other states entirely. One of the best ways to attract them to UWM is to offer a learning experience that cannot be found at other universities. Downtown Milwaukee would provide a setting and environment that would excite students about enrolling at UWM and staying in the Milwaukee region after they graduate.

One of the main reasons given for expanding UW-Milwaukee in Wauwatosa is that there is plenty of room out there for spin-off companies that result from the research conducted at the new campus. Spin-off companies are what will drive the region’s economy and having room for them to grow is vital in order to capitalize on the potential research done by UW-Milwaukee.

While the space may be more obvious in Wauwatosa (as there is ample space for greenfield development), that does not mean that downtown Milwaukee does not have the capacity for spin-off companies. Quite the opposite is the case. Downtown has much more room than is needed for both UWM research and growth of spin-off companies.

There are several areas in downtown with either available office space or undeveloped land that could accommodate research/university functions or spin-off companies.

In total, using a conservative estimate, downtown Milwaukee has 2,400,000 SF of space currently available, 1,500,000 SF of potential space and 71 acres of available land for development:

The Brewery – Work is already underway to convert several buildings to office and residential uses. However, there still is not a major catalyst to drive demand at The Brewery. Currently, there as is at least 750,000 SF of potential space there.

MacArthur Square – A plan was recently put together showing what the future of MacArthur Square could be. Several potential buildings have been contemplated, but none of them have tenants. Conservatively, 750,000-1,000,000 SF of space could be made available.

Park East – Many projects in the Park East are underway, however, there is plenty of acreage left for new construction. Generally, there are 14 acres west of the river and 12 acres east of the river that could be developed.

Haymarket – The area north of the Park East and west of Martin Luther King Drive is full of opportunity. Haymarket is a mix of century-old buildings, underutilized warehouses and vacant lots. There is at least 45 acres of vacant land or deteriorated/obsolete buildings for development. In addition, the older buildings could be rehabbed into cheap incubator space.

Schlitz Park – There is approximately 200,000 SF of space available at Schlitz Park.

Central Business District – The CBD has 2,200,000 SF of vacant space of all types and rents.

Not only does downtown have enough space to handle UWM’s research vision and associated spin-offs, it has much more variety than would be available in Wauwatosa. The above areas provide a wide range of office spaces, from warehouse conversions to Class A space in an office tower. A new start-up company many not be able to afford rent in a new office building like is proposed for UWM Wauwatosa campus. However, they could more easily afford space in a warehouse at The Brewery or in Haymarket, allowing them to spend their resources on research instead of rent. As a result, UWM’s expansion into downtown Milwaukee would have a greater economic impact on the Milwaukee region than any other location.