Franklin Today

Aldermen look for 27th Street spending options while Mayor points out the unknown

Last week, the Common Council authorized staff to explore funding options for the city as they continue to make developing 27th Street a high priority. This continuation of spending comes at no surprise to some, given that the city has pumped in millions of dollars from a variety of public funding sources to this commercial corridor. When the spending began back in the 1990s, Franklin officials believed strongly that our neighbor to the east, Oak Creek, would be an equal partner sharing an equal high interest in seeing the corridor develop to its maximum extent. However, as years turned to decades Oak Creek's interest went from a nice high to perhaps an all-time low. This was evident as Mayor Taylor mentioned prior to the Council's vote that with a new mayoral administration in Oak Creek coming soon, their commitment to the corridor was up in the air.

"Historic 41" on full display

It took about a year-and-a-half since Milwaukee & Greenfield announced a partnership to revamp a portion of 27th Street from St. Luke's Medical Center to College Avenue for it to be almost complete. A friend of mine at work commented before she went home to go check it out, and so I did. While it looks like there's still some finishing pieces to the overall project, the good bulk of it is now up.

Disband or seriously shake-up the EDC!

Thank you, John Michlig. If it wasn't for your post, I probably would have been delayed in writing about this - I almost forgot!

So yesterday I wrote to all of you how the Economic Development Commission (EDC) meeting last night was supposed to be a good one. There were many good topics on the agenda that could have spurred additional good conversations on various Franklin economic issues.

I wasn't able to make the meeting last night due to family demands, but I did get a text message from Michlig at 6:14pm: "EDC CANCELLED". Stunned, I asked what happened. "No quroum", John wrote back. After he messaged me who was in attendance, the next one I got was: "Time to disband".

I couldn't agree with John more. Something needs to be done.

At last week's Community Development Authority meeting, Mayor Taylor had many topics on the agenda that should have been discussed at the EDC. Subjects such as 27th Street, the state of the Steering Committee, and the current status of several commercial projects that are not within the CDA's control were all discussed. Remember, the CDA only is in direct control over the Franklin Business Park.

The Mayor at this time also brought up the EDC (6:33pm timestamp), noting that the commission is a "group" that should be welcoming and promoting business. From the sounds of it, it almost was like the Mayor was kindly saying that the EDC is, more or less, the "feel good" commission for businesses, the commission that pats businesses on the back when they're in need of such a pat.

This stunned me. I thought the EDC could be something much more - a commission truly taking over for Economic Development Director Doug Wheaton, who stepped down 2-3 years ago and wasn't replaced. I mean, what else is the City of Franklin doing to encourage new development or redevelopment of current sites? I'd argue absolutely nothing, and this is why we're in a pickle. In the meantime, because of this pickle, developers and city officials are working to scrap protections and rules that were put in place for the benefit of the city and its citizens. Of course, the pickle is mentioned as the primary excuse for such actions.

So now here we are, at a point where the EDC itself is nearly lifeless and cannot hold meetings because of quroum issues. The Mayor stands by his appointments and therefore I don't believe any replacements will be coming anytime soon, no matter how many meetings they tend to miss. The EDC has become one of the largest disappointments for the City of Franklin and its residents. If the Mayor's wish is for the CDA to assume all control, which is what I believe will be happening sooner rather than later, then for gosh sakes just do it and spare this madness.

It is obvious to me that there is no desire by some of our elected leaders in keeping the EDC as a fully functioning, active body. Therefore, I agree with EDC Commissioner Michlig in asking that the commission just disband. If not, then major shake-ups need to be done. Expect Franklin Today to be covering this a lot until something happens.

Another good commission meeting tonight!

This month has had its share of some really good agendas for city commissions. Tonight's Economic Development Commission meeting is no exception, thanks to Commissioner John Michlig. Michlig has several items on the agenda, from discussion on promoting local businesses to the impact of the Drexel Interchange to the City of Franklin's economic development. Bravo! I'll be doing my best to be in attendance. Below is the full agenda:

EDC Agenda 8-23-10

Status of Golden Corral, 27th Street Corridor to be discussed

I usually don't go to Community Development Authority meetings, but tonight I might make an effort to try an attend. The meetings usually go til 7 the latest, since the Plan Commission takes up the same meeting space at that time. Below is the agenda:

CDA Agenda 8-19-10

IDRBs - What are they?

On Tuesday, the Common Council will consider issuing Industrial Development Revenue Bonds (IDRBs) in support of the Dental Associates project being proposed on 27th Street. I'm sure many would like to know what exactly an IDRB is, and how it's relative to this development. According to Investopedia.com:

Industrial Development Revenue Bonds are issued by a government to assist a private company that might otherwise be unable to obtain financing for its industrial venture or unwilling to undertake the project on its own. The government's goal in providing the debt securities is to improve the economic and employment conditions of its region.

In this case, Dental Associates likely can claim the equipment they use for dental procedures as "industrial" in nature, and qualify to ask for such support.

Speaking with developers over time, one thing I have been made aware of is that even with excellent credit rating, banks are simply not lending. If a developer wants to pursue a project and goes to a bank, they will need to have full occupancy of the project and other methods of investment even before the bank will consider the project for approval. In other words, it's a big pain in the behind these days for developers and new ventures, despite taxpayers bailing out the banks via TARP and other stimulus plans since 2008.

So, in the case of Dental Associates, they're looking to the City of Franklin to provide the financing needed to get the project off the ground. Their position gains much more traction given the following points:

• Their building likely means the elimination of the "Cash 4 Gold" business, since they expressed interest in acquiring the building for its additional land.
• The facility brings in additional jobs and visitors to Franklin, increasing the daytime population of the city.
• It fits more in line with what the City of Franklin has down for 27th Street Corridor standards than what is there presently.
• It will provide greater tax base for the City of Franklin than what is there presently.

The biggest minus is, as with any project along 27th Street, Franklin Public Schools doesn't receive a penny from that facility. All school district taxes go to Oak Creek. I can see some using that as an issue, and I wouldn't blame them. The majority of Franklin taxpayers live in the Franklin Public School District, yet we're not going to get any relief on our school district taxes from this project. From the city's perspective, however, some aldermen have been known to observe that they could give a hoot on whether or not a project is in the "proper" school district - as long as city taxes are benefiting from it.

So there you have it. In closing, I believe this project will be approved to receive IDRBs necessary to help finance it.

Wheaton aims for expansion of Franklin hospital

Welcome back to reality after the busy 4th of July Weekend. Fortunately, we got some good news to share!

Last week's Business Journal had a front page article on Wheaton Franciscan's Franklin hospital and how well it has been doing since it opened in 2008. While the facility was to only be an outpatient center, Wheaton did a smart move and began incorporating amenities that would be featured in mainsteam hospitals and medical centers, such as inpatient beds and now an intensive care unit, which is scheduled to be done by the end of the year.

The article mentions that the driving force behind Wheaton's desire to expand their facility has been the revenue from it. Over the past year, the Franklin hospital's revenues spiked 26%, one of the highest growths in revenue in the State of Wisconsin in terms of hospitals. So in response to this we are seeing the construction and expansion this year of the items mentioned above, and also of a potential larger-scale project aimed for 2011. Perhaps we should sick the Economic Development Commission on this!

From the article:

One of the notable benefits of adding inpatient beds and an ICU at the Franklin hospital is patients will no longer have to be moved to a larger hospital, which sometimes meant moving people out of the Wheaton system to St. Luke’s or Froedtert Hospital, Mattes said.

Once construction is complete at Franklin this year, the 303,000-square-foot hospital will be at capacity.

The next step, which officials estimate could happen as soon as summer 2011, is to build up, adding onto floors four and five, which currently are about half the size of the hospital’s first three floors.

By adding on, there would be room for 64 more beds. Whether those beds are used as general surgery beds or whether Wheaton decides to expand its services in Franklin to include labor and delivery are still unknown.

“Our philosophy is build it, grow into it and build it some more,” Mattes said. “It makes more sense than having a big building with no one in there. I always say, ‘who knows what the next phase will look like or what we will be when we grow up?’”

Read the entire article here: Demand drives Wheaton’s Franklin hospital - The Business Journal of Milwaukee

Oak Creek steamrolls ahead while Franklin stalls

You'd think an economic recession never existed if you're in Oak Creek. Despite the economy, our neighbor to the east continues to move ahead. Just today, the Journal Sentinel wrote that the city approved $2 million to assist Bucyrus International in their takeover of the former Midwest Airlines HQ buildings, and is now considering a TIF District along the lakefront to spur additional growth there over the next 10-20 years.

Does anyone think 27th Street is on their radar these days?

In the meantime, Franklin continues to stall in efforts to attract businesses to just fill-in our existing vacant properties. You see, while Oak Creek is adding more sites, Franklin can't fill-in its current sites. That speaks volumes. Franklin needs leadership now, not later, to address this situation.

Oak Creek is doing the smart thing by planning now and getting their ducks in a row before the economy begins to grow once more. When it does, they'll be more than ready to take on any major project that comes before them. In Franklin's case, it'll likely become another situation similar to what happened during the last boom in the 2000s, where we kept hearing about how our Planning Department was overworked to the gills. Several of our Planners left during this period as well, leaving for greener pastures and less stress. That's what happens when everything gets dumped on your lap and there truly is no plan that's being followed.

Franklin leaders need to wake up and smell the coffee now. Fun and games are overwith. Our neighbors have been and continue to stake their claim as a regional destination for business in southern Milwaukee County. That should be Franklin's beck and call, considering that our community is more centralized in the region than Oak Creek. What will it take for our leaders to be motivated to take a proactive look at marketing and promoting the City of Franklin? Let the debate begin.

Strong poll results show Hitters over 27th Street standards

Thanks for taking our first multi-day poll on Franklin Today. I figured the first question I'd ask of you would relate to a debate that has been occurring since late April. Should Hitters Baseball Academy have to look elsewhere for their proposed facility along County Line Road? Those who answered the poll are saying absolutely not, and to hell with 27th Street guidelines and standards. Upon the poll's close, 91% of respondents support Hitters at its proposed location, near 37th & County Line Road.

While unscientific and purely up out of curiosity, I'd definitely keep those numbers in mind when Hitters comes back before the Common Council for approvals.

Location, Location, Location for Hitters

Since their concept presentation before the council 2 weeks ago, Hitters has gained a lot of support from residents who want and appreciate new developments such as this one. Many families in Franklin send their children to Hitters for their baseball needs, and therefore a huge support base has formed for that business.

What likely will occur at the end of the day will be a very tough vote for the Common Council. While aldermen were welcoming of the concept of a baseball academy and fields in Franklin, it's all coming down to location, location, location. Here are what I believe will be the pluses and minuses to both Hitters & the City of Franklin at its current proposed site, as well as a site mentioned several times by aldermen during the discussion - the Froemming Park/Milwaukee County Sports Complex area along 51st Street between Puetz & Ryan Roads.