News from the Valley
The city has landed on a final design for the first phase of a green infrastructure project underneath Interstate 794. The City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW), in partnership with the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), are redeveloping a swath of land under interstate overpasses to catch and treat stormwater.
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Employees at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, like those for many of its neighboring businesses, face difficulties in transportation to and from the Menomonee River Valley. That difficulty prompted Potawatomi to launch a new pilot program with Lyft, which will begin Nov. 18.
Businesses in the Menomonee River Valley, led by We Energies, are donating to the Housing First program, to help those who are facing homelessness move to safe, stable housing. We Energies Foundation is donating $25,000 to Milwaukee County’s Housing First Program, which provides housing to those most in need, without precondition.
The sculpture garden just east of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino has five sculptures that The Forest County Potawatomi Community – which now owns the site – is looking to give away to a good home.
The design showroom experience is expanding on W St. Paul Ave. Shoppers can now browse more than just chairs, couches and bed frames at Bachman Furniture‘s new store, which opened this week in the Menomonee River Valley. BBC Lighting is expanding their showroom into Bachman’s space. Just down the street, House of Stone is renovating their showroom and adding a Designer’s Locker Room.
Bachman Furniture and BBC Lighting, neighbors and family-owned businesses in the Menomonee River Valley, are partnering to enhance the growing St. Paul Avenue Design District to create a one stop shop for furnishings and design.
Bachman Furniture closed its former location and has reopened a 60,000-square-foot showroom at 1741 W. St. Paul Avenue to be near complementary design showroom businesses. As Joe Bachman, owner of Bachman Furniture, and David Albert, co-owner of neighboring BBC Lighting, got to know each other during the renovation process, the idea hatched to work together. Bachman is dropping all previous lighting from his offerings and BBC Lighting is expanding their gallery and offerings into Bachman’s showroom.
“We’re looking forward to expanding our popular showroom into Bachman Furniture’s showroom where customers will be able to see the products in a real life setting alongside Bachman’s customizable furniture offerings,” said David Albert of BBC Lighting. “Our two longtime trusted companies can address customers’ needs together.”
“I wanted to work collaboratively with my neighbors, instead of in competition with them,” said Joe Bachman. “This only enhances the customer experience by giving them greater selection and ease of shopping. Seeing product in actual furniture displays helps take the guesswork out of design.”
Just a few doors down, House of Stone has been providing stone fabrication services, from kitchen countertops to custom pieces, for over 20 years. Embracing the design showroom vision for the street, House of Stone recently expanded their product line to include European cabinets and is currently undergoing a major showroom renovation expected to be complete by the end of the year. The new showroom will feature six full size kitchens with design ideas to inspire home or commercial renovations. The company is also investing in a Designer’s Locker Room, a dedicated conference room that designers can use free of charge to meet with their clients. Designers can reserve lockers to store their samples and materials.
“We’re excited about the momentum of the district and that our new cabinet line is part of its growth,” said Korkut Colakoglu, owner of House of Stone. “We’re also investing in the country’s first robotic arm for precision stone cutting. The proximity of our companies’ specialties and will provide a better offering for designers and homeowners.”
“We want the Design District to be the place people think of when redesigning a living space,” said Joe Bachman, president of Bachman Furniture. “The family-owned design businesses on the street are creatively working together to provide a comprehensive, one stop retail shopping experience, with a convenient location and free parking. As we continue to grow, we’d love to welcome another design showroom business into the space available between Bachman’s and House of Stone.”
In 2014, the City of Milwaukee and Menomonee Valley Partners, the organization leading the Valley’s redevelopment, engaged in an intensive planning process to shape a vision for the Valley’s future, Valley 2.0. One of the plan’s priorities was to foster the St Paul Ave Design/Décor Showroom District and build on the emerging cluster of design and décor businesses.
Other design and decor businesses on the street include Brass Light Gallery, Guardian Fine Art Services, ProStar Surfaces, and Riverview Antique Market. There are currently two historic buildings for sale on the street. Business owners welcome complementary businesses to be part of this growing community. Gaps in current offerings include kitchen and bath fixtures, tile, flooring, and appliances. More information on the St. Paul Avenue Design District can be found here.
New flags and streetpole banners portray the vibrancy of the Menomonee River Valley neighborhood
From the roof of Guardian Fine Art Studios
(Photo: Laura Sims Peck)
Guardian Fine Arts Services raised the first ever Menomonee River Valley flag from their roof - and it’s quite a large flag! The 96 square foot flag matches street pole banners that were recently installed throughout the Menomonee River Valley. The new flag and banners feature bright colors and a relief of the 6th Street Bridge, representing the vibrant Valley neighborhood and its iconic bridges connecting it to the city, as well as the Valley’s metaphorical connections to a proud industrial history, modern manufacturing, and nature in the heart of the city.
The Valley stretches from the Harley-Davidson Museum to Miller Park. Twenty years ago, the Valley was a very different place, with hundreds of acres of shuttered factories, vacant land, and a nearly forgotten river. The new signage in the Menomonee River Valley identifies today’s energized neighborhood filled with good-paying jobs, award-winning parks and trails, and top tourist attractions.
“The new banners and flags help celebrate 20 years of transformation of the Menomonee River Valley,” said Corey Zetts, executive director of Menomonee Valley Partners. “We are excited to unveil it during Valley Week, which raises awareness of all the opportunities within the Valley.”
