Proposed “neighborhood improvement district” for east side parks stalls

A proposal that's been in the works for about a year now to create a "neighborhood improvement district" (NID) to manage Cathedral Square and Juneau Parks has been delayed by a Milwaukee Common Council committee:

A plan to renovate Cathedral Square and Juneau Park, and pay for that work with a new fee on properties on downtown Milwaukee's east side, was delayed Monday by a Common Council committee.

The Community and Economic Development Committee voted 4-1 to delay acting on a proposal to create a neighborhood improvement district, a public agency, which needs approval from the full council and Mayor Tom Barrett.

The district would then seek approval from the County Board and County Executive Chris Abele for a management contract overseeing around $4 million in improvements, along with maintenance, at Cathedral Square, Juneau Park and Burns Commons.

Milwaukee County would still own the parks, but the district would manage them in consultation with its private, nonprofit partners: East Town Association and Juneau Park Friends.

I certainly applaud the residents of the area for trying to get something done in order to secure funding for their neighborhood parks after years of neglect from the County.