Practically Speaking

Hi Kyle, the proposed building is awesome in appearance and design. They have done a great job with the handling of water , on site parking and utilization of the land. It would obviously offer a supportive climate to local business. Food, shopping, banking (not everyone will bank at the facility), supportive services and many more positive items. Indoor parking of course is always a security concern and even though the building will generate tax revenue (Not a Tif district proposal hopefully)but will definitely call for a review by our police and fire department for their concerns.

I am not against spot zoning in a business zoning when it is done with purpose and quality. This building supports that venue. It makes for an interesting skyline and varied architecture. Finally no bell towers.I also feel that master planning is done with potential reversals permitted based upon asked for revisions fitting the municipalities progressive growth. At this point the developer indeed can make use of hind sight by how the area has come along and the City's attention to quality developments. The Brookfield Square revival has been the benefactor of some very large private investment based upon the City's cooperation with developers.

My one negative comment is that the structure will be so costly that the rents will be out of step with those in the area (lots of space available right now) that it will rent slowly and be a huge burden on the owners to fill that kind of space. It is tough to rent square footage in the 14 to 18 $ range , this building will be way above that and just sit vacant. High end density, especially cosmetic is for the very wealthy. While Brookfield and Elmgrove have some residents with deep pockets, they will have to draw customers from the metro area, that's a real challenge for frugal Milwaukee.

Geo Thermo heating and all the high teck improvements are really costly and never pay for them selves. Just look how the solar heated housing from the early 80's is almost totally gone. New energy conservation comes along and again disappears. Just out of sight for  the economics of a home or commercial building.

This kind of presentation is good for publicity but will disappear later when their green thumb gets hammered by that evil dollar sledge. Just my humble opinion of course. Thank you for this opportunity to address your heads up on an important item.

P. S. Just a little thought for the day. Maybe some one (not school district) could lease enough area in this new building for the 720 students that come from outside our Elmbrook tax paying students. Just do it on a direct billing to those lucky parents that love the Elmbrook district(rent teachers to the school for additional revenue to district). Small class sizes instead of filling vacant seats in a room. (Smaller classes let teachers do more per student than larger class sizes). No energy savings here though still 720 cars coming and going every school day to get the outsiders to there destination. I guess you just can't use that as a measuring device when it comes to education. Economics, and everyday budgeting some times suffers when it comes to educators. This NEW building just is the right thing. I give it an OK.

Kyle's reply: I can't go for this one, Larry, at this location. If it were at the Quebecor site, maybe. But here, with the one story, 17 foot tall parking structure building nearly filling the 2 acres and then a 4 story building (not too much smaller than Elmbrook Hospital) on top, I just cannot see it.

Actually, I think visualizing is much of the problem. I don't think people realize that the retaining wall really is the 17 foot tall first story of the whole parking building. Our eye tricks our minds into assuming what we know to be familiar. Since we have no buildings in Brookfield of the size of this parking structure, our mind's eye translates it into being just a retaining wall. If it gets approved, then we will forever be saying, Oh, that is too big. (Like we do with Capitol Heights.)

Hey these are BIG heady politicians running round their BIG time berg in BIG SUVs. The berg is full of BIG movers and shakers waist deep in BIG money, BIG aspirations and BIG debt. The pols think BIG, spend BIG and tax even BIGGER. And once they pass that BIG TIF, they'll have BIG cash for the developer who will skim off BIG profits doing them a really BIG building.

Everyone else does Seven-Eleven. Brookfield does BIG!

Hi Kyle, I will say this, 3 point perspective renderings can really be mis-interpreted by the viewers. The renderings can be deceptive and so  that will have to be weighed by our splendid politicians that are charged with making decisions. That is why they are there and hopefully they will be well informed and make an educated decision and or have a good question and answer period at the time of presentation.  As you well know all that is said at these presentations does not always happen. And that is the real problem with some developers. " Well we had to change a few things". It will be interesting to see how this is reported by MJS vs what really went on at the presentation. Thank you.

Kyle's reply: I attended the Public Information Meeting. I don't think many there were grasping what this would really look like. It took me a while to catch on to the nearly 2 acre sized 1 story parking garage this huge building sits on top of! By the way, I think only the Waukesha Freeman reporter attended--at least she was the only one I saw asking for names to help identify her quotes.

The renderings utilize the street width to give some distance to the size of the project. I am working on a new posting that should help people to see what this really is.

My Alderman, Lisa Mellon, is really great about keeping her District 7 constituents informed of upcoming