Menomonee Valley road project will open future development

Construction of a new road in the Menomonee Valley in Milwaukee is expected to start this year.

The Common Council is scheduled Jan. 21 to consider $500,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to prepare vacant land along for development along the Menomonee River. The site, known as the Kneeland Properties, is 15 acres extending underneath Interstate 43.

The Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee on Tuesday approved the grant, which will be used to extend West Mount Vernon Avenue by 1600 feet east underneath the highway interchange. The funding comes from HUD’s Community Project Funding grant program.

Extending the road will help open 10 acres for new potential industrial development in the valley, said Benji Timm, a project manager for the Redevelopment Authority.

The funding will supplement a $3.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce the city received in 2023, funding from a tax increment district for the Harley-Davidson Museum and brownfield funding, Timm said.

The project calls for engineering services and physical improvements such as paving, lights and utilities. Construction will start in 2025 and finish up in 2026, Timm added.

The Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee owns 10 acres of the Kneeland Properties split by the freeway. The city has an easement to extend the road underneath the freeway, but the Federal Highway Administration restricts development underneath the highway.

The valley site remains a great interest for businesses. “We get calls multiple times a year for this property,” Timm said at the meeting. Preparing the site has taken around 10 years, he added.