Study compares project review times of Milwaukee communities

By TOM DAYKIN

USA Today Network

Wauwatosa operates the fastest review process for new developments compared with five other Milwaukee-area cities, while neighboring Brookfield has the slowest reviews, a new report says.

That Wisconsin Policy Forum study comes as communities balance project oversight – which can bring delays – with strong demand for more housing.

Approvals take longer in communities where most or all projects undergo a plan commission and city council review in addition to a staff review, said the study, released on March 5.

Housing construction nationwide, including Wisconsin, hasn’t kept pace with demand − bringing shortages and cost increases.

Meanwhile, state limits on local spending means communities increasingly rely on property tax revenue generated by new development.

Cities could examine how their zoning approval and building permitting processes, which help protect health and safety and align development with long-term community plans, affect project timelines and costs, said the study.

Milwaukee had the shortest median project timeline of 145 days, while Brookfield had the longest median timeline at 467 days, according to the forum’s review.

Other timelines were Waukesha, 222 days; West Allis, 223 days; Wauwatosa, 233 days, and Oak Creek, 372 days.

Those timelines were affected by periods after zoning approval when developers finalize financing and construction documents before applying for building permits.

Milwaukee’s timeline lands in middle of 6 cities

When those factors are removed, and the focus is limited to the approval timeline, Brookfield still had the longest median time, with 265 days, the study said.

Wauwatosa had the shortest timeline, with 74 days. Other timelines were Waukesha, 87 days; Milwaukee, 106 days; West Allis, 136 days, and Oak Creek, 203 days.

The length of discretionary reviews greatly affected timelines, the report said.

“This does not mean discretionary review lacks value. However, the more layers of required review, the longer median timelines tended to be,” it said.

The forum reviewed 240 developments, each valued at $5 million or higher, that were issued building permits from 2017 through mid-2025.

Those projects, including office buildings, hotels and apartments, totaled $4.2 billion in value and produced more than 8,000 housing units.

Researchers also interviewed 10 industry professionals.

Other findings included:

• Zoning changes and special zoning approvals add significant time. In Milwaukee, projects requiring only staff review got building permits in a median of 86 days. Projects requiring special use permits and other additional approvals took 288 days, with those requiring zoning changes taking 510 days.
• Residential and mixed-use projects take longer than other developments. In Wauwatosa, West Allis, Oak Creek, and Brookfield, the median timeline for residential projects exceeded 400 days − while institutional and industrial projects often advanced in fewer than 200 days.
• Developers cited West Allis and Oak Creek for having point persons to communicate with applicants, and Wauwatosa and Brookfield for pre-application meetings that provide early feedback from staff. Many suggested Milwaukee might benefit from those approaches.

The report was commissioned by the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin, and also supported by the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District, Wisconsin Realtors Association and Bader Philanthropies.