Posted August 16, 2010

Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley Honored in National Competition

Project is Named a Finalist in NLC’s 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence

MILWAUKEE– The National League of Cities (NLC) has notified Milwaukee that it is a finalist for the 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence. The Awards for Municipal Excellence recognize cities and towns for outstanding programs that improve the quality of life in America’s communities. Milwaukee was chosen for its highly successful Menomonee Valley Industrial Center and Community Park.

The Menomonee Valley project took what was once one of the largest brownfields in the state and converted it into a thriving location for business, recreation, and environmental sustainability.

“With thoughtful planning, private sector collaboration, and strong project management, the Menomonee Valley is now the site of more than 1,000 new, family supporting jobs,” Mayor Tom Barrett said. “And, it is a community asset in another way. With parkland, trails, and river access, the Menomonee Valley is also a prime recreation area within easy reach of the most populous neighborhoods in the region.”

NLC received nominations from cities and towns in 40 states. Finalist programs exhibited exceptional public-private partnerships, productive citizen and community collaborations, management of municipal resources, implementation of government policies, project implementation with tangible results and/or the ability to replicate the project in other cities.

“We are pleased that Milwaukee is a finalist for our Awards for Municipal Excellence,” said Donald J. Borut, NLC’s Executive Director. “This shows that even at a time when so many cities are struggling financially, cities and towns continue to develop the most creative and innovative solutions.”

In the Menomonee Valley the seven year revitalization/redevelopment program reclaimed more than 120 acres of blighted property and transformed it into a vibrant industrial center and public park. The redevelopment has created more than $120 million of natural resource value, a projected 1,200 sustainable wage jobs, and has added $1 million to the City’s annual tax base. The Menomonee Valley Partners, a nonprofit collaboration of neighbors and businesses, has provided key assistance in the project.

The winners of the 2010 Awards for Municipal Excellence will be announced during NLC’s Congress of Cities and Exposition in Denver, Colo., November 30 – December 4, 2010.

More information about the Awards for Municipal Excellence can be found on the NLC website at www.nlc.org/ame.aspx.

The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.