Office of African American Affairs
Affordable land and leasing costs, abundant fresh water, an educated workforce, low business costs and easy access to financing, technical assistance and efficient transportation have helped local businesses succeed and grow.
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Department of City Development
The 17-acre property located between South 6th Street and South 3rd Street was targeted by The City of Milwaukee and the Water Council as the future center of Milwaukee's growing water industry. Known as The Reed Street Yards is a showcase of water technologies and practices, including a purple pipe for development-wide water recycling, bioswales, and permeable paving to capture stormwater runoff. Site amenities include an extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail, 2,700 linear feet of Riverwalk along the Menomonee River Canal and an interactive public plaza and water feature.
The Reed Street Yards is a showcase of water technologies and practices, including a purple pipe for development-wide water recycling and bioswales and permeable paving for capturing stormwater runoff. Site amenities include an extension of the Hank Aaron State Trail as part of the riverwalk along the Menomonee Canal, an interactive public plaza and water feature.
Development sites at the Reed Street Yards are available, for more information, visit www.watertechnologypark.com
Riverwalk and water feature adjacent to Menomonee Canal
On November 30, 2011, the Milwaukee Common Council approved Amendment No. 1 to the Reed Street Yards Tax Incremental District (TID No. 75). This $6.2m investment will provide the necessary funding to redevelop the Reed Street Yards into a water research and technology park, adjacent to the proposed Milwaukee Water Council Accelerator Building. Specifically, the TID will provided up to $3,582,370 for public infrastructure and riverwalk, $2,281,400 for environmental remediation, stormwater and site work, and $354,000 for the Business Improvement District. More information regarding the TID can be found in Council File No. 090688 and the Development Incentive Zone (DIZ)/Zoning information can be found in Council File No. 120426. To see permitted uses, design standards and more detailed information about the Reed Street Yards DIZ, click HERE.
In 2014, Amendment No. 2 to the TID was approved to provide additional funding for site infrastructure and to create a $5m fund to attract new businesses to the Reed Street Yards, more info can be found in Common Council File No. 140453.
TID 75 Boundary Map
Brown Deer-based Rite-Hite will relocate its headquarters and consolidate 300 employees from around the Milwaukee area in the new facility located in the Reed Street Yards. Rite-Hite manufactures loading dock equipment, industrial doors, safety barriers, industrial fans and other products for warehouse operators.
The company hopes to open the facility in March 2022 and plans to build a five-story office building on the north side of W. Freshwater Way overlooking the Menomonee River Canal, Harley-Davidson Museum and downtown skyline.
On the south side of the street the company is planning a two-story building with offices for research & development, a training center, and loading dock & warehouse demonstration center. An office for Arbon Equipment Corporation, the company’s sales and service arm, would be included in the building. It would be attached to a 450-car parking garage, which will accomodate future growth.
A skywalk would be built across the dead-end street to connect the two buildings.
Rite-Hite Campus - rendering
Zurn Industries LLC consolidated its suburban offices into a newly constructed $13 million headquarters located in the Reed Street Yards business park. Opened in early 2017, the plumbing equipment maker is the first building constructed in the Reed Street Yards and hopes to occupy the space with 120 employees by 2021.
Zurn Industries LLC headquarters
Home to the Water Council, the Global Water Center held its grand opening on September 12, 2013. The building has almost 90,000 square feet of space dedicated to companies, government agencies and universities focused on the water sector.
Global Water Center
Dan Casanova Economic Development Specialist 414-286-5921 [email protected] City of Milwaukee Department of City Development 809 N Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202