Parking and Milwaukee Avenue

How participants in the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Development Initiative workshops responded to a question about parking also surprised organizers of the workshops (in a good way) (also see Height and Milwaukee Avenue [Part I]), and a few participants as well (in a not so good way).

How do you feel about parking on Milwaukee Avenue?

Eighty-one percent of workshop participants felt that there is sufficient or too much parking on Milwaukee Avenue, and only 19% felt that more parking is needed.

I think workshop participants got this answer right, and the response is consistent with the results of the polls I posted at Do we need more parking? (click on image below for better legibility).

Height and Milwaukee Avenue (Part II)

I think the preference expressed at the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Development Initiative workshops for three- to four-story new buildings reflects a respect for the existing buildings and the existing character of the Milwaukee Avenue corridor.

New and old, side by side

As I previously mentioned (see What the real estate experts may not know), one of the sites chosen for constructing a hypothetical development during the workshops, was the Pay Half building at the northwest corner of Spaulding and Milwaukee Avenues.  This site is located just south of the Milwaukee-Diversey-Kimball Landmark District buildings.

So, what if a new building were to be constructed next to these historic buildings?

Hypothetical Milwaukee Avenue Development:
Scenario 1 (in context)

Height and Milwaukee Avenue (Part I)

Another interesting point of view that came out of the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Development Initiative (also see Open Space and Milwaukee Avenue [Part 1]) concerns the desired height of the buildings along Milwaukee Avenue.

It took several sessions just to get the question right so that it adequately reflected the sentiments of participants concerning height:

What average height do you envision for new buildings along Milwaukee Avenue?

Open space and Milwaukee Avenue (Part II)

Not surprisingly, real estate experts at the last of the Milwaukee Avenue Corridor Development Initiative workshops did not share the community vision of open space along Milwaukee Avenue.

What the real estate experts may not know

As volunteers and people who do not live in the neighborhood, the real estate experts may not have known about the larger Logan Square community’s (though not necessarily Milwaukee Avenue’s, see Open space and Milwaukee Avenue [Part I]) lack of open space, and so may have lacked the context of the community’s desire for open space.

Like the community volunteers, they likely didn’t know of the plans and existing opportunities for open space on public properties along Milwaukee Avenue, but they did not feel that open space on private properties along Milwaukee Avenue was appropriate.

Not living in the area, there is another context that the real estate experts may not have known that may justify some open space:  One of the sites chosen for constructing a hypothetical development, was the Pay Half building at the northwest corner of Spaulding and Milwaukee Avenues, which, as those of us familiar with the area