The Rooming House Issue

Waukesha’s Plan Commission recently debated a proposed ordinance that would remove rooming houses from the City’s zoning code.  The result would be that no new rooming houses could be built and the existing ones would become legal non-conforming uses.  The issue with this ordinance is that neither side seems to understand the impact of it. The people in the rooming house are trying to make it look like the ordinance will kick them out and make them homeless, while the BID members think this will solve all of the problems downtown.

The ordinance will NOT remove the rooming houses downtown nor will it get their residents out of downtown. These houses can remain here forever. Or until the City or some developer steps up and offers the owners enough money to entice them to sell.

There is no doubt that the rooming houses are not good for downtown.  Just like the porno shop a few years back.  It really wasn’t until City News moved that the Downtown really began to realize its potential.  I am guessing removal of the rooming house at the west end of downtown will have a similar impact on that area.

Here is what I would do. I would have the Community Development Authority buy the rooming houses at market value. I would threaten eminent domain if they were not inclined to sell (this is how Glendale got Bayshore redeveloped). I would give the residents six months to find new housing, then I would get the wrecking ball out there and level the buildings and then sell it to a developer at a discounted price to encourage quick redevelopment of the property.  I know eminent domain is not very popular, but it is a very strong economic development tool and is probably the only way to quickly get rid of the rooming house and associated problems.  The aldermen may hear some gripes but on election day, how many voters are going to vote against someone for getting rid of rooming houses?

 An abbreviated version of this post was originally posted as a comment on the Spring City Chronicle.

Andrew Ruggeri’s Hotel & Restaurant Proposal for Downtown Waukesha

As many people know, Andrew Ruggeri is proposing an upscale Hotel & Restaurant in Downtown Waukesha.  Regardless of what some naysayers are saying in the Soundoff section of the Waukesha Freeman, this project is not only viable, but may very well be the most important development that downtown Waukesha has seen since the Riverwalk.  

For those who are unfamiliar with the proposal, Andrew Ruggeri, who co-owns the Delafield Hotel with Bob Lang and also owns Andrew’s Restaurant (in the aforementioned hotel) and Ruggeri’s Italian Restaurant in Delafield, is proposing to convert an underutilized, yet prominent building in downtown Waukesha into an upscale hotel and restaurant.  The tentative name for the restaurant is the Black Trumpet and it would feature French-inspired cuisine.   The building is known throughout Waukesha as the Cuddles building because it is the home to Cuddles, a popular downtown stuffed animal and gift shop.  There is also a tattoo/piercing shop and military surplus store in this building.   All of these businesses would be evicted as well as people in the apartments above.  I would like to comment on the concerns that seem to be popping up in the Freeman’s soundoff section:

Concern: The City is forcing Cuddles out of the building to make this happen.

Comment:This couldn’t be further from the truth.  Cuddles does not own the space, they lease it.  The former owner of the building couldn’t keep up with mortgage payments so the bank foreclosed on the property and someone else bought it.  The new owner wants something better and probably realizes that its hard to make mortgage payments when your tenants are a stuffed animal store, army surplus store, a tattoo parlor, and some low-rent apartment units.   The new owner is “forcing” Cuddles out which is well within his rights as a building owner.   The City has nothing to do with forcing Cuddles out.  Contrary to popular belief, the world is not going to end if Cuddles moves a block or two away. 

Concern: There is no parking. 

Comment:Parking is a problem that can easily be fixed.  True, there are no parking lots for these businesses, however this is a downtown setting and many businesses do not have their own parking lots.  There is always plenty of on-street parking, as well as 4-5 municipal lots within a 4-block radius.   Its downtown Waukesha, not downtown Chicago.  I guarantee they will have some type of agreement with a nearby business or purchase their own off-site lot so they can offer valet parking.  If you are so lazy that you cannot walk a block or two, stay home on your couch. 

Concern:Why would anyone want to stay in Downtown Waukesha?

Comment: I believe this hotel would be very attractive to business travelers or people coming into town for a wedding or to visit their kids at Carroll College (at attend graduation) or for people who just want to stay somewhere with character instead of in a large chain hotel overlooking the interstate.  It also may be attractive to people who want to have a weekend getaway.  There are lots of weekend events in Waukesha from Friday Night Live concerts and Civic Theatre productions to Art Crawls and festivals.  I would much rather stay at a downtown hotel where I can walk down the street for my morning coffee from a local coffee shop or visit some art galleries in my spare time. 

Concern:Downtown Waukesha cannot support a fine dining restaurant.

Comment:  Why not?  The most common complaint I hear about Downtown is that there are no nice sit-down restaurants.  There is a lot of disposable income in the Waukesha area and it would be nice if people could go to downtown Waukesha instead of having to go to Milwaukee, Delafield, Pewaukee, or Brookfield.  I believe that not only will this restaurant be a success, it will pave the way for more nice restaurants downtown.

Downtown Waukesha has been, for the most part, a success story however progress seems to have stalled over the past couple of years.   This type of opportunity doesn’t come around that often and it will change the face and image of downtown Waukesha for the better.     Lets hope the City does the right thing here and ignores the pathetic attempts by a few citizens to ruin what might be the most significant downtown development in a long time.  

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Welcome to 5 Points, another Waukesha blog. In this blog I will post about things on a local level, with occasional commentary on regional, state, and even national issues, but the primary focus will be on Waukesha County.

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