Milwaukee Professionals Association

BROWNFIELD DEVELOPERS & CONTRACTORS PROTEGE ROUNDTABLE

A Proactive Way to Change

Ruben Anthony Jr., deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, surveys work on the Marquette Interchange near N. 11th St. and W. St. Paul Ave. on Friday. Anthony has been successful at bringing in minority contractors to work on the interchange project.

The BDCPR/Brownfield Developer and Contractor Prot?©g?© Roundtable is seeking to use projects such as Ruben as models to build on for "MATCHMAKING" projects and "fill" the gap of unemployment of Contractors and Workers in the Inner City.

BDCPR
The Brownfield Developers & Contractors Protege Roundtable provides linkage to opportunities and BEST PRACTICES in economic development in the Inner City environment.

We address key issues that facilitate development in the Inner City. They include:
• Importing workers and contractors to the Inner City
• Smart Growth Initiative – State Statute 66.1001
• The People
• Business-2-Business Partnerships and Collaborations
• Brownfield Funding, Tax Increment Funding & Tax Credits
• Report Card – Neighborhood Commitment

FACE OF POVERTY
Milwaukee is majority People of Color. It has a 79% poverty rate and 65% unemployment in some census tracts of the Inner City.

The Inner City where both the poverty and unemployment is seen the most brings large benefits through its vacant lots, brownfield land, tax credits, tax increment districts and Community Block Grant dollars. It is these “Assets” that are walking out of the neighborhood by the millions in development.

We simply can not have “open range” and wholesale IMPORTING of workers and contractors from our neighboring burbs and other cities.

We have embraced the Reciprocity process being proposed by the NAACP and other organizations in the quest for COMMITMENT and INVESTMENT in the Inner City. We know that “linkage” through communication, planning and neighborhood commitment can go a long way to solve this problem.

We hope you will take the time to send a representative from your organization to proactively address an OUT-OF-CONTROL and GROWING ISSUE OF IRRITATION.

The photo was take from Tannette Johnson-Elie article:
DOT'S NO. 2 HAS MADE MANY INROADS FOR MINORITIES. Posted: July 25, 2006 in the Journal Sentinel.

A link:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=476792

Email us
mgurbanicongroup@yahoo.com