2010 Annual Report

Milwaukee

Advancing Sustainable Communities

In 2010, LISC Milwaukee played a key leadership role in advancing community partnerships and Qualityof-Life Plans in our four Sustainable Communities: Washington Park, Harambee, Clarke Square, and Lindsay Heights. The Clarke Square and Lindsay Heights neighborhoods are jointly supported by LISC and the Zilber Family Foundation.

Expanding Real Estate Investment

2010 was a historic year for LISC Milwaukee in the area of real estate development. Despite the economic downtown, more than six major LISC-supported developments closed this year with a combined value of $40 million. As a result of LISC’s support and planning, these projects were well-positioned to capitalize on federal stimulus funding. Examples include King Drive Commons III, mixed-use housing that combines 24 modern apartments with a fresh food market; and Silver City, twenty rent-to-own townhomes, which offers sports courts, a playground, and access to shopping and nature trails.

Increasing Family Income & Wealth

To help families achieve financial stability, LISC brought the Financial Opportunity Center model to Milwaukee. In its second year of operation, the Center for Financial Opportunity at Riverworks Development Corporation served 561 families. LISC also provided training, technical support and funding to open a second center in the Clarke Square neighborhood, which will begin serving clients in 2011.

Stimulating Economic Activity

LISC partners with the City of Milwaukee to operate the Main Street Program, a national model for revitalizing historic commercial districts. LISC and the City of Milwaukee will expand the Main Street program from six to potentially twelve commercial districts. The program provides training and technical assistance to business owners and Business Improvement Districts, as well as grants for physical improvements and safety initiatives.

Supporting Healthy Environments & Lifestyles

In 2010, LISC expanded our work in community safety. A group of 20 police officers, prosecutors, urban planners and community members completed a LISC-sponsored SafeGrowth course. This six-week community safety certification program teaches participants how to modify the environment to reduce and prevent crime. King Drive Partners (representing the Harambee neighborhood and King Drive Main Street Program) and the Milwaukee Police Department received a MetLife Foundation Community-Police Partnership Award for their successful work to reduce crime along Martin Luther King Drive. They were selected from more than 700 communities nationwide for this prestigious award administered by LISC.