Milwaukee Downtown BID recognizes stakeholders

Milwaukee Downtown names its 2016 Downtown Achievement Award winners at the conclusion of its annual meeting. Catalytic projects and leaders were honored for their contributions to the central business district.

Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21 hosted its Downtown Achievement Awards program as part of its 2016 annual meeting on Thursday, May 19. Nearly 300 downtown stakeholders gathered to hear accomplishments and upcoming initiatives, as well as to gain insight from downtown development expert Brad Segal, founder and president of Progressive Urban Management Associates (P.U.M.A.), on global trends affecting downtowns.

At the conclusion of the annual meeting, catalytic projects and leaders were honored for their contributions to the central business district. Representatives from the Milwaukee Downtown Board of Directors, Collaborative Downtown Marketing Group and Milwaukee Downtown’s Marketing Committee selected the 2016 Downtown Achievement Award winners from a pool of community nominations. The 2016 Downtown Achievement Award recipients were:

Northwestern Mutual, winner of the Downtown Believer Award, for their commitment and investment in downtown Milwaukee with a new world headquarters and high-end apartment tower.

411 East Wisconsin, winner of the Leading Edge Award, for its recent eco-conscious upgrades and renovations to common areas.

833 East, winner of the Brick & Mortar Award, for being a catalyst in the Lakefront Gateway Area and introducing the first Class A office building to the downtown market in nearly a decade.

Westown Wednesdays, winner of the Magnetism Award, for connecting residents, workers and visitors to the community through events such as the Westown Farmers’ Market, River Rhythms and NEWaukee Night Market.

MKE Lofts, winner of the CPR Award, for breathing new life into the former Posner Building with revamped retail space and high-end apartments.

Pabst Theater Group, winner of the Night Owl Award, for its contributions to the nighttime economy and help in attracting and retaining millennials.

Bublr Bikes, winner of the Pedal Power Award, for its ever-expanding bike-share program, which is helping urbanites circulate throughout downtown and into nearby neighborhoods.

City.NET Café, winner of the Fork & Spoon Award, for feeding the soul of the community with live jazz, in-house roasted coffee and delicious lunchtime fare.

Schlitz Park, winner of the Trailblazer Award, for paving the way for future downtown development in downtown’s northern corridor.

Madison Medical Affiliates, winner of the Heart of the Community Award, for continually supporting downtown programs and events.

Bucks Arena Deal, winner of the Community Team Builder Award, for the collaboration that took place among cross sectors to make the arena deal a slam-dunk.

Community Intervention Team, winner of the Unsung Hero Award, for their results-driven approach in addressing chronic homelessness and public nuisance behaviors.

The 2016 Downtown Milwaukee Market Profile was released at the annual meeting. The study benchmarks downtown’s recent growth and details the accomplishments of many of the Downtown Achievement Award winners.