The Week Ahead: Fire Station Block Plan Set for Public Hearing

Meeting Tuesday will take input on limited retail center proposal for former Fire Station No. 3; School Board continues reworking employee policies in light of state law changes.

The Brookfield Plan Commission convenes Monday for its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall. On the agenda, among other things, is a request from Neumann Companies Inc. to schedule a public hearing on combining parcels in Kinsey's Garvendale, Brookfield oldest subdivision, to allow for a private school. Also on the docket is a request for an up-to 150-foot wireless communications tower and associated building at 19295 W. North Ave. and an amendment to the building and zoning code to allow residential greenhouses. Tuesday night will be a busy one at City Hall, beginning with a public hearing starting at 6:30 p.m. in the East Activity Room on rezoning the former Fire Station No. 3 city block at at the northeast …

• Photos (1)

The Week Ahead: Economic Development, Police Recruiting Top City Ticker

Along with blocs of regular city business, this week features farther-focused discussions on the makeup and marketing of Brookfield and the police chief's take on the future of officer recruitment.

There's a fairly full slate of city business on the calendar for early this week, including convenings of a couple of the panels that meet more rarely – one of them, only quarterly. The Economic Development Committee starts things off with its monthly meeting at 5 p.m. Monday at City Hall, with reports from the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce, the Brookfield Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the city's economic development coordinator’s presentation on the 2013 Work Plan. There will also be updates on the Brookfield Development Loan Fund, the Industrial Façade Improvement program and the city's marketing plan, a review 124th Street Corridor plans, and a discussion of city entrance signs. The quarterly meeting of the Police and …

• Photos (1)

Zoo Interchange: Kooyenga Joins Business Leaders in Pushing Project

Any delay in finishing the project will cost not just the area, not just the region, but the whole state in economic development and other benefits, say key legislator and commercial interests.

State Rep. Dale Kooyenga lives in north Brookfield, well away from the direct impact of reconstruction work on the Zoo Interchange. But he knows that doesn't mean he won't feel it — or that he doesn't see the need for it. "My world is from the west boundary of Madison to an east boundary of Lake Michigan in downtown Milwaukee," he said in an interview. "In its present condition, I avoid the Zoo Interchange when I can. To go to Milwaukee, I take Capitol Drive over to Fond du Lac and shoot downtown." Kooyenga's 14th District seat straddles the Brookfield-Wauwatosa line and much of the project area. But beyond his personal interest, Kooyenga also knows that the Zoo Interchange is the critical hub of transportation and therefore commerce for …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Brookfield Trader Joe's Opens Monday

The popular grocer will kick off with a "lei cutting," its unique twist on the traditional ribbon-cutting, before the doors open at 8 a.m.

Break out those Hawaiian shirts. The long-awaited opening of the second Trader Joe's grocer in the Milwaukee area — and third statewide — is happening in mere hours. At 7:50 a.m. Monday, the new Brookfield store at 12665 W. Bluemound Rd. will hold a "lei cutting" with Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto and Hawaiian-shirt-clad store employees, including Captain Jeff Clark (TJ's calls its managers "captains"). The store opens its doors 10 minutes later and will be open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. The store's phone number is (262) 784-4806. The popular Trader Joe's business — known for its almost cult-like following, fun and festive atmosphere and  private label specialty products and wines such as "Two-Buck Chucks" — was a big "get" …

• Photos (8)

Mayor's Memo

Bluemound Road Reconstruction 'Difficult' But Critical to Corridor

The disruption caused by this work on such a major thoroughfare has been difficult, but we hope completion of this project will result in improved traffic, safer travel and an economic boost to the area.

The reconstruction of Bluemound Road is now substantially complete with the final touches being made this month. Those touches include activation of the permanent traffic signals and removal of the temporary ones; syncing the traffic signal timing; cleaning up the medians; and painting the pavement markings. Bluemound Road is a state highway, as are Capitol Drive and Greenfield Avenue. As such, the reconstruction of Bluemound was done by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, with the City of Brookfield cooperating on the improvement of key intersections. The disruption caused by this work on such a major thoroughfare has been difficult, but we hope completion of this project will result in improved traffic, safer travel and an …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

UPDATED: Walker Touts Brookfield Plant Job Growth, Calls for Training

Gov. Scott Walker applauded Trace-A-Matic's facility and job expansions and said more training is needed to bridge the gap between highly skilled jobs and employees.

(Updated 1:35 p.m.) Gov. Scott Walker touted a Brookfield plant’s job growth Thursday as more evidence the state’s manufacturing sector was improving, but said training and matching highly skilled machinists remains an obstacle for many businesses. Walker said "everywhere I go" around the state, plant operators emphasize they can't find qualified, trained workers, despite unemployment of around seven percent. He encouraged the crowd of employees at Trace-A-Matic Corp. to help by encouraging others to enter manufacturing training programs at technical colleges and other venues. "Talk about the good careers and the good opportunities in manufacturing in this state," he said, adding that one of his sons, a high school junior, wants to pursue …

• Photos (15)

Updated: Industrial Supplier Wins Gap Financing from New Loan Program

The city and Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation will provide $150,000 to help spur job expansion.

(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) Brookfield industrial supplier Components Company, Inc. will receive $150,000 in gap financing from city and Waukesha County loan programs to purchase equipment and add five jobs in the next two years. It's the first use of the city loan program and joint project with the Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation, said Tim Casey, Brookfield's economic development coordinator. Aldermen approved the loan program in March, allocating $200,000 in hotel room tax revenue for low-interest loans to spur local business growth and job creation. "The whole idea is to work with businesses, primarily small businesses," Casey said. "We can help somebody who might be up against a credit limit or might not be able to get the …

• Photos (1)

Mayor's Memo

Milwaukee 7 Finds Success in Brookfield

Mayor Steve Ponto says "more initiatives are underway" following business expansions by Thomas Magnete USA and Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp.

Milwaukee 7 is a regional, cooperative economic development organization for the seven counties in Southeastern Wisconsin. Recently, I attended a Milwaukee 7 meeting in Racine. During the meeting, six “wins” for the organization in the preceding four months were highlighted. I was very pleased that two of the six “wins” for the seven-county area were in the City of Brookfield. The first win was the decision of Thomas Magnete USA LLC, a subsidiary of Thomas Magnete GmbH in Herdorf, Germany, to locate their production facility for North America in Brookfield. Thomas Magnete USA is a manufacturer of hydraulic equipment for the automotive and other machinery markets. In the next few years, the company will create 27 new jobs here. These will …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (3)

Milwaukee Electric Tool in Brookfield Plans to Add Jobs

The power tools manufacturer and seller plans to expand its research and development facility, with the help of state tax credits and a loan.

Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp. in Brookfield plans to add 103 jobs over three years in research and development, with the help of state tax credits announced today. Gov. Scott Walker said the power tool manufacturer, based at 13135 W. Lisbon Rd., is eligible for up to $1.5 million in economic development tax credits and a $250,000 loan to finance the expansion. Brookfield Mayor Steve Ponto praised Milwaukee Electric Tool for working closely with the City and Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation to expand and add "highly skilled, family supporting jobs." The company is largest property owner in an northeastern area of Brookfield that the city is targeting as an innovation cluster area. It's not far from German hydraulics …

• Photos (1)

Mayor's Memo

Commercial Development Key to Being Premier City

Brookfield has always been "open for business," with Target and Thomas Magnete the latest successes in a strong focus on economic development.

In these challenging economic times, governments at all levels are focused on economic development. States and cities are increasingly aggressive in recruiting businesses to their jurisdictions.   Governor Walker has emphasized that “Wisconsin is Open for Business.” The City of Brookfield has long emphasized the importance of its business sector. One of the chief reasons for Brookfield’s success is that it has a large commercial property tax base which has enabled us to have a relatively low property tax rate. In effect, the large commercial sector in our City is helping us maintain lower property tax rates for the benefit of all property taxpayers — most notably, residential property taxpayers — and still provide a high level of services…

• Photos (2)