Blog #4 - Historic Districts

Yes, the Historic Third Ward should be in the National Register Historic District. Not only does it preserve the surrounding buildings and charm, but it also keeps money into the area (high rent, nice shops, businesses etc.) which is a must for Milwaukee, especially bordering Wisconsin Avenue which can at some times not be the greatest, depending on where you are.

Pros
So there are a few things that I enjoyed seeing while going over the guidelines for the Third Ward. First, the "patterns of use" on page 10 describes the use of buildings from 1970's and current proposals. Mixing of manufacturing, office space as well as housing has always been something that is interesting to me. I really enjoy being able to have the opportunity to live in a building that also has businesses within it, it creates a fun and inviting atmosphere for the people that live there.

Second, I agree with the fact that the walls of buildings should come to the edges of the street. This creates a nice flowing visual for the viewer and also allows for a straight look of the street, compared to having a wide open lot. Sometimes wide open areas can be used for things other than their intended purposes, which doesn't always bring the greatest people.

Third, the use of windows within buildings to showcase store fronts is the best way to invite people into their stores and to get a sneak peak in what they have to offer. Some store fronts that just have a door may lead to the person not going in, mainly because they have no idea what it is so why should they waste their time? I also agree with having major building entrances to the public, some of which depending on where they are located and the type of place, are very interesting. Lastly, garage doors that line up on outer walls that face the public should be designed nicely and mixed with other surrounding elements. They are after all apart of the buildings and the design, so why would should they not have the same design guidelines?

Cons
There are a couple of things I didn't care for within the guidelines. One is the high-rise development, mainly only being able to do mid-level buildings (that are roughly in line with what is already in tact in the Third Ward). Now, this partly relates to businesses and creating jobs or having the ability to add a substantial amount of money into the city of Milwaukee. Looking at it from that point of view and depending on what the projections are, I think rules could be bent in that case. Say there is a building that would be built and could bring in a significant amount of money and people to the city of Milwaukee, do we risk saying no just because of guidelines, or do we say yes because, after all we are not Chicago, L.A. or N.Y.? Just my thought.

The second thing I didn't care for was the parking lots. The lots themselves are expensive (to be expected in this area, especially being right in the heart of the downtown area) but do not offer a ton of security. Maybe these lots (there are some, but I do not believe they are within the actual Third Ward) could be built to four or five-story parking structures with security. If you are paying top notch dollar for parking, you should at least feel good about your car being there and not getting broken into.

I do believe that historic districts should have guidelines. As far as other cities go, in general, there should be some type of standard, or at least a board that says this can't be here because of reasons a, b, and c. Without guidelines, even loosely based, chaos would incur. Being in Houston, I have seen an area with no zoning laws, and let me tell you, it looks god awful. Being the fourth largest city, you would think there would be MORE guidelines in place to keep everything organized.