Talk of expanding Milwaukee's streetcar to the lakefront brings frustration at City Hall

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- There was more talk at City Hall Wednesday, May 13 about possibly expanding Milwaukee's downtown streetcar, and it turned out to be a frustrating session for some aldermen. 

The Milwaukee Common Council's Public Work's Committee discussed expanding The Hop line to the lakefront. It's something that's been in the works for a while, but it's always been linked to the proposal to build a 40-story tower. 

That building, "The Couture," has been on hold for a long time and because of that, so has the streetcar expansion. 

Milwaukee Alderman Bob Donovan proposed separating the two projects. He's getting resistance from the Department of City Development. 

"I know your level of frustration, we've talked about it. However, you know, we're still optimistic and we believe the project will move forward and at a time when so many different cities are seeing their projects stall, we're still seeing momentum," said Lori Lutzka, project manager for the Department of City Development. 

The project manager says supporters believe there will be "an announcement" about The Couture by late June.