'This is a no go for us': Milwaukee residents share concerns over proposed Midtown Center development
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Screaming and shouting was at the center of an open house in Milwaukee for the Midtown Center development proposal project.
Wednesday, June 10, marked the first of three open house meetings discussing the fate of the Midtown Center site that was a former Walmart more than a decade ago.
The Midtown Center project proposes a new library, affordable housing, self-storage, and a computer research facility.
As city leaders tried to explain this proposal, a crowd formed around them, with chanting and screaming from the crowd as they interrupted to voice their concerns.
The biggest concern from residents is the addition that project leaders say is a computer research facility.
Residents say it resembles a data center, and don’t want to see a negative impact on the environment and their utility rates.
They say space could be used in a better way to benefit the community.
"This is a no go for us," said Stacy Smiter, who attended the meeting. "We are not against development. We are against things that do not benefit us. We will no longer just sit back and go a blind eye, because that’s why they are coming over here to the northwest side."
Milwaukee District Two Alderman Mark Chambers, who lead the meeting, emphasized the computer research facility is not a data center.
Chambers has actively spoken out against data centers in the past and says it doesn’t even come close in comparison and is a small computer research facility.
"Mega data centers are using millions of gallons of water," said Ald. Chambers. "Hundreds of thousands of kilowatts of energy and this is not doing that. What this is doing, is using the existing Walmart facility energy. It's using the existing HVAC and cooling that is already generating here, just like if a Walmart was still here.
This proposal is still in the early stages and the application would have to be reviewed and approved by the Department of City Development and City Plan Commission.
There will be two more open house meetings at the former Walmart location on June 18th from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and June 27th from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.