Changing Milwaukee’s Skyline

In 2011, Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee aspired to a brighter vision for Milwaukee; one that included additional economic development and a spotlight on the assets of this place. To further that vision, Milwaukee County sought to redevelop its Downtown Transit Center bus barn located at the lakefront, and collected proposals from developers, including an early iteration of The Couture from BLVD.

Nearly ten years passed between the time BLVD submitted its proposal and it was possible for construction of the Couture to begin. In the intervening years, the project faced countless challenges – including legal challenges that necessitated a trip to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s loan approval process, and demands on the County that required redesigning and re-envisioning the building to include true public transit elements.

Because of the sheer number of challenges and duration of time from when the project was first proposed and when construction began, there was serious skepticism among members of the media, and a need for an organized approach to coordination with City and County officials. BLVD turned to Mueller Communications to develop collaborative partnerships with the City and County throughout the evolution of the project, as well as to develop a communications strategy to mitigate negativity, and provide positive news angles to the media in order to support ongoing efforts to raise capital for the project.