Riverworks Development Corporation

Neighborhood development: collaborates with residents and other stakeholders to create a vibrant community that reflects the culture and values of the harambee and riverwest neighborhoods. This includes activating and revitalizing public spaces with art and culture, facilitating community improvement and safety projects, and connecting residents and homeowners to resources - including those available through the harambee neighborhood improvement district (nid) #7. In 2024, residents engaged in the beerline shuffle, music on the beerline, the riverwest farmers market (over 100 vendors participated), the 53212marketplace series, community meetings, neighborhood clean ups, and other events that unite the harambee and riverwest communities. The harambee quality of life plan brought together community stakeholders and residents to begin the implementation phase for a plan to improve the neighborhood and resident quality of life. The beerline trail neighborhood development project continued to ensure the next phases of trail development serve the needs of the community, and that other development inspired by and centered around the trail benefits residents equitably.

Business development hub: provides technical assistance to local entrepreneurs and businesses. Our business specialists provide business coaching and strategic budgeting sessions to help find funding and grant opportunities that fit their needs. Services available to businesses include property/business beautification strategies, security initiatives, marketing & promotional opportunities, and business planning. We connect property owners and entrepreneurs/small businesses to physical space and provide each entrepreneur with our network of partners and educational opportunities. In 2024, the hub assisted new businesses in starting, growing, marketing, and funding their ventures. Through the brew city match grant program, milwaukee businesses were awarded a total of $434,700 for marketing, predevelopment and construction costs.

Riverworks cleans: hires community members who have barriers to employment through this social enterprise program. They serve the community by cleaning up sidewalks and curbs, vacant lots and commercial districts. Services include litter and graffiti removal, event set up, minor landscaping, streetscape maintenance, and returning stolen property. Contracts include private businesses, bids, and the city of milwaukee. In 2024, riverworks cleans worked in 7 milwaukee business improvement districts and collected 125,100 gallons of litter, emptied 1,074 trash cans, and returned 422 shopping carts. Riverworks cleans also completed 1,230 illegal dump work orders issued by the city of milwaukee, resulting in 6,031 cubic yards of debris, removed from city-owned properties.real estate development: leads catalytic residential and commercial projects which have a positive economic and social impact on the community. The four core values are: create jobs, stabilize the tax base, repurpose vacant & blighted properties, and generate revenue for rdc's programs. The riverworks city center, completed in 2018, houses the offices for rdc staff, as well as the riverworks coin laundry, a rotating whitebox space for local businesses, a space rented to family dollar, and the beerline plaza. The riverworks lofts, completed in 2012, has one- and two- bedroom loft-style apartments on the intersection of holton and townsend. The riverworks commons, completed in 2004, is a shopping center on capitol drive with 21,000 feet of retail space. In 2024, kuumba juice & coffeehouse opened for business in the connector building, which is a 2,900 square foot space that hosts a multi-use community room and cafe adjacent to the beerline trail.