DNC, Milwaukee leaders give progress report one year away from convention

Democratic National Convention CEO Joe Solmonese said Milwaukee but they have a lot of DNC work left to do.

"There's everything left to do really," Solmonese said. "We're very much in the planning phases now."

Mayor Tom Barrett says one of the biggest hurdles remaining is a formal security plan, and they should know by January what area and what streets will need to be closed off.

"I understand the secret service, their number one concern, number two concern, and number three concern is safety," Barrett said. "As it should be. We also want to make sure that businesses and individuals can move around the heart of the city as freely as possible."

Pfister General Manager Tim Smith says people have booked hotels in areas surrounding Milwaukee - even as far out as Madison and Lake County Illinois, but they are ahead of the game in matching delegates with spaces.

"Working with the DNC staff, their housing staff just kind of confirming how many rooms each hotel is holding, that kind of thing," Smith said. "And to be a year out and that far ahead in the process I think everyone feels real real good."

Barrett says the city is behind on funding streetcar expansion to the Wisconsin Center District. He also said transportation in general will be a major undertaking.

"The area just north of the arena here is an area where you will see dozens if not hundreds of buses, that will transport delegates to their hotels," Barrett said.

The city wants about 12,000 volunteers to work, but said they probably won't need most until the summer of 2020.