Mayor Johnson signs zoning ordinance allowing Moxy Hotel to move forward

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Heading over to Deer District, the vacant lot that used to be the Bradley Center is now officially set to transform. 

Earlier Thursday, Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed a zoning change that sets the stage for the Moxy Hotel. 

The space near Fiserv Forum will soon become a new seven-story, 150-unit hotel. 

While the city is hailing the project as a win, it does have its opponents. 

Some labor unions accuse developer NCG Hospitality of trying to bust a union at the Trade Hotel. But the mayor calls the Moxy a benefit for the city.

"It's another step towards the development of Deer District," Mayor Johnson said. "It'll increase vitality in the neighborhood; it'll add hotel rooms near the expanded convention center. Perhaps most importantly, it'll add hospitality jobs to people that live right here in Milwaukee."

The zoning change is just the first step in the construction project. 

NCG Hospitality expects to break ground in the next few months.