Opponents of I-794 removal say tearing down freeway could lead to economic decline

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A group that supports tearing down part of I-794 is hosting a series of “walk and rolls” — a way to see what downtown could look like if part of 794 was removed.

Built roughly 50 years ago, I-794 continues to face aging infrastructure.

“Do we really want to see a freeway through downtown?” said Taylor Korslin with Rethink 794.

“It’s coming to the end of its useful life,” said Tracy Johnson, CEO and president of The Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin.

Rethink 794, a community-driven project, says by removing 1.5 miles of the freeway near downtown Milwaukee, the city could see an economic boost of nearly $475 million over 30 years because of more land open to development.

“Especially with the Amtrak, The Hop – this is a connected corridor that could potentially have lots of housing and would fill quickly, we think,” said Korslin.   

The Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin says otherwise.

“This is a regional asset. You’ve got users from Bay View, you’ve got users from Waukesha -- 74,000 cars a day,” said Johnson.

An independent study done by The Commercial Association of Realtors found that the longer it takes people to get to downtown, the more money the city loses.

“And what we found is that there would be a slowing of economic growth around $560 million annually, and that’s conservatively,” said Johnson.

Rethink 794 says it believes with additional housing and real estate development, the city’s downtown would become more vibrant.

“The potential economic benefits far outweigh the alternatives,” said Korslin.

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is expected to make a decision about the removal of the freeway late next year.