South Milwaukee pitches RNC visitors on past presidential ties. Will it work?

 

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Five months before thousands of visitors descend on Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention (RNC), leaders in South Milwaukee are trying to sell those guests on a detour to this South Shore community.

The city of South Milwaukee posted an open letter to RNC officials and visitors Monday. The pitch revolves around the city's current attractions, such as its lakefront, golf courses and restaurants, but also its ties to a past Republican president.

The Bucyrus plant built 77 steam shovels that helped dig the Panama Canal under Teddy Roosevelt.

"This is a fascinating part of Roosevelt's legacy, in particular," City Administrator Patrick Brever said. "And we feel that it will appeal to those here for the RNC to nominate who they believe will be their next president."

Mayor Jim Shelenske, who's lived his entire life in South Milwaukee, said the manufacturer was once one of the ties that bonded people in the community.

"When I grew up, you knew somebody or a relative who worked here," Shelenske said. "There were a lot of local people, a lot of good jobs."

Eventually, Roosevelt left the Republican Party in 1912 when he was nominated as the Progressive Party's candidate. During that campaign, Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt in Milwaukee, even finishing his speech after a gunman shot him.

As for Bucyrus, the company was bought by Caterpillar in 2010. The company still operates in South Milwaukee while the original Bucyrus plant is now a city-owned property that holds a museum for the company's artifacts, as well as a catering and event space.

A sharper image

Shelenske said one of the city's goals, in addition to attracting visitors this summer, is redefining its image within the metro Milwaukee area.

"When people call or talk about South Milwaukee, they're thinking [of] the south side of Milwaukee," he said. "No, we're the city of South Milwaukee."

James Moran is quite familiar with perceptions of this suburb. His father and stepmother opened Moran's Pub in 1995, and he eventually took over the business in 2017.

"I think there is a perception, you know, we're a bit backwards out here. It's a blue-collar town," Moran said. "It's a good group of hard-working people. The factories are no longer here, and times are changing."

James Moran's family has run a popular tavern in downtown South Milwaukee for nearly 30 years.

Moran, who was born in England, is used to welcoming a wide variety of guests; the tavern is one of the region's most popular gathering places for English Premier League soccer matches. 

While he's aware of how some people view South Milwaukee, he's quick to mention his belief there's been lots of positive momentum in recent years.

"We've got more businesses moving here than ever before in my time," Moran said. "So, there's definitely this big revival going on right now."

Brever said the city hoped to capitalize on those new businesses lining the main drag, Milwaukee Avenue, as part of an overall rebranding effort the suburb will launch this summer.

How realistic is an economic bump for suburbs?

VISIT Milwaukee has estimated the RNC will draw between 45,000 and 50,000 visitors with an economic impact of $200 million for the region.

While the COVID-19 pandemic derailed hopes for a $200 million bump for the 2020 Democratic National Convention (DNC), the Milwaukee area can look at the results from the 2016 conventions as a guide to whether estimates are realistic.

In Cleveland, the 2016 RNC was projected to have a $200 million impact. A study done by researchers at Cleveland State University found the convention ultimately generated $142.2 million in revenue.

The 2016 DNC in Philadelphia generated $230.9 million, according to Philadelphia's convention and visitors bureau. Convention officials had estimated that year's DNC would bring the region $350 million.

On an even smaller scale, UW-Milwaukee Associate Economics Professor Scott Drewianka said he was skeptical one suburb could draw a ton more traffic away from Milwaukee or any other suburbs.

"Selling [themselves] as opposed to other places seems difficult to me," he said. 

Drewianka said it'd be wiser for local governments to think bigger than a one-time bump from an event. He said a better goal might be selling visitors on reasons they should either relocate or expand their businesses to a particular suburb.

"I think what they are hoping for is that it ultimately promotes some ongoing sort of relationships, as opposed to just a short-term gain over a long weekend in the summer," he said.