The Streetcar project is a critical element in Milwaukee's efforts to promote economic development downtown and along the route. In fact, fostering economic development is one of the primary goals of the project established at the onset of the Alternatives Analysis. The City identified vacant and underutilized parcels in the study area and evaluated alternatives alignments based on, among other factors, their proximity to these parcels under the recognition that fixed guideway transit service will promote transit-oriented development and/or more dense development.

Economic development potential within 1/4-mile buffer of the initial route and extensions over the next 20 years could generate approximately:

• 9,000 new housing units (63% increase)
• 13,500 new residents (55% increase)
• 1,000,000 square feet of new occupied retail space (31% increase)
• 4,000,000 SF of new occupied office space (28% increase)
• 20,500 new jobs (23% increase)
• $3.35 billion in new tax base