A crowd gathered on February 23, 2024 to commemorate a bold new mural in Milwaukee\u2019s Bronzeville neighborhood. The subject of the mural by Terrell Morgan \u2013 Ego the Artist is longtime SARUP faculty member and acclaimed urban planner, Welford Sanders, and his impactful legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carolyn Esswein\u00a0(Associate Professor and Co-Chair, Urban Planning) was among the community stakeholders who spoke at the ceremony. She reflected on the tremendous changes that Sanders catalyzed, tracing their work together back to the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe came to me, and we looked at a plan to redevelop North Avenue as the Bronzeville area. That\u2019s where it all started,\u201d said Esswein. \u201cWe worked on several revitalization visions over the years, and in 2013, he said \u2018we\u2019ve done a lot; we\u2019ve had 40-some million invested through this work, but I want to look at underutilized sites and vacant buildings on King Drive.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That led to the development of the first community design and development charette, a process that would be repeated 13 times on various projects throughout the city. To date, the MLK and Bronzeville charettes have resulted in more than $400 million in existing and ongoing investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut that isn\u2019t the number that would matter most to Welford,\u201d Esswein added. \u201cThe numbers that mattered most to him were the number of people living in the new housing units, the number of new businesses, the number of new jobs, and the profound impact on the neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alderwoman Milele Coggs spoke about the enduring impact Sanders has on the people who continue to help revitalize the district. She proudly calls it the best King Drive in the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlthough Mr. Sanders is no longer with us, so many of those who stood shoulder to shoulder with him are,\u201d said Coggs. \u201cWe continue to build it, but we already have it. Of the 900-plus King Drives in the nation, I challenge you to show me one that has been invested in as much as ours. Mr. Sanders invested at the time so people could see the beauty that we now see, to see the possibilities that we now see.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her hope is that when people come down King Drive, they will continue to be reminded of the contribution that Sanders has had Bronzeville and the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Welford was a member of the Urban Planning faculty at 51ÁÔÆæ for more than 20 years. He taught practice-based courses related to community planning, development, and real estate, influencing hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. He inspired students to explore the real estate and development side of planning and become future leaders of our city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mural is located at 2767 North MLK Jr. Drive, just steps away from Sanders\u2019s former office.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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