Best of luck to this new enterprise. I hope people do visit it's non-taxpayer subsidized competitors along North Ave. They may not be cool, hip and trendy to some folks, but to some of us their ability to make it without a handout is very cool -- something that we wish would become more trendy.

It WAS trendy to ignore East Tosa- and it was becoming a stagnant district which attracted the likes of payday loan stores and an uncommon number of hair and nail salons.
Stick around awhile- you might change your tune on public investments.

Ignore? Gormans, Crankys, Ono Kinde, North Ave Grill----they took on the risk and made their businesses work w/o a handout. Why in the name of Uncle Milton Friedman do business owners of the wildly successful Hi Hat and Il Mito need a taxpayer subsidy to open or expand? How about this---lower my taxes so I have more disposable income to spend at restaurants on North Ave?

Your taxes currently subsidize under-performing properties and their degrading value.
Finally some relief with getting this property back on the roles and carrying its own weight!

Where is the cry and howls from the leftists about 'family supporting wages' and 'living wages'? Why does Tosa continue to subsidize fast food, these businesses are money losers for the area, didnt Blockbuster teach any of you rubes anything?

Ester---

I am glad you are not in government. These subsidizes are bad for those businesses that competed on a level playing field, perhaps received a loan from a bank, created a business plan and marketed for customers. They have become, much like the aforementioned Ono Kinde Grindz, great corporate citizens. Now, Ono has to compete for dollars against a restaurant who would like a handout from the City/Feds. What do you say to those two owners at Ono? Perhaps you would say something like “a rising tides lifts all boats.” Why can’t Scott Johnson take out his wallet? I think North Ave stands on its own merits. No subsidizes required. Just say no.

Ms. Meyers,

Been living the East Tosa dream since Clinton was president and seen many quality businesses like Cosmos Cafe, Ono Kine Grinze, Snap Fitness, North Ave Grill, Martini Girls Gallery, U-Turn resale shop, Cranky Als and many more move in and do pretty good without help from Uncle Sugar. Several of them got alot of grief from previous full-time city development staff for having the temerity of trying to make a buck outside of a particular "vision" for the street.

Observe the building renovations some of these CDBG recipients do and ask would they have been done to that level without public assistance? I agree that an attractive storefront is needed, but examine the high end materials and expensive decor. Example: Rocket Baby Bakery's granite counter tops and hardwood trims. It is a very nice amenity, but are such things required to provide a quality baked good? If the owner only had his own cash, would the interior be a bit more austere?

Perhaps a hand-up is needed to get something going at certain spots. However, there are hand-ups and then there are hand-outs. Free money to an established group with a track record of success sounds like an unnecessary hand out.

The Mojofuco group (according to its own website) does not own Comet Cafe. There have been many articles repeating this information, but it is incorrect and a correction should be made.

This is excellent. More seating for Il Mito, BelAir Cantina, and the Rosebud reopening - 68th to Lefeber is turning into a dining and entertainment destination, which only means good things for shopping in the area.

Hopefully Ono Kine gets some spillover, North Ave Grill gets its act together, and we get one more bar / lounge - or, Walter's could just rip out the video games, spruce up the decor and spray some febreeze.

I support the use of these funds. They will actually help the taxpayers by allowing the district to revitalize itself without the need for city dollars (this is grant money from the U.S. government, right?). It's likely that the Bel Air project in particular will have a ripple effect on neighboing properties and will result in an increase in property values throughout East Tosa.

And to everyone saying "Boo, subsidies are terrible, etc" -

Sure, but let's get real. The economy's not very kind to startups, but people in Tosa have money to spend. Let's invest in the neighborhood, and try to add to the momentum (Rocket Baby, Rosebud, North Ave Grill, Cosmos, Ono Kine, Juniper 61, U-Turn) that's already there. Besides, Mojofuco has a solid track record.

If the fish store / garage gets rehabbed into a nice restaurant, that's worth the money by itself, and is a good thing long-term for property values. I'm sick of looking at those empty windows.

"Your uncle Miltie understood that capital investment feeds business and attracts other business, Stan. Although he'd rather the area were entirely devastated first so his friends could swoop in and buy things up at rock bottom prices."

Capital investment can indeed feed new business. North Ave, the village and other parts of the city have been clawing its way back and the people doing the clawing are the businesses I have mentioned above, which have mostly been doing it on their own. Wauwatosa has been evolving pretty well in that respect.

Now that the hardest work has been done and a corner is being turned in many parts of Tosa. So with that done, now the metro area big dogs like Alterra and the Mofofuco group want to waltz right in and "invest" in the area with limited risk and demand a handout to do it because they are too cool and hip to be turned down.

Meanwhile, people howl at the moon and sigh uncontrollably when an "uncool" business wants to open up on their own dime in an empty building.

I hope all these public assistance recipients do well and the "game-changing" vision is met, and that these businesses don't wipe out their quality competitors who didn't have their advantage. However, I think we need to re-examine our priorities on the entire issue and vision of business in Wauwatosa.

Also,

Most of the businesses I mentioned have owners who live right in Tosa and plow their money right back into Tosa. The owners of Alterra and Mofofuco are are different animal. I think anyone should be able to open a business and where they live doesn't matter and if they destroy their local competition then that is life, but if we are going to "invest in Tosa", why are we using tax dollars to subsidize people who don't live in Tosa compete against those who do live here, especially, if they have had the means to open other locations without assistance.

I am not an absolutist on this. If a property needs environmental remediation to make it useful, then CDBG is a great vehicle. If there is only one of something -- like GE Medical HQ -- then perhaps you bite the bullet and sweeten the pot to get them here because the payoff and prestige is so great. However, catering to an affluent citizenry's penchant to eating out shouldn't be that high on the priority list.

One of the owners of Mojofuco lives in East Tosa.

"So, Random, your position is that renovating an eyesore and opening a proven restaurant immediately next to the neighborhood's only entertainment venue (soon to reopen itself) isn't worth $150,000 in federal block grants?"

Do I believe that the ownership group could find some way to bridge 10 percent of the total cost through refining their plan or obtaining alternative financing? Yes. This group was smart enough to build several very successful businesses presumably without federal money, I am optimistic that they retain those smarts.

Lots of smart people also grab all the free money they can get, even if they many not really need it.

"I also have to take issue with your belief that the presence of a restaurant offering unique cuisine (for the neighborhood) is more of a drag on its competitors than a complementary component of a combined dining and theater-going district. This will be a win-win-win for Mojofuco, the neighborhood and the nearby businesses."

Only if it succeeds in bringing large numbers of new people to the area. If the place is to rely only on me and my neighbors who are already spending our dining dollars on the avenue then my decision to eat tacos or hamburgers does make them direct competitors....now if the competitors suck, then they should rightfully lose business.

No bone to pick with affluent citizenry, but I think they can handle things just fine without subsidized culinary opportunities.

As the co-owner of Rocket Baby Bakery, I take exception to the characterization of businesses that have benefited from public investment as "subsidized". Starting a new business is notoriously risky and the failure rate is high. The major reason that even the most promising new businesses fail is lack of sufficient working capital to get over the "hump" when fixed costs are high, income is low, and financial resources are depleted by the investment necessary to launch a new business. My wife Shannon and I (who are Wauwatosa residents) have put everything we have on the line to make our dream a reality. The loan we received through the City's Revolving Loan Fund is part of a financing package together with a loan from Tri-City National Bank and our personal investment. The one-time CDBG grant we received (the same program which awarded $150k for the Bel Air project) helped to cover a third of our bakery equipment purchases, freeing up valuable working capital to make it through our start-up phase. The CDBG grant and RLF loan are tied to the creation of five jobs within a year: four months after opening, we have five full-time employees, including a head pastry chef who is decidedly not a minimum wage employee, and part-time staff equivalent to about three full-timers, all of whom make above minimum wage, and we continue to add staff. Judge for yourself based on the facts, not lazy labels.

The big picture is what is important... property values are what ultimately keep the neighborhood vibrant and desirable. There is a whole new generation of young professionals coming up who need decent affordable housing for their growing families in safe districts & East Tosa fits the bill. Give them a reason to live here (i.e. options to socialize with their friends and neighbors at walkable destinations such as restaurants, coffee shops, libraries, parks, etc.) and decent schools for their kids & they will stay. Revitalization via any source available makes sense in an area loaded with potential like east Tosa.

The CDBG grant money is an investment in our community. I would say that BelAir Cantina in all ways was the best bang for the buck. Great things are happening on North Avenue and the addition of a new business where there is currently a blighted building is welcome.

" That was amended to give Il Mito $60,000 after Feker said that he would need that much to do the most critical part of his project — a new and larger kitchen hood."

So making it more accessible to handicapped customers was a ruse, figuring if its listed on the application it has a better chance of being accepted.

From today's paper---page 2----

Forty-one years ago, Carol Schneider, 75, and a neighbor founded Seek Careers/Staffing of Grafton. Schneider said she eventually became a sole operator in 1980 and for several years didn't take a salary. The firm now employs 60.

She said Obama's comment "was, for lack of a better word, a dumb thing to say."

"It got my ire up," said Schneider, who added that she puts in an 80-hour workweek.

"Nobody helped me, absolutely nobody," she said. "Not the government. Not the bankers."

I suggest that teachers, roadbuilders, policemen, military members, etc. did not "help" Ms. Schneider build her business, but rather, such people were paid to perform jobs that created a basis for all of the Ms. Schneiders of the nation to build a business. They are a constant, not a benevolent gift. They do create a foundation for the rest of us to go out there and earn a living....and then we pay our taxes to pay for those services. We don't get them for free. Their efforts are indeed required and valued, but should not be escalated to the point to where Ms. Schneider's initiative and sacrifice is diminished.

While Mr. Trenholm may have received a bit of gov't cash to get his business going. He still built it. I didn't. Ms. Meyers didn't. Ald. Pantuso didn't. The three of us had the same roads, access to public schools, drank the same clean water and enjoyed police services as Mr. Trenholm, but we didn't cobble together the funding and will to take a risk and build a bakery that many of us enjoy. He built it and deserves all the credit and benefit.

We have a society where the Schneiders of the world can build some great things. However, that person still built it and to take that away from that through such banal statements of "You didn't build that" is disrespectful and does not contribute to the solution of any problem.

Ms Schneider did not receive any grants that I am aware of. The roads and other services she paid for, most like 10x more than you paid for the exact same services. Enjoy your handouts.

My wife and I are young (Late Twenties), I would consider us affluent (95k+ household income), are landlords in East Tosa (Duplex), and I am a founder of a Milwaukee company that used federal grants to get started, so perhaps my opinions are biased.
We frequent most of the restaurants and businesses on North Ave. When we are bored with our options we tend to venture to east Milwaukee for more choices. I believe having more choices in the area encourages people like myself to spend our money locally, which I hope will in turn attract more businesses. People whom we know see our wonderful neighborhood and the wonderful businesses and venture here to go to our restaurants, bars and (in the past and soon again) the Rosebud. We even have friends who are interested in purchasing homes in the area after seeing all it has to offer. The more it has to offer, the more people will be drawn to it.
I have nothing but respect for the hard working individuals who had the ability to start from scratch, but I think it was a good choice to bring in BelAir Cantina and I am glad to welcome new businesses and opportunities into the east Tosa area.

I am sorry that some prefer to call something a "handout" that I would call an investment in our neighborhood. I wish best of luck to all the East Tosa businesses owners, old and new.

Sincerely,
A Happy Resident

Ahem. Third most senior individual in a small business that employs 30 full-time employees so I think I know something about the subject. This is a fascinating discussion on so many levels.

O'Reilly's comes in to take over an empty box with a long term lease and provide family supporting jobs and doesn't ask for a nickle of public subsidy. Some individuals get their nose out of joint.

In my neighborhood Alterra is going to (hopefully sometime soon) demolish the rotting and abandoned Aurora Clinic on 68th and Wells. An eyesore that's been festering for more than a decade. Anyway, Alterra received CDBG funds. A company that sold its distribution rights to multinational Mars, Inc. Imagine that.

It's a crazy mixed-up world we live in for sure.

I noticed today that The Rosebud was getting fresh paint. It's looking good.

Nice to see things picking-up in my old 'hood' lately. Bon chance to all the small businesses in Tosa.

Success can breed more success.