Proposed engineering school gains support; County leaders say UWM facility would foster growth
BYLINE: JOHN SCHMID, Staff, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Three senior Milwaukee County political leaders and philanthropist Michael Cudahy on Friday threw their support behind a proposed engineering school and research park that the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee wants to build just west of the city as an incubator of economic growth.
The officials addressed the UW Board of Regents ahead of a meeting Monday of the Milwaukee County economic development committee, which is scheduled to vote on a motion to begin talks to sell a parcel of unused county land in Wauwatosa for the UWM campus.
"I plan to do everything I can to make this become a reality," County Board Chairman Lee Holloway said.
"I support it 100 percent," said County Board Supervisor Michael Mayo Sr., who leads the economic development committee that meets Monday.
"This would be one of the most remarkable advances we could make, not only for education, but for the economic development of the region," County Executive Scott Walker said.
UWM's chancellor and other speakers expressed confidence that the school has collected commitments from private-sector donors to buy the county land and also for the $149 million to build the campus after the land is secured.
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