Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs Construction Project Impact Mitigation Prepared for: City of Milwaukee, Department of Administration, Budget and Management Division May 7, 2010 By: Bo McCready, Ian Ritz, Rocio Sanchez-Moyano, Mike Schultz, Sarah Wainscott

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs The Impact of Construction  Public construction projects may harm business  Limit access  Change shopping patterns  Business failure  decreased health of local economy, smaller tax base for City  This creates the need for mitigation

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs Background and Methods  Background  Little existing research  Standard practices  Methods  Contacted 46 cities  Large and small sizes  All climates  Oversampled Wisconsin and Midwest  Uniform set of survey questions

Status Quo  Limited public meetings  Communication  Limited signage  Construction supervisor  Limited website  DPW call center Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs

Goals  Cost-effectiveness  Ease of implementation  Political feasibility  Equity

Construction Mitigation Options ServiceService Definition Percent that provide service (%) CommunicationMailings, , flyers, phone with stakeholders 94 Public MeetingsOpen meetings with relevant stakeholders 94 SignagePostings to inform public 79 Website/HotlineInformational telephone operator or updates and information available electronically on the internet 68 Program LiaisonPosition designated to interact with stakeholders 62 ParkingEfforts to ensure adequate parking by business staff and customers 53 Paid AdvertisingFully or partially funded advertising effort by city 38 Cooperation with local entities Inclusion of resources from community organizations or development groups 35 Business EducationInstruction intended to assist business operation 29 LoanPublic or private loan to business 26 ArtTemporary pieces incorporated into construction site during construction 18 Cooperation with higher education institution Inclusion of resources from a college/university 15 Direct compensationFinancial resources distributed to business with no repayment expected 6 Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs

Recommended Construction Mitigation Service Package  Public meetings  Communication  Signage  Website  Business education  Program liaison

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs Program Evaluation  Goal: Services are effective  Increase service usage, Reduce complaints, Increase satisfaction with services  Gather data: Track complaints, administer survey  Analyze data: Identify trends  Report findings

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs Status Quo vs. Construction Mitigation Service Package

Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs For copies of report, Additional Information