Author: Lee Matz

Demolition of the Transit Center’s clock tower took place on January 7 at 8:41 a.m. along the Milwaukee lakefront. The gradual process of removing the Downtown Transit Center began in October. Designed as a transportation hub, the building had been underutilized for years. With the iconic clock tower demolished, little remains to identify the former lakefront structure. After crews clear the site at 909 E. Michigan Street, construction is expected to being this year at the location for the Couture building. That 44 storied skyscraper will take almost three years to finish. It will have a public transit center,...

More than 5,000 people packed Bradford Beach along Lake Michigan for the annual New Year’s Day Polar Bear Plunge. The unseasonably warm weather attracted a near record crowd for the aquatic tradition. In past years, participants had the challenge of navigating snow drifts and ice chunks before entering the frigid Lake. This year, under a cloudless blue sky and bright sun, the water temperature of 30° was very close to the air temperature, making the plunge less of a shock for swimmers. However, taking a dip in winter is still not considered a leisure activity, even in Milwaukee. Rescue...