The Milwaukee Post

mix will be green space and assorted archi- tectural touches, including a clock tower. Developers also anticipate constructing between 150,000 and 200,000 square feet of retail space. At last week's event, one retail establishment, Water Street Brewery, was announced. "This is a game-changer for Oak Creek," Mayor Steve Scaffidi said as he addressed an enthusiastic crowd on a fittingly bright, warm Saturday morning. "I can't help but be excited about leading a community that's moving forward." The road to bringing Drexel Town Square to fruition has been long and wind- ing and met with a series of challenges – including the environmental cleanup nec- essary for the former Delphi site. Since August 2011, WISPARK LLC, the real estate development subsidiary of Wisconsin Energy Corp., has owned the massive parcel near Drexel and Howell avenues. "We see this as a blueprint others will be following," Jerry Franke, president of WIS- PARK, said. "This is going to be a model development, and it's going to be a trans- formative project." A product of the era it was birthed in, Franke said outer-ring suburbs such as Oak Creek traditionally have not had bona fide downtown areas that serve as hubs of meeting space and commerce. But Franke asserted the tide is chang- ing, and other communities with planning and characteristics similar to Oak Creek will follow suit in the years ahead. Challenges aside, Scaffidi, Franke and other officials at the helm of Drexel Town Square say strong collaboration is bringing the extensive project to fruition. "This truly is a partnership," Scaffidi said. "This is an investment in our city. We want to build a strong, new, vibrant com- munity." Another partner in the project is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, which has contributed $1.15 million to remove the massive concrete footings and foundations that were firmly entrenched at the former Delphi complex. Plans call for the concrete to be recycled and used toward some of the new infra- structure. The initial phase of Drexel Town Square is expected to be completed within 15 months. Work at this preliminary stage includes installing streets, curbs, gutters and lighting. Actual building construction is expected to start soon. Subsequent phases of the development are anticipated in the years ahead, and the full project is expected to be up and run- ning in the next five to seven years. 6 • Milwaukee County Post • May 16, 2014 Submitted photo A groundbreaking ceremony was held Saturday for the new 85-acre development site in Oak Creek. Pictured from the left are state Sen. Chris Larson, Milwaukee County Board Supervisor Steve Taylor, Oak Creek Mayor Steve Scaffidi and state Rep. Jessie Rodriguez. Drexel: Hundreds gather for groundbreaking of new town square development in Oak Creek continued from Page 1 Post Staff MILWAUKEE – "Beyond the Veil," a spe- cial exhibition showcasing the dress of Muslim women from the Milwaukee area that explores some enduring traditions in Muslim clothing, will open at the Milwaukee Public Museum today. The exhibit will run through Sept. 1 and is free with a museum admission. The exhibit features 30 traditional outfits, as well as special occasion and day-to-day items like table sets and jewelry. It high- lights the importance of cultural clothing to Arab and Muslim women, as well as illus- trates how women from different genera- tions continue to recreate and adapt ele- ments of their cultural dress to meet mod- ern tastes. "It is vital to value and understand the importance of appreciating diversity in dress and appearance among communities living in the Greater Milwaukee area," says Enaya Othman, director of the Arab and Muslim Women's Research and Resource Institute's Oral History Project. A joint project between the MPM and the AMWRRI, "Beyond the Veil" was supported by a grant from the Wisconsin Humanities Council. The exhibit aims to expand public knowledge concerning the significance of cultural clothing beyond stereotypes. "Understanding the culture and practices of diverse groups is important for any civil society. Too often, assumptions about a per- son are based on a single cultural indicator, in some cases clothing, when in reality our cultural identities are a complex product of values, beliefs, and the choices we make," said Carter Lupton, head of anthropology and history at the Milwaukee Public Museum. "The clothing that Muslim women wear often identifies them with their culture more obviously than does the clothing of men. Misunderstanding the reasons for wearing certain items can lead to stereotyp- ing of women that can be potentially nega- tive and prejudicial." Beyond the Veil is the culmination of a four-year-long project led by the AMWRRI dedicated to the study of the attitudes toward cultural clothing among the Muslim and Arab women of the greater Milwaukee area. The museum is located at 800 W. Wells St. www.mpm.edu 'Beyond the Veil' opens today at Milwaukee Public Museum Storms make a splash A driver splashes through standing water Monday afternoon. Heavy rains quickly flooded some streets and the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning. A second wave of storms came through Monday evening and prompted the NWS to issue a severe thunderstorm watch and another flash flood warning. The NWS said up to 2 inches of rain fell across Waukesha and Milwaukee counties Monday evening. Photo by Charles Auer/Conley News Service

• Cover