Milwaukee mayor shares vision for housing, Northridge Mall, and hidden cameras at annual State of the City speech

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson recently touted all the good that has happened in the city over the last year and what the future vision looks like.

The mayor laid out that plan at the annual State of the City address March 30 at The Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy on North Vel Phillips Avenue in Bronzeville.

“Everything begins at home,” Johnson said.

The affordable housing issue made up the bulk of the speech. Johnson is referring to 2026 as the “Year of Housing,” which was all the more prevalent at his speech when he entered the stage to “My House” by Flo Rida and exited stage left to “Home” by Phillip Phillips.

Aside from housing, Johnson addressed the former Northridge Mall site, the economy, lead poisoning, public safety and took on President Donald Trump.

Johnson touted private housing projects happening throughout different aldermanic districts in the city in recent years, including three in Bronzeville, the historically Black neighborhood of Milwaukee that is undergoing a reemergence.

The mayor mentioned the Griot Apartments above America’s Black Holocaust Museum, the Historic Garfield Apartments which was converted from a former school, and ThriveOn King, as success stories.

“At each of these developments, neighbors were engaged and planning at an early stage,” Johnson said. “Halyard Park, Harambee and Bronzeville residents voiced their views in a process that made these projects better.”

But the main issue for residents will always be affordability, which is something Johnson says his administration is addressing.

“Every renter knows … the cost of housing, the affordability of housing is a big challenge for many,” he said.

The mayor cited a 2025 survey from realtor.com that stated Milwaukee was a “renter-friendly city.” He said the city earned that because thousands of new apartments were built in recent years, which helped drive down rent.

“I’m optimistic the building trend will continue because more units and more vacancies reduce the likelihood that rents will rise,” he said.

In recent days, Johnson said he approved city efforts to help build two more housing projects on the south side of the city by Walker’s Point. Johnson also praised private investors building new projects and rehabbing homes, including 100 new single-family homes that will be built in Amani. The mayor added that 200 families will be assisted by the city’s down payment program.

Mayor, Common Council target landlords providing shady housing

Part of the effort in housing this year must address the community’s growing frustration with landlords.

Johnson also has the support of some Council Common council members, including Sharlen Moore, Bob Bauman and Andrea Pratt, who announced in January that they support a legislative effort to increase fines on landlords who have repeated safety violations.

Some Milwaukee residents are subjected to uninhabitable conditions, typically during the winter months, losing heat, power, and water from burst pipes. Sometimes the city has to evacuate buildings and landlords have not been easy to reach in the past or they delay taking action.

“Pick up the phone!” said Fire Chief Aaron Lipski in January. The fire department typically has to respond to these incidents.

City Attorney Evan Goyke is also suing one of the city’s biggest out-of-state landlords for public nuisances, alleging widespread property neglect, code violations, vacancy, and unpaid property taxes that have negatively impacted Milwaukee neighborhoods.

“(Goyke) shares my impatience and he’s taking action with my full support,” Johnson said at his speech.

Northridge Mall to be placed up for sale this year

Commercial development is top of mind at Granville Station, the former site of Northridge Mall, which closed in 2003, but stood vacant for two decades as demolishing the building was being held up in court. 

“This past year, my administration led the effort to complete demolition of the old mall on time and on budget,” Johnson said.

Now, there will be development.

“Residents have shown remarkable patience as the blight and hazard lingered for years,” Johnson said. “They deserve a great development at this location.”

The site is going to be listed for sale this year, Johnson said.

Mayor says Port Milwaukee is fueling good jobs, union jobs

Any new development of Northridge will need to attract dollars, and as a nationwide cry out for affordability lingers, the mayor said the local economy is being supported by another mainstay of the city — Port Milwaukee.

Now serving cruise ships, the port is an international hub for trade.

“When ships come here to pick up (agricultural) exports they can arrive loaded with imported cargo. That means more business for our docks.”

Johnson said he anticipates 20,000 passengers arriving in Milwaukee on cruise ships this year.

“Think about what that means for our local economy,” he said. “That’s thousands of restaurant visits, that’s thousands of hotel stays. Spending their money here means jobs and economic boost for Milwaukee’s businesses and hospitality workers.

“Good jobs have always fueled Milwaukee’s economic strength. Good jobs benefit families. Good jobs benefit neighborhoods. Good jobs, particularly union jobs, are always welcome in Milwaukee.”

The mayor’s public safety agenda includes hidden cameras

The mayor believes that good jobs can lead to an decrease in crime because people have more to lose.

Johnson touted the reduction in reckless driving being seen, according to data provided by the Department of Public Works. He largely credits the physical changes seen on many Milwaukee streets, where protected lanes and speed bumps were added.

He added his administration and Milwaukee police are cracking down on illegal dumping by using hidden cameras.

“The lazy, selfish people who dump piles of garbage in alleys and vacant lots, they’ve been surprised by our new enforcement efforts.”

There is a $5,000 fine for illegal dumping in Milwaukee. Most of the efforts have been targeted in Borchert Field and Amani, but the mayor wants to expand the surveillance.

“My plan is to expand the hidden camera efforts to catch more illegal dumpers.” 

The mayor feels the city has made progress on gun violence. Although homicides were up in 2025, Johnson notes that nonfatal shootings were down significantly.

Johnson’s plan to address the gun violence is changes to the gun laws, which he’ll need the help of the state and federal government, which is currently Republican controlled. 

“There are still far too many guns in the hands of people who should not have them,” Johnson said.

“I’m taking this moment right now at this address to call on legislators, … do your job!

“Let’s improve red flag laws, let’s improve background checks, let’s close gun sale loopholes which the goals of reducing homicides in the city and suicides statewide.”

The mayor goes after Trump

The mayor also admitted that “things have changed” since Trump returned to the White House.

“Under the current administration, ties between local government and the federal government have broken.”

Johnson used the speech as a moment to address some national issues.

“I understand that elections have consequences, but it’s far from clear that voters wanted a cruel defunding of federal programs. No one, absolutely no one, voted for the militaristic adventurous in South America, the Middle East, even Greenland. Even the president’s strongest supporters did not ask for skyrocketing gas prices.

“The deadly and malicious immigration policy of (Trump’s) administration is particularly egregious. I’m gonna be direct, immigrants make Milwaukee stronger. Immigrants make Milwaukee safer. Immigrants make Milwaukee rich. They always have. Immigrants add to our economy. Immigrants add to our culture.

“Immigrants who have positively contributed to our city should earn a path to citizenship. Of course, undocumented individuals who commit serious or violent crimes they should be deported. But under the president’s direction, what we’ve seen is heartless roundups of hard working immigrants. We’ve seen families get broken apart. We’ve seen our neighbors terrorized by brutal enforcement actions. We’ve seen protestors shot dead in the street.

“The rights and the dignity of every single individual must be protected, must be respected.”

Trump denied financial relief to the Milwaukee area after floods swept through the county. Milwaukee’s northwest side was particularly affected.

Johnson doesn’t ignore our geographic location and how extreme weather can affect the city.

“We’re a resilient city and that resilience is occasionally tested by weather,” Johnson said which led to audible groans and then laughter from the crowd.

It appears that the flood left a mark on the city.

Johnson decided to lean into the laughter and make light of a running joke in Milwaukee, where piles of fallen leaves linger on streets for weeks being covered in winter snow before the city picks them up.

“I think about those snowfalls, November 30th, we can’t collect no leaves, man. It keeps throwing us off,” Johnson said with a smirk.