Overview
- The proposal will not be heard at the May 18 City Plan Commission meeting after the alderman said residents lack clear information.
- Plans from AFS Milwaukee, LLC pair two 4‑story, 100‑unit affordable housing buildings with a new library branch, city offices, and up to 19,000 square feet for a data processing and computer research space.
- City documents describe that space for high‑performance computing with office areas and a dedicated equipment room used to run research models.
- Alderman Mark Chambers said the computing area is expected to be small, would use a closed‑loop cooling system that does not draw city water, and will face limits to prevent noise and air‑quality problems.
- Online posts and local groups cast the project as a large data center, stoking confusion and mixed neighborhood reactions, while the long‑vacant former Walmart site awaits further outreach and a future hearing.