UP: Metropolitan Place. A deal with lenders staves off foreclosure on the downtown condo development. Under the settlement, a Milwaukee attorney will take over for developer Cliff Fisher as manager of Metropolitan Place's second phase. Fisher allegedly owes $26 million in loan payments. No word yet on whether the deal will allow the Willy Street Co-op to proceed with plans to open a second store in the building.
DOWN: State Legislature. Lawmakers ended their 2007-08 session last week, without having accomplished much of anything. The Gang of 132 did not pass a statewide smoking ban or the Great Lakes compact. It did not pass bills to create mental health parity, bring Wisconsin's right to sue for medical malpractice in line with other states, restore the legal age of adulthood to age 18, or extend rights to caregiver grandparents. After all that non-work, these folks certainly deserve a break!
