2007 EDD Awards
2007 Economic Development Planning Award
Whitnall-Summit Co. and the City of West Allis
The Economic Development Planning Award for 2007 was awarded to Whitnall-Summit Co. and the City of West Allis who formed an economic development partnership that has catalyzed redevelopment and brought creative financing to the revitalization of the former Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co. complex. The 166-acre former industrial user, Allis-Chalmers Mfg. Co., went bankrupt in 1987 at the cost thousands of jobs. From 1979 to 1989, West Allis lost 8,500 manufacturing jobs and experienced a decline of 10,000 residents, while the average wage within the City dropped 25 percent. In the last three years, the site has dramatically increased in value, due to the collaboration between Whitnall-Summit Co., and the City of West Allis.