Recently some one told me that UWM is considering building a $149 million engineering campus and research park on the Milwaukee County Grounds in Wauwatosa. What? Why?

I hadn't read or heard much on this, so I turned to the Web for some research. Seems many local leaders had gone straight to the daily newspaper to pitch and float this idea. There it was on jsonline, "Engineering school would go on Tosa acreage." I also found takes on the story on other media like the Daily Reporter, thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com and a few other entities.

Anyway, why expand the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Wauwatosa? I know it's all about regional development these days, but honestly what type of college student would want spend his/her college days apart from the buzz and life of a real campus? And, shouldn't UWM take charge and help figure out ways to build life and economy in its own city? Why not build on or around the current campus, in the Park East, Pabst City or Menomonee Valley?

Who knows, maybe I'm being too parochial. Maybe not. Either way, we need more discussion and input about where to put key assets like this. Especially key assets like an engineering school that can truly help increase Milwaukee's brain gain!

Thoughts? Please use the talk backs and start the discussion!