Mayor Barrett announces City effort to protect Menomonee Valley business from flooding

Floodwall funded with federal money will position Rexnord for growth

Governor Jim Doyle and the Wisconsin Department of Commerce have approved funding of a significant flood control project in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley that will protect the Falk facility where hundreds of workers currently produce high-value industrial gear drives. The $2.3 million funding will help prevent flooding and will allow Falk, part of Rexnord, to expand its operations at the current site.

“The City of Milwaukee is glad it can partner with a company like Rexnord to make sure its operations can continue smoothly, without interruptions from occasional flooding and position the business for expansion,” Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said. “The Falk facility has a long history in our community, and we look forward to the possibility of increased employment there in the future.”

Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley is a job-creation success story. Companies located in the Valley have created thousands of jobs, reinventing this part of the city as a thriving industrial area. Milwaukee city government has partnered with Valley development efforts by planning, constructing infrastructure, and identifying resources that encourage business growth.

The floodwall approval, one of 122 projects in communities across the state, will provide the City of Milwaukee with funds from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development for long-term disaster recovery through the Community Development Block Grant Program.

The Falk facility is home to a 70 ton capacity electric arc furnace. Flooding forces a shutdown of the furnace and a costly stoppage of work and clean-up at the plant.

Construction of the new floodwall will begin later this year. The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District is also working with the company on associated internal drainage system work at the Falk site.