The Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District has announced it will no longer partner with Riverworks Development Corporation after seven years together.
The Improvement District is a quasi-governmental organization run by a board comprised of residents and business owners focused on things like home repair grants, community events and infrastructure investment.
Riverworks, a nonprofit community development organization, was instrumental in the formation of the Improvement District as it exists today.
According to Darryl Johnson, executive director of Riverworks, the goal of the partnership was to grow the Improvement District board’s ability to be self-sustaining.
“This transition reflects the growth and maturation of the Harambee NID,” said Lakesha Wilder, chair of the Improvement District board of directors.
Both organizations expressed their gratitude toward one another for the partnership while the board’s resources and ability to self-govern matured, and both remain committed to the Harambee neighborhood.
The Improvement District will continue to distribute funds and accept applications for the Home Repair Grant Program – allocating up to $10,000 for specified repairs.
Riverworks will focus on bolstering the Beerline Trail, an old railway converted into a recreation path for residents. The nonprofit also runs the Riverwest Farmer’s Market and is looking to continue to expand it to more than 40 vendors year-round at a permanent site on the Beerline Trail, Johnson said.
The 2026 Improvement District board was elected in December 2025, and new members got their official start for the year earlier this month.
Everett Eaton covers Harambee for the Journal Sentinel’s Neighborhood Dispatch. Contact: ejeaton@usatodayco.com.
Neighborhood Dispatch reporting is supported by Bader Philanthropies, Zilber Foundation, Journal Foundation, Northwestern Mutual Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Foundation, and reader contributions to the Journal Sentinel Community-Funded Journalism Project. Journal Sentinel editors maintain full editorial control over all content. To support this work, visit jsonline.com/support. Checks can be addressed to Local Media Foundation (memo: “JS Community Journalism”) and mailed to P.O. Box 85015, Chicago, IL 60689
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Harambee Neighborhood Improvement District becomes more self-sustaining
Reporting by Everett Eaton, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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