MILWAUKEE | Lake Pointe Tower | 43 floors | NEVER BUILT

[Steely Dan]

here's some exciting news about a potential new skyscraper for brew city. scroll down for the renderings.



From the Business Journal:

Lake Pointe taking shape
BY PETE MILLARD

The proposed $207 million Lake Pointe Tower has secured one anchor tenant and is in negotiations with Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. to become the second major tenant in the 43-story building that would be built in downtown Milwaukee.

The two anchor tenants are crucial to moving forward with the much-talked about office tower that would be just south of the U.S. Bank Tower, 777 E. Wisconsin Ave. The structure is currently the tallest building in Milwaukee at 42 floors.

The building would be developed by JBK Properties Inc., Milwaukee, at the intersection of East Michigan and North Cass streets.

U.S. Bank is committed to occupying two floors in the proposed building. said Bill Bertha, president of U.S. Bank Wisconsin. U.S. Bank is a partner in the development of Lake Pointe. The bank currently occupies about 300,000 square feet in the U.S. Bank Tower, which is also owned by the bank. In addition, the bank has leased office space in the 811 E. Wisconsin building and the Lewis Center, 606 E. Wisconsin Ave.

Baird, a Milwaukee brokerage and investment firm, is considering relocating part of it's downtown operations from the U.S. Bank Tower to Lake Pointe. Baird is negotiating with U.S. Bank on renewing it's lease that expires in 2009 for 250,000 square feet on 10 floors of the 33 year old U.S. Bank Tower, said Joe Ullrich, a bank vice president involved in the negotiations.

"Baird is looking for a number of possibilities", he said.

John Rumpf, a Baird spokesman, said the company will complete a needs assessment and make a decision this fall on its office space.

Westin Deal

Lake Pointe Tower has also secured a commitment from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Whiteplains, N.Y., to open a 214-room Westin Milwaukee Hotel in the building said Ullrich. In addition, Lake Pointe would include retail shops, and 34 condominiums on the top 14 floors.

Ted Matkon, a vice president for JBK Properties, declined to comment on the tower's tenants or design.

The Lake Pointe Tower would replace a parking structure owned by U.S. Bank. The building would become a prominent gateway to downtown Milwaukee, Bertha said. "Our skyline could use a boost". he said.

The proposed building's architecture would enhance the image of the city's skyline and fit well with other buildings along Milwaukee's lakefront, said Jim Barry III, president of Collier Barry, a Milwaukee real estate brokerage and development firm.

The building's design, which is not yet completed, will compliment the Santiago Calatrava-designed addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Discovery World at Pier Wisconsin, said Bertha.

As part of the plan for Lake Pointe, the city of Milwaukee is planning to upgrade East Michigan Street with a promenade from the lakefront west to North Water St. Pedestrian-friendly landscaping and additional parking will be added around East Michigan Street, said Bertha.

The office portion and retail shops of the building would occupy the majority of the bottom 12 - 15 floors of the building with the hotel taking up the next rung of floors.

The best views in the high-rise building will be reserved for condos at the top. The condos would be sold unfinished, allowing owners to design their own space. The condos would sell for up to $425 per square foot.


http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/3267/lptmilwaukeeyv8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/2462/lpt2milwaukeelb4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[CGII]

Awesome! We have ourselves a thread!

It'll be a very nice project once more tweaking has been done to the design. It'll really be great to see the final project.

The article states this project as 43 floors, but the thread says 42. I wasn't sure if this was just error or maybe some beyond information, so I counted the floors from that diagram and I only see 39...There must be mezzanines or other uncounted mechanical floors, or possibly basement floors?

[Tom In Chicago]

Interesting proposal. . . not sure how I feel about this unusual design, but it looks promising. . .

[samoen313]

They should build it ten feet away from Kilbourn Tower also.

The design's really not that bad. It's just a little Jennifer Lopez-esque. Nice and slender on top and then a BIG ass tacked onto the back. Not very consistent but it really isn't bad.

[UptownChiBoy]

Hm, good for Milwaukee, this could be interesting...

[Milwaukee, WY]

This is good... I was beginning to doubt that it would ever get built.

[HowardL]

Quite cool ... has a nice European "look" to it. Right on, Milwaukee.

[Thefigman]

I like the look of this building.

I really like the park on the roof section midway up.

[rgolch]

friken' awesome.

Lets get this one done. Thanks for the post steely.

[SJPhillyBoy]

Sharp looking building...very nice if it happens.

[NYC2ATX]

This is a pretty cool building. Its great how Milwaukee is making a turn-around. I just read an article in National Geographic Traveler about the city, you guys should check it out.

[Skyking]

This is one incredible-looking building! Let's hope it gets done because it would immediately, and dramatically improve Milwaukee's skyline.
I like the design - very different, especially for conservative Milwaukee. It resembles a billowed sail on a sailboat.
It appears to be a little shorter than US Bank. That's ok. As much as I'd like to see a new record-holder for height, the Lake Pointe Tower would go a long, long way towards helping the skyline. This looks like one, kick ass development!

[WonderlandPark]

A building with a beer-belly, lol. I like it though, Milwaukee needs this one.

[CTroyMathis]

Yep, I dig it.

[spyguy]

Great looking tower. It reminds me of that (dead) Booth Hansen proposal for Milwaukee.

[Visiteur]

A stand-out tower that would greatly enhance the skyline. I hope to see this one under constructed within the near future.

[Stephenapolis]

Great addition to the skyline. Milwaukee could really use it IMO too.

[Dan in Chicago]

From the Business Journal:

....will compliment the Santiago Calatrava-designed addition....


There's no excuse for a professional journal to misspell "complement".

A different name for the building would be nicer -- I'm not comfortable with another LPT so close to the real one. (I know there are a few others around the world.) But the design is intriguing. I also thought of the Booth Hansen proposal but apparently Gonzalez Partners designed this.

[nomarandlee]

I love this building, it would be a major plus for any city. It would give Milwaukee's skyline a sense of modernization and sophistication befitt of the city.

[Wheelingman04]

It is great to see that Milwaukee is getting a new tower of that height.

[Markitect]

But the design is intriguing. I also thought of the Booth Hansen proposal so I wonder if they're designing this one.

Lake Pointe Tower's bowed-out design is somewhat reminiscent of Booth Hansen's design proposal to replace the Chase Tower parking garage (now dead)...but I haven't seen their name in connection with LPT at all.

Gonzalez Partners of Chicago (which is where the above renderings come from) and Kahler Slater of Milwaukee are the two architecture firms whose names I've seen attached to LPT.

[Dan in Chicago]

^ Yeah, I just realized that and edited my message. Thanks though!

[Sirus]

I think it'd look better if they chopped off the back side, but overall it's a quality tower. Will be some nice height too. Congrats!

[CHAPINM1]

This will be dramatic improvement to the Milwaukee skyline without a doubt!

[ExpatADAM]

One of the better looking proposals I've seen in a long time.......hope this becomes reality for Milwaukee!

[observer]

Who is the architect?

[nickaster]

That is PHENOMENAL!!!

Of course, there is "no comment" on the design, which means this is likely just a concept that may be totlaly different once built.

The greenery on it is especially interesting... I wonder if we'll see a LEED rating on this? Could MKE get a LEED platinum skyscraper before Chicago? How cool would that be.

The architectural integrity of the lakefront is really starting to come together, with interesting white bulidings being the clear standout. I really like this theme and hope it can continue!

[ChicagoBruce]

Very nice. It’s a break from the box that dominates Milwaukee, while not being so out there that it’ll look out of place. Kind of plays off the Art Museum a bit as well. With this and Kilbourn and the University Club Tower, that lakefront skyline is looking better and better.

Now, if they can get this built, get the freeway done and finally develop Pabst and the Park East land, downtown Milwaukee will be a true gem (and I like it now).

[CGII]

Who is the architect?
Gonzalez Partners of Chicago in conjunction with Kahler Slater of Milwaukee (who, to me, is imfamous for uninspiring boxes).

[Steely Dan]

^ but isn't Kahler Slater just the architect of record, like they were for the MAM addition? i belive that the actual design for this one is coming from gonzalez partners.

[CHAPINM1]

I couldn't read the blueprint figures, but could anyone tell me exactly what the height is?

[Dale]

A new tallest ?

[foxmtbr]

Awesome! :tup:

[Derek]

i like this one but how many feet is it?

[Dr Nevergold]

Wow, great news for Milwaukee. The city has a beautiful downtown and I've always enjoyed my visits there. This will certainly place a new signature on the skyline.

[CGII]

^ but isn't Kahler Slater just the architect of record, like they were for the MAM addition? i belive that the actual design for this one is coming from gonzalez partners.
I don't know if true or not, but it appears to be the case. They do that a lot for higher profile projects.
i like this one but how many feet is it?
We don't know. The diagram posted on page one has numbers, but they're too small to see. It's supposed to be a twin tower of the US Bank Building of 183 meters (601 ft.), and I estimated this one at 182 for the diagrams from some of the renderings.

[Dac150]

Nice looking building. Very creative.

[Thskyscraper]

That is cool

[Boisebro]

love the design; wish they'd go taller, though. the US Bank building's been the city's tallest since i was in grade school. love to see a new tallest, especially since it'll be built so close to the US Bank.

:)

[Dale]

And how could they go 182 meters when the tallest is 183 ?

[ChicagoBruce]

^^^^Well, US Bank is a partner in this development and their name is currently on the city's tallest, so it could be a bit of an ego thing.

I'm not surprised Baird may want in on this. If there is going to be a new signature tower in the city, Baird will lease some space in it. Status is important to them.

[djcody]

Very excited to see this become a reality. Good to see the positive responses from everyone about a city that's making a comeback!

Hopefully they will give out the exact height of the building soon.

[WIRICK]

I really like the sail-like concept. I think that the building's design would be better served if it were at least 50 stories (minimum), and have a more narrowed design.

[Lecom]

Sleek, fresh design. Makes the Futurama Milwaukee skyline outdated by the way, with the US Bank still clearly dominating the scene in 3002 or whatever.

[Dalton]

You can compare this design to a sail all you want, but I have a feeling this building is more likely to be nicknamed "the keg" by the locals. Not that I'm criticizing the design, mind you - it seems aesthetically pleasing enough at first glance.

[James2390]

Very beautiful design!

[TheDesertFox]

I agree with the Keg guy. I want it to get taller (800 ft) and less fat.

[Marcu]

Looks like there's going to be another reason to come up to Milwaukee for a day or too. The city is really transforming itself.

My only problem - what's with the "e" at the end of "pointe"? Is that just to make it sound more pretentious? Maybe I just don't know how to spell.

[mbradleyc]

Looks like there's going to be another reason to come up to Milwaukee for a day or too. The city is really transforming itself.

My only problem - what's with the "e" at the end of "pointe"? Is that just to make it sound more pretentious? Maybe I just don't know how to spell.
I don't like that sort of spelling either. But they do it so that they can trademark the name.

[Skyking]

I'll say this...if Lake Pointe gets built and the Ghazi boys build their 32-story project on Wisconsin Ave. across from the Midwest Airlines Center, we're gonna start to see a pretty decent skyline taking shape - even if it is too spread out (except for that damn University Club Tower stuffing itself into the pocket of Kilbourn Tower! However, I really do like the looks of UCT).

[TheDesertFox]

It's still in a very tentative stage. They should know Milwaukee wants a tall building. Taller and thinner, I say! And more unique! The side is a hard core box, and I don't like that at all. Yeah though... if Ghazi goes up, and these... much different skyline, although like you said too spread out. I just hope you could see Ghazi from the lake. You can't see a lot from the lake.

[ltsmotorsport]

Design is cool, but I don't like the proportions. Looks too wide for its height. Prolly should be a little taller. ;)

[DetroitSky]

I like the design, but why is the name so similar to Chicago's Lake Point Tower?

[Nowhereman1280]

I have a couple things to say about this building.

I'm not sure what I think of the design at the moment because, as many have said before, it seems a bit too fat for its height. I also think that it has an uncanny resemblance to an electric razor in the view from the west.

I couldn't agree more with the statement that the Milwaukee skyline has always been kind of akward because it builds up to the south and east and then just drops off like a cliff at the tallest building. I think between this building, the projects that are under construction for 8-14 story buildings in the Third Ward, and the proposed18 story Rennaissance ClubSport/marriot building on broadway and milwaukee, that akward feeling should be reduced. The biggest effect will be having an 18 story building on the south side of 794, I really hope that one come to fruition.

So I really hope this one gets built, but also that it doesn't end up looking like a giant electric razor. Maybe the design will be modified for the better.

[Skyking]

It's still in a very tentative stage. They should know Milwaukee wants a tall building. Taller and thinner, I say! And more unique! The side is a hard core box, and I don't like that at all. Yeah though... if Ghazi goes up, and these... much different skyline, although like you said too spread out. I just hope you could see Ghazi from the lake. You can't see a lot from the lake.

Whether you'd be able to see much of the proposed Ghazi building from the lake is not that important. But a 32-story building of this magnitude would do wonders for an iffy West Side of Downtown. Based on the initial renderings, it appears as though the Ghazi building would rise about 8-10 stories above the Hilton next door. This would give the skyline a whole new look from every direction - except from the lake, where you can't see much of 37-story Faison Building (is it still called that?) or 30-story Milwaukee Center tower either. Since we can't change the distended skyline to make it more compact, we might as well fill it in wherever possible. But, of course, neither of these projects had put a shovel in the ground yet...

[MilwaukeeMark]

...37-story Faison Building (is it still called that?)...

No one calls it by that name anymore... it's better known as 100 East Wisconsin or the Wells Fargo Building.

[Skyking]

Does anyone know anything about the work being done -- whatever it is -- on the proposed site of LPT? Drove past the other day and noticed cranes and it sounded like pilings being driven.
I'm sure it's premature to get too excited about preliminary work for this awesome tower. :worship:
But, one can hope...

[Steely Dan]

^ wow! so you're sayng that there's a chance that site prep is already occuring for this tower. now i'm doubly intrigued about this project.

who knows the score on this?

[Nowhereman1280]

I doubt that it is already under site prep, I hope it is, but I doubt it. Are you sure that its just not some sort of spill over from the freeway/interchange project?

There is new action elsewhere in Milwaukee now, they approved the 20 story Ruvin development in the Park East. Is there a thread for that one?

[Steely Dan]

There is new action elsewhere in Milwaukee now, they approved the 20 story Ruvin development in the Park East. Is there a thread for that one?

the spectacular ruvin project is being discussed here: Milwaukee - development thread (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=7246&page=36)

[Markitect]

Regarding Lake Pointe Tower...

1) Developers are still waiting for more office anchor tenants. The office firm they're trying to woo has not made a decsion on whether to move into LPT, find someplace else, or stay put at their current location (which happens to be in the US Bank Center). They're not expected to make a final decision until later this year.

2) Developers have not lined up all of the financing (private and public) for this proposal yet.

3) Developers haven't received any City approvals for the proposal.

4) There's a low-rise parking garage on the site for the proposed LPT. That has to be demolished before any work on LPT could commence.


As for the Ruvin proposal in the Park East corridor...that has not been "approved" yet either. All that's been decided is to whom the County Board will sell the land (Ruvin won out over Rana). In other words, all that's taken place was a land transaction. The County does not have any authority to actually approve the developments...that responsibility lies with the City.

[Skyking]

This from NorthernILMike from another site:

-----------------------------

Saw this little tidbit coming up hopefully good news for Lake Pointe Tower.

This is on Oct 26th Bonza Schedule

Special Use/ Dim Var.
Dismissal U.S. Bank National Association
Corporate Real Estate Dept.; Property Owner 815 E. Michigan St.

Request to construct a mixed-use(residential, commercial, office) high-rise building, (41 to 45 stories) with a helicopter landing facility on site, that is over the maximum allowed floor area ratio permitted by code.

-----------------------------

Not sure exactly what this means, but it seems there is forward progress for Lake Point Tower. :tup:

But, what's with the helicopter landing pad?! It was in an early rendering, and it looked pretty stupid. Why the heck would you need a helicoper pad on LPT?

[Markitect]

Not sure exactly what this means, but it seems there is forward progress for Lake Point Tower.

But, what's with the helicopter landing pad?! It was in an early rendering, and it looked pretty stupid. Why the heck would you need a helicoper pad on LPT?

This is just an entry on the agenda for the upcoming Board of Zoning Appeals meeting. What it means is whatever zoning changes the developers were applying for are being dismissed. Not approved, not denied, but dismissed...meaning whatever they wanted is no longer applicable to the project.

The rooftop helicopter landing area that showed up in earlier designs (from back in February) no longer appears on the more recent design drawings (from last month), so most likely the dismissal has to do with that. They no longer need/want the landing pad, so they are withdrawing their request to change the zonging to let them have it.

[i_am_hydrogen]

As for the Ruvin proposal in the Park East corridor...that has not been "approved" yet either. All that's been decided is to whom the County Board will sell the land (Ruvin won out over Rana). In other words, all that's taken place was a land transaction. The County does not have any authority to actually approve the developments...that responsibility lies with the City.

I'm assuming approval will be forthcoming. Any idea when the city is scheduled to make its decision?

[Markitect]

I'm assuming approval will be forthcoming. Any idea when the city is scheduled to make its decision?

When the developers are ready to ask the city for all the necessary approvals.

They're not ready to do that yet. More anchor tenants are needed, financing (most likely from private and public sources) stuff has to be worked out, etc.

[Steely Dan]

sorry, there's nothing new to report, but i had to bump this as a purge protection.

[NYC2ATX]

is this thread dead? anyone know what happened to milwaukee's new promise building?

[CGII]

It's certainly not dead, just quiet, lots of behind the scenes work going on right now.

[i_am_hydrogen]

Didn't Baird, the potential anchor tenant for this building, renew its lease with the US Bank Center?

Edit: I found an article: Good news for downtown, bad news for the LPT.

Baird's headquarters will stay in U.S. Bank Center

Published February 8, 2007 - BizTimes Daily

Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. announced today it will keep its headquarters in the U.S. Bank Center at 777 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee.

The company said it has signed an extension for its lease in the building through 2014. The extension provides Baird with about 264,000 square feet of space on 12 floors with options for additional space in the future.

The announcement is a blow to Milwaukee-based JBK Properties Inc.'s plans to build Lake Pointe Tower, a proposed 42-story mixed use building at the current site of a parking garage just southeast of the U.S. Bank Center. JBK needs to obtain an anchor tenant to get that project going and was trying to convince Baird to move to the proposed new tower.

"We know they were under a tight deadline and they had to decide if they were going to stay or go," said Carl Mueller, a spokesman for JBK. "Of course we would have loved to have them in the new building."

Despite the decision by Baird, Mueller said the Lake Pointe Tower project is still "very much alive" and there are other potential anchor tenants that could commit to moving to the building, which would allow construction to begin. He declined to name those tenants.

"The project is very much alive," Mueller said. "I think this will have a potential impact on the timing, but other than that this is still a very attractive location. We fully expect the planning and process to move forward."

Baird said its executives conducted a "very thorough review of a wide variety of options" for its headquarters location.

"Throughout our review process, our primary considerations have been providing the best experience for our associates and clients while positioning us for the future," said Paul Purcell, Baird's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We felt it important to have our home office associates working in close proximity. And, we know that maintaining our headquarters in the city's premier lakefront property underscores the important role Baird and its associates play in Milwaukee's downtown as well as the greater metropolitan area."

Baird is the largest tenant in the 1.1 million-square-foot, 42-story U.S. Bank Center, which is the state's largest office building. Baird has more than 900 employees who work in the building.

Baird studied numerous locations and facilities in the greater Milwaukee area for a possible headquarters relocation. In reaching its decision, the firm said it considered a number of factors including cost, convenience for clients and employees and site amenities.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said he is glad the company is staying downtown.

"I'm extremely pleased that Baird has committed to staying in downtown Milwaukee for years to come," he said.

"Downtown Milwaukee has proven to be a great place for Baird to do business, and we like to think we've helped make downtown a more vibrant place to work and live," Purcell said. "We're pleased to be an integral part of the city's future."

http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2007/2/8/bairds-headquarters-will-stay-in-us-bank-center

[NYC2ATX]

Didn't Baird, the potential anchor tenant for this building, renew its lease with the US Bank Center?

Edit: I found an article: Good news for downtown, bad news for the LPT.

Baird's headquarters will stay in U.S. Bank Center

Published February 8, 2007 - BizTimes Daily

Robert W. Baird & Co. Inc. announced today it will keep its headquarters in the U.S. Bank Center at 777 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee.

The company said it has signed an extension for its lease in the building through 2014. The extension provides Baird with about 264,000 square feet of space on 12 floors with options for additional space in the future.

The announcement is a blow to Milwaukee-based JBK Properties Inc.'s plans to build Lake Pointe Tower, a proposed 42-story mixed use building at the current site of a parking garage just southeast of the U.S. Bank Center. JBK needs to obtain an anchor tenant to get that project going and was trying to convince Baird to move to the proposed new tower.

"We know they were under a tight deadline and they had to decide if they were going to stay or go," said Carl Mueller, a spokesman for JBK. "Of course we would have loved to have them in the new building."

Despite the decision by Baird, Mueller said the Lake Pointe Tower project is still "very much alive" and there are other potential anchor tenants that could commit to moving to the building, which would allow construction to begin. He declined to name those tenants.

"The project is very much alive," Mueller said. "I think this will have a potential impact on the timing, but other than that this is still a very attractive location. We fully expect the planning and process to move forward."

http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2007/2/8/bairds-headquarters-will-stay-in-us-bank-center

I hope it does move forward, I can see Milwaukee changing for the better, I want that to keep up.

[thrillbilly]

Can you post the renderings up again? They won't show.....

[i_am_hydrogen]

Can you post the renderings up again? They won't show.....

The design will probably be tweaked and refined.

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/3267/lptmilwaukeeyv8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img130.imageshack.us/img130/2462/lpt2milwaukeelb4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[X-fib]

Interesting design but taller and thinner would be better. An 800 footer make a profound statement in Milwaukee.

[Tom Servo]

"The design will probably be tweaked and refined."

If anything changes, I hope it's only to refine the detailing; hopeful the structure stays the same.


Who is the architect of this?

[Nowhereman1280]

Interesting design but taller and thinner would be better. An 800 footer make a profound statement in Milwaukee.

Yes Milwaukee needs something like an 800 footer (or even 700'er), but not here, this building would actually fit in alot better if it were a bit skinnier or about 5 floors shorter, because otherwise it will make the already akward cliff at the US Bank Building twice as bad. There needs to be some sort of taper on the south, I don't know if the Third Ward will ever produce anything to that effect. I've always thought that Milwaukee's skyline would become perfectly balenced if they built a 650-800' building on or south of Cathedral Square, it would be the perfect spot in relation to our current buildings.

[thrillbilly]

Yes Milwaukee needs something like an 800 footer (or even 700'er), but not here, this building would actually fit in alot better if it were a bit skinnier or about 5 floors shorter, because otherwise it will make the already akward cliff at the US Bank Building twice as bad. There needs to be some sort of taper on the south, I don't know if the Third Ward will ever produce anything to that effect. I've always thought that Milwaukee's skyline would become perfectly balenced if they built a 650-800' building on or south of Cathedral Square, it would be the perfect spot in relation to our current buildings.

I agree with you there, milwaukee's skyline always looks wierd with that sudden cliff.

[CGII]

There are plans for an 18 story hotel on St. Paul St. in the Third Ward, which, lamentably will probably be cut down, if it hasn't already.

Slightly off topic, but I designed a 50 some floor tower for the corner of Milwaukee and Wells, currently a two level parking garage, that to me, would be the best place for Milwaukee's tallest.

[Markitect]

The Renaissance ClubSport hotel proposal in the Third Ward was reduced to 14 stories several months ago...a much better fit for the neighborhood.

[NYC2ATX]

There are plans for an 18 story hotel on St. Paul St. in the Third Ward, which, lamentably will probably be cut down, if it hasn't already.

Slightly off topic, but I designed a 50 some floor tower for the corner of Milwaukee and Wells, currently a two level parking garage, that to me, would be the best place for Milwaukee's tallest.

I can see that happening, but also, I looked on Google Earth in downtown Milwaukee, and I saw a surface parking lot bordered by E Mason, N Jefferson, & N Jackson Streets. I think that would be good for a tall building also b/c it calls back to Nowhereman's idea for something south of Cathedral Square.

The Renaissance ClubSport hotel proposal in the Third Ward was reduced to 14 stories several months ago...a much better fit for the neighborhood.

I'd love to see a rendering of that hotel, maybe some more info as well. It sounds interesting.

[thrillbilly]

The Renaissance ClubSport hotel proposal in the Third Ward was reduced to 14 stories several months ago...a much better fit for the neighborhood.

I haven't heard anything on this, is there any renderings or website?

[Markitect]

I'd love to see a rendering of that hotel, maybe some more info as well. It sounds interesting.

I haven't heard anything on this, is there any renderings or website?

The Renaissance ClubSport hotel is a proposal that's been in the works for a couple of years now. I posted the most recent info and renderings last month over in the Milwaukee Development News thread. Just go there and scroll back through January...can't miss it.

[thrillbilly]

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/6968/rcs1bt0mo0.jpg

^Is this it?

[CGII]

Yes.

[BUFFALOVE!!]

tower looks great! Love the green space on the very top and at the top of the back. And i agree that it shouldnt go any taller because it would make the skyline look too awkare w/ the us bank building right there. love the rendering with the art museum.

[X-fib]

Yes Milwaukee needs something like an 800 footer (or even 700'er), but not here, this building would actually fit in alot better if it were a bit skinnier or about 5 floors shorter, because otherwise it will make the already akward cliff at the US Bank Building twice as bad. There needs to be some sort of taper on the south, I don't know if the Third Ward will ever produce anything to that effect. I've always thought that Milwaukee's skyline would become perfectly balenced if they built a 650-800' building on or south of Cathedral Square, it would be the perfect spot in relation to our current buildings.

I kind of like walls of skyscrapers. Such at the north end of Grant Park, or looking west along Michigan ave for example in Chicago. Guess I pictured this as having a similar effect in Milwaukee looking north from the Summerfest gounds giving US Bank a neighbor so to speak. I think this perspective would be impressive.

[Lost Island]

Reminds me of a keg of some kind. Perfect for Milwaukee. :D

[prdaley]

It would be so great to see this project get off the ground, but losing Baird as a possible tenant is a really tough blow. Sigh.

[alphawolf]

Anything new with this one?

[tdawg]

that's lovely. it compliments the quadracci pavilion quite nicely

[i_am_hydrogen]

I haven't heard anything in a while. To the best of my knowledge, an anchor tenant is still being sought. This project obviously can't get financing without one.

[Steely Dan]

posted over on SSC. this one is officially gone.

Looks like Lake Pointe Tower will never happen --

U.S. Bank working on redevelopment plan for parking structure

Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp is examining the possibility of redeveloping the 900-space parking structure located to the south of its 42-story office tower in downtown Milwaukee.

U.S. Bank hired Brookfield-based Hammes Co. to help create a redevelopment plan for the parking structure. U.S. Bank has been working on the project with Hammes since last fall.

"We are investigating the possibility of replacing our parking structure," said U.S. Bancorp vice president Joe Ullrich. "In doing so we are investigating how we might re-build it to allow for the best chance for a redevelopment, the highest and best use, rather than just a replacement. Hammes is helping us determine what we should be looking at."

Stuart Zadra, vice president of Hammes Co., declined to disclose details about the development that could be incorporated into the parking structure site.

"We are in the initial stages of establishing that plan," he said.

The property's location near Lake Michigan and next to the U.S. Bank building and near other major downtown firms, including Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. and Johnson Controls, makes it very attractive for development, Zadra said. The recession makes a major redevelopment difficult, but the involvement of a major financial institution such as U.S. Bank is a major plus, he said.

A few years ago U.S. Bank partnered with JBK Properties on a proposed 40-story mixed use building for the site of the garage annex, located southeast of the U.S. Bank office tower and next to the tower's parking structure. That project, called Lake Pointe Tower, never moved forward because JBK could not obtain an anchor office tenant.

The garage annex would be incorporated into the master plan for the parking structure redevelopment, Ullrich said.

U.S. Bancorp hopes to begin work on the project this year, Ullrich said.

"We're looking at a plan to do significant repairs to the parking structure or to start a redevelopment project before the end of the year," he said.