MILWAUKEE | Development News

[Nowhereman1280]

If it was a main road, with stop lights and all, then it definately was North Ave. If it was a smaller side street with a old little wall on the south side then a new fence after you cross Humbolt, then it was Resevoir/ Glover heading towards the North Ave. Park. I find that one of the best skyline-viewing walks in Milwaukee. That and walking onto the pedestrian bridge over mckinley.

[Skyking]

I like the view from the Hoan Bridge best.

It's a great view, especially coming up over the Hoan...but, I think that darn US Bank looks too dominating from this view, making the rest of the skyline look...well, paltry. I mean, USB is all you see - boom, right there in your face coming up over the rise. If the skyline was more condensed, this would be a tremendous view. I think the best skyline shot is immediately north of Pabst looking east/southeast. Unfortunately, there is no inclusion of water in this view, river or lake - two of our biggest assets.

[mbradleyc]

Speaking of the North Avenue Reservoir, that is supposed to be getting redone along with Kilbourn Park. It should have started by now. Has anyone seen anything going on there?

The plans can be seen here:

http://www.water.mpw.net/kilbourn1_06.htm

[Nowhereman1280]

Well they closed down North Ave. and redid that nicely this summer. Perhaps that was the first stage in redoing the reservoir? I think I saw some nice new crosswalks installed across the road up there or something last time I was up there.

[CGII]

I had always thought the North Avenue closure was to work on the park, but I haven't been on North since it reopened (in fact, I avoided it until now because I thought it was still closed) but I can't imagine why they'd close that specific section of North Avenue if it wasn't for the park. The rehabbing should be under way now...that'll be a fantastic park.

I still wish they could've found some way to incorporate a body of water into the grande scheme...it would've made for a nice, shallow reflecting pool sort of thing to pay homage to the old reservoir and add to the park itself, but nonetheless I'm excited to see this improvement to Riverwest.

It'd be really cool to see some decorative little pedestrian bridges over North Avenue to connect the South end of the park to the staircases, but now I'm just daydreaming. :)

[ReddAlert II]

* moderator Edit *

Redd, please do your ranting elsewhere, this thread is about milwaukee development.

[mbradleyc]

Redevelopment project seeks city aid

A $21 million redevelopment project, including improvements to one of downtown Milwaukee's oldest office buildings, would receive around $3 million in city financial assistance under a proposal unveiled today.

The city funds would help finance renovations at a 295,000-square-foot office building at 735 N. Water St. and a nearby riverwalk. Compass Properties LLC plans to make improvements to the building, and convert an adjacent 80,000-square-foot building, at 731 N. Water St., into condominiums and a parking structure.

The 16-story building at 735 N. Water St. was completed in 1913 as the headquarters for First Wisconsin National Bank, which was later known as Firstar Bank before it acquired US Bancorp. and took its name. It is now leased to various office tenants. The adjacent eight-story building, built in 1962 as an annex to the First Wisconsin building, has been vacant for more than 15 years.

Both buildings are owned by Compass Properties LLC.

Compass said earlier this year that it wants to convert the entire ground floor and the eastern half of the upper floors at 731 N. Water into a parking structure, providing additional parking spaces for 735 N. Water tenants. That would help draw more businesses to 735 N. Water, which has lost tenants in recent years to newer downtown buildings.

The western half of 731 N. Water, which overlooks the Milwaukee River, would be converted into condominiums, with one unit on each of the seven upper floors, under Compass' tentative plans. Selling those residential units, each with about 3,500 square feet, would generate cash to help pay for the parking structure.

Compass wants to begin working on the buildings next year. The firm wants the parking structure to be completed by the end of 2007, when much of the Marquette Interchange reconstruction will be done. Compass anticipates a burst of interest from suburban businesses seeking to move downtown once that project is done.

Under the city financing proposal, Compass would recover $2.9 million from the city to help pay for renovation expenses, and improvements to the buildings' adjacent riverwalk. That city costs could be as high as $3.4 million, with the higher amount including a contingency fund.

The city funding plan will be reviewed Thursday by the Redevelopment Authority board. It requires Common Council approval.


Making the ground floor into parking is lame!

[Nowhereman1280]

Making the ground floor into parking is lame!

Yes, I agree completely with you, but suburban bussinesses moving downtown is not lame, that's for sure!

[Markitect]

An update on a couple of hotel projects...

Weas Development will be seeking some tax incremental financing from the City for its proposed mixed-use hotel project in the Third Ward. The proposal includes a Renaissance ClubSport hotel (165 rooms), a health club (80,000 sqft), street-level retail (13,000 sqft), and a parking garage (450 cars) in a 14-story buiilding at the southeast corner of E. St Paul Avenue and N. Broadway.

The original proposal was for a 17-story building which also had 40 condos, but those plans were scaled back due to zoning conflicts. However, the scaled down version will still be a significant enhancement that introduces brand new uses to the already successful Third Ward neighborhood.

The Developers will be seeking some assistance from the City in the form of tax incremental financing to help cover some of the costs for the project. They hope to begin construction by March 2007 and have the building completed by Fall 2008-Spring 2009.


A few blocks to the north, Development Opportunity Corp. plans to break ground in early December for a mixed-use hotel/retail/condo project at the southeast corner of N. Water Street and E. Juneau Avenue in Downtown. The 12-story development consists of a Staybridge Suites hotel (125 rooms), street-level retail (17,000 sqft), and condos (30 units).

From the Small Business Times: Real Estate Weekly, 11-22-06 (http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/2006/11/22/#weas-scales-back-third-ward-hotel-project)

[Nowhereman1280]

Some good news from today's paper for the Park East area, though I'm not exactly sure what "proposed" means, hopefully its more of a for-sure thing than just a proposal


From the Journal-Sentinal 22 November 2006:

$8.2 million in city funding proposed for The North End
City proposes financing for Park East project
By TOM DAYKIN

The Department of City Development proposed Tuesday $8.2 million in city financing for a housing and retail development just north of downtown - paving the way for what would be the largest project within Milwaukee's Park East area. The city's funds would help finance Mandel Group Inc.'s $175 million project, known as The North End. The development is planned for 8 acres overlooking the Milwaukee River, on the former Pfister & Vogel tannery site.

Mandel plans to create 395 condos, 88 apartments and 20,000 to 25,000 square feet of street-level retail space over the next five to seven years. The firm hopes to begin demolition and environmental cleanup work in December, with new construction beginning by next summer, said Richard Lincoln, Mandel senior vice president.

The North End's $65 million first phase would feature 109 condos, 88 apartments and 12,500 square feet of retail space in six separate buildings, some as high as 10 floors, and include a two-level parking garage. Construction on that phase, south of E. Pleasant St., between the river and N. Water St., would take 18 to 24 months to complete.

The city funds, which require Common Council approval, would help pay for demolition and environmental cleanup work; new streets, a riverwalk and other public improvements, and other expenses. Lincoln said the funds, which the city would borrow, would be repaid by The North End's property taxes within seven to 10 years, according to a study commissioned by the Department of City Development.

The financing plan will be reviewed Tuesday by the Common Council's Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee.

The North End would amount to a huge investment for the city's 64-acre Park East redevelopment area. That area includes privately owned parcels, and 16 acres of county-owned parcels left vacant when the former Park East Freeway was demolished.

The former freeway stub's demolition was completed in 2003. That was followed by delays on selling the county-owned parcels until a debate was resolved over whether to create certain conditions for developers. That included a requirement that they pay prevailing union wages for construction work on county-owned parcels.

That matter was resolved in February 2005, when the County Board overrode County Executive Scott Walker's veto of those development guidelines. The marketing of the county-owned parcels began shortly thereafter.

There are two major projects in the development stage on the county-owned lands.

Chicago-based RSC & Associates plans to develop apartments, retail space and two hotels on two blocks bordered by N. Jefferson St., N. Broadway, E. Lyon St. and E. Ogden Ave. Also, Ruvin Development Inc. and Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. plan to build a hotel, condos, offices and retail space on a block bordered by N. Old World 3rd and N. 4th streets and W. Juneau and W. McKinley avenues.

Projects on privately owned parcels include The Flatiron, a 38-unit condo building under construction at 1541 N. Jefferson St.

The nation's slowdown in the housing market has not affected demand for downtown condos, Lincoln said.

Mandel has received around 150 inquiries about The North End, even though the firm has not yet launched a marketing campaign, Lincoln said.

Some of The North End condos will be smaller units, priced as low as $165,000 to $175,000. Most of the units will likely sell for $350,000 to $375,000, Lincoln said.

The city financing plan is not the only public funding for The North End.

Mandel is receiving a $1.1 million low-interest city loan, funded by federal grants, to help with the environmental cleanup. The project also landed a $900,000 state cleanup grant.

The site is the largest polluted parcel in the downtown area, according to Mandel Group. The previous owner, U.S. Leather Inc., went bankrupt, abruptly closed the tannery six years ago, and cannot be billed for the cleanup costs, said Barry Mandel, Mandel Group president. Mandel bought the former tannery in 2001 for $3.4 million.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=534049

[Markitect]

Some good news from today's paper for the Park East area, though I'm not exactly sure what "proposed" means, hopefully its more of a for-sure thing than just a proposal


From the Journal-Sentinal 22 November 2006:

$8.2 million in city funding proposed for The North End
City proposes financing for Park East project


DCD is proposing (or recommending) that the City should work out a plan to provide $8.2 million (through tax incrememental financing) to help the developers finance their development proposal. That has to be approved by the Common Council, as explained right there in the article.

[CGII]

Some great news for the Ruvin project and the city as a whole:

Luxury hotel called boost for downtown
San Francisco-based chain to use Sydney Hih site
By TOM DAYKIN
tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 20, 2006
Kimpton Hotels, known for its luxury boutique hotels in Chicago, New York and other cities, will operate a new hotel planned for Milwaukee's Park East area - which could greatly elevate the downtown hospitality market.

Kimpton was named operator for a 180-room hotel planned as part of a $104 million mixed-use development. That project, which includes condominiums, offices and shops, will be developed on the mostly vacant block bordered by N. Old World 3rd and N. 4th streets, and W. Juneau and W. McKinley avenues.

The hotel will incorporate the Sydney Hih building, which is located on the site, and the former Gipfel brewery, which local developer Robert Ruvin plans to move to the block and renovate.

Ruvin and Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. plan to begin construction on the mixed-use development by late 2007. The County Board agreed in September to sell the parcel to Ruvin and Gatehouse, which have since been conducting soil tests and lining up financing for the project.

Open by 2009
San Francisco-based Kimpton, which operates 43 hotels, plans to have the Milwaukee hotel open by late 2009, said Jim Alderman, senior vice president for acquisitions and development.

Alderman said Wednesday that the hotel, which is yet unnamed, will carry all of the Kimpton hallmarks: luxurious furnishings, an "intense" level of customer service and rates that occupy the upper end of the market. He said the average daily rate will likely be over $180.

Kimpton's hotels include three Chicago properties: Hotel Monaco, Hotel Burnham and Hotel Allegro. Alderman said Kimpton is expanding rapidly because of heavy demand from its customers who travel extensively, especially for business.

"We now are starting to extend our reach a little beyond the core cities," Alderman said.

San Francisco-based Kimpton has 10 hotels under construction, and 15 more projects - including the Milwaukee property - in the development pipeline.

High-end niche
Milwaukee, Alderman said, has plenty of hotel rooms but "not a lot of high-end boutique" rooms. He said Kimpton will fill that niche, and said other high-end operators are considering the downtown market.

Plans by Manpower Inc. to move its global headquarters from Glendale to downtown is among the positive developments that are drawing attention from high-end hotel operators, Alderman said. He also praised the downtown night life, and compared its restaurants and clubs to those in Chicago and Dallas.

"I was actually shocked to see how lively your night scene is in Milwaukee," Alderman said. "It's all building up to having a hotel match up with them."

Kimpton's commitment to the project "brings a whole new dynamic to downtown Milwaukee," said Greg Hanis, a hotel industry consultant based in Pewaukee.

"Wow! That's stunning," Hanis said upon hearing the news.

Kimpton is well known for running high-end hotels, said Hanis, who operates Hospitality Marketers Inc. He said a Kimpton in downtown Milwaukee would be "a leap" above the current high-end operators, which include the Pfister Hotel, Hotel Metro and Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

Hanis said the Kimpton will market itself to corporate travelers drawn by such companies as Manpower, Rockwell Inc. and Harley-Davidson Inc. He said local businesses looking to impress clients will pay for their rooms at the Kimpton property.

20-story development
The hotel will be the centerpiece of the 20-story Ruvin/Gatehouse development. Gatehouse has developed other high-end hotels, including a Joule Hotel in Dallas that is operated by Kimpton.

"Kimpton is the first brand of many to be revealed for this project," said Marty Collins, Gatehouse chief executive officer, in a statement. Other brands, he said, will be tied to the project's ground-floor retail, restaurant, bar, fitness center and a "rooftop entertainment venue."

Kimpton's hotels tend to have different names in different cities. In New York, its properties include the Muse Hotel, and in Boston, it operates the Nine Zero Hotel.

Might the Milwaukee hotel by named for the Sydney Hih Building, or the former Gipfel brewery?

"We're not sure," Ruvin said. "But we promise it will be interesting."

Other projects
The Ruvin/Gatehouse project's preliminary plans include 70 condos, 55,000 square feet of offices and a 330-car parking structure.

It is among several big developments moving forward in the 64-acre Park East area, which includes 16 acres made available after the former Park East Freeway was razed.

The Common Council last week approved city financial assistance for The North End, a $175 million project with nearly 500 housing units planned for the site of the former Pfister & Vogel tannery, which will be demolished.

The council also approved funding for the planned $205 million transformation of the former Pabst brewery into housing, offices and shops. The Pabst site is technically outside the Park East area. But the redevelopment area's western border abuts the Pabst property.

Other projects include Park East Square, a plan for hotels, apartments and stores on two empty blocks bordered by N. Jefferson St., N. Broadway, E. Lyon St. and E. Ogden Ave.

[Steely Dan]

more on the ruvin development from this month's Heartland Real Estate Business Journal (http://www.heartlandrebusiness.com/articles/DEC06/cover2.html):

MIXED-USE EXPLOSION
Entering 2007, mixed-use developments continue to be the commercial venture of choice in the Midwest.

Amy Bigley

With the New Year quickly approaching, development abounds in the Midwest. The interest in mixed-use development continues as projects are popping up in cities across the Heartland, such as Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Minneapolis. While some are the traditional mix of residential, retail and office, others are sharply tailored to the location and provide products for specific demographics and individuals. Here’s a glimpse of what is to come in 2007.

600,000-Square-Foot Mixed-Use Project; Milwaukee

Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corporation, along with Milwaukee-based Ruvin Development, is currently developing the first hospitality-centered, urban mixed-use project in Milwaukee. The $150 million, 20-story hotel-anchored project, which is currently unnamed, will encompass an entire city block between 3rd and 4th streets and McKinley and Juneau avenues.

Even though Milwaukee may be seen as a feeder market to Chicago by a small number of people, it is a legitimate market in its own right and a great market for urban mixed-use projects, notes Marty Collins, president/CEO of Gatehouse Capital Corporation. “Many people live downtown, compared to the city’s overall size, and it has a quickly recovering economy with a modern tradition and a lot of redemptive reuse.”

The 600,000-square-foot project includes a 175-room, high-end boutique hotel, 100,000 square feet of office space, 50 condominiums, a high-end restaurant and a national bar/lounge, as well as a variety of retail including approximately 20,000 square feet of neighborhood-oriented retail and a 450-vehicle parking garage.

“The project serves a niche market that is unfilled in Milwaukee,” Collins says. “[Gatehouse] has a history of going into areas that are essentially brownfield and leading the revitalization of those neighborhoods.”

The project will offer a variety of products and brands to serve the needs of its customers. Collins explains that Gatehouse focuses on psychographics instead of targeting a specific class or demographic. “Our customers are urban, gay/straight, men/women, young/old and tend to be affluent, early movers and modern more than traditional,” Collins notes.

Gilbane Building Company is set to begin construction on the project in late 2007, with delivery slated for fourth-quarter 2009. Dallas-based HKS, Inc. is providing the architectural services for the project, while Milwaukee-based Johnsen Schmaling Architects is designing the interior of the condominiums. The developers have retained CB Richard Ellis to market the project.

[wisco0117]

Another mall makeover in works
Brookfield Square revamp sought to fight competition

By DORIS HAJEWSKI
dhajewski@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 5, 2007

Brookfield - Facing intensified competition from area shopping centers, the owners of Brookfield Square plan to transform the mall in what is likely its biggest renovation since it opened in 1967.

Brookfield Square's owners plan to add a two-story main entry and a landscaped drop-off area. The renovation will also touch on the food court, which would include a large, circular fireplace.

The plans presented to local officials call for an exterior and interior renovation that will give the mall a more upscale identity, with a streetscape and new canopied entrance at the east side.

The plans also show a new restaurant, Johnny Rockets, to be added to an expanded food court on the west side of the mall, and a small, unspecified retail store to be added to the east side.

The restaurant would be the first location in Wisconsin for Johnny Rockets, a 1950s-style hamburger chain based in California.

CBL & Associates Properties Inc., Brookfield Square's owner, hopes to start work on the project in the spring and finish in September 2008. In addition, four new previously announced restaurants and an upscale grocer, Fresh Market, are scheduled to open this year.

No price tag was available for the multimillion-dollar renovation project.

The proposal, which goes before the Brookfield Plan Commission on Monday, comes as competition heats up among area retail centers. The most recent development has been the conversion of the Bayshore Town Center in Glendale, which offers residents of the North Shore a convenient alternative to driving west for stores that previously had no locations on the east side of the metro area.

But Brookfield Square will face even more pressure from the west when General Growth Properties Inc., which owns and operates Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, builds a new shopping center in Oconomowoc in a few years. General Growth's Pabst Farms project is going through the approval process with the City of Oconomowoc.

"CBL's renovation of Brookfield Square, and the addition of four restaurants, is designed to enhance the shopping experience for our customers," said Michael Lebovitz, chief development officer. "Since retail is an evolving industry, a renovation is essential to keeping pace with the ever-growing market.

"With this renovation and new development projects, Brookfield Square will remain a source of pride for the community and will continue to be a premier shopping destination in southeastern Wisconsin."

Exterior, interior facelifts
The most dramatic aspects of the Brookfield Square renovation are the two-story main entry and the complete renovation of the food court, which will include a large, circular fireplace.

Drivers will be able to drop off passengers under cover at the main entry, which will be flanked by rustic stone pillars and landscaped with a fountain, flowers and bushes.

The food court will get carpeting and a soft seating area, with sofas and chairs arranged around the fireplace.

The entire mall will get new flooring and lighting, and the center court will get a water feature and a Starbucks cafe.

The renovation plan is being submitted to the city four years after Brookfield hired a consultant who recommended a much larger project, calling for the addition of more than 200,000 square feet of retail space, including a new anchor store, three residential developments and a parking deck. Those plans never materialized.

At the time, city officials said they feared the mall would fall behind competitively if it didn't expand and update its look.

Under previous owners, Brookfield Square was slow to change, relying instead for years on its premier location on the busy Blue Mound Road retail corridor. For example, Brookfield Square was the last area mall to add a food court, in the late 1990s.

CBL bought the mall from the Richard E. Jacobs Group of Cleveland in 2001 for $1.3 billion. CBL also owns malls in Janesville, Madison, Racine and Wausau that it acquired as part of that deal.

[CGII]

Southridge is next, it looks.

[Markitect]

DOC Development plans to break ground on its mixed-use hotel/retail/condo project later this month. The site is located on the southeast corner of N. Water Street and E. Juneau Avenue, adjacent to the Park East corridor in Downtown. The project includes a Staybridge Suites hotel (125 rooms), street-level retail (17,000 sqft), condos (30 units), and a parking garage.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5818/staybridge2at5.jpg
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9580/staybridge1lt2.jpg
^ Daytime and nighttime renderings of the Staybridge Suites mixed-use development.


***

Weas Development continues to make plans for a significant mixed-use development in the Third Ward. The site is located on the southeast corner of N Broadway and E. St. Paul Avenue, kitty-corner from the Milwaukee Public Market. It is planned to include a Renaissance ClubSport hotel (165 rooms), a health club (80,000 sqft), street-level retail (13,000 sqft), and a parking garage (450 cars). Weas is in the process of seeking finances for the project and tweaking the design.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/4558/rcs1bt0.jpg
^ A rendering showing the view of the Broadway/St. Paul corner.

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/2771/rcs4cf2.jpg
^ A rendering showing how the building fits on the block in between existing historic buildings. This view shows the N. Milwaukee Street (left) and E. St. Paul Avenue (right) facades.


***

Here are some updated renderings of the Ovation Plaza mixed-use proposal. The development keeps getting scaled back due to the difficulty of finding any anchor tenants...thus the proposal is still purely speculative at this point. Ovation Plaza is proposed for the block currently occupied by the Marcus Center parking structure on the block bounded by N. Water, E. State, N. Edison Streets and E. Highland Avenue.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/7956/op2sm5.jpg
^ A rendering of Ovation Plaza showing the tower along E. State Street and parking garage along N. Edison Street. The parking garage could be used by the Marcus Center and Ovation Plaza tenants.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/1593/op1yo4.jpg
^ This rendering shows the main facade along N. Water Street from the corner of E. Highland Avenue. The parking garage is placed behind a "liner" layer of street-level retail space.


***

NAI MLG Development has been working on a mixed-use proposal that combines a County-owned site and a privately-owned site on a prominent piece of land in the Park East corridor. The proposal is located along the eastern bank of the Milwaukee River between E. Knapp, N. Water, and E. Cherry Streets. Specific contents of the proposal do not seem to have been reported yet, nor has it been scheduled for any approvals/disapprovals yet. Nor has a name been released yet, so it is being referred to as "Block 12" for now.

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/8084/b6121en9.jpg
^ A rendering showing the view looking up N. Water Street. The tower terminates the view corridor as the street bends around to the northeast.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6164/b6123eh0.jpg
^ An bird's-eye rendering of the Block 12 proposal showing how the overall development fits within the bend in the river. The low-rise piece along Knapp/Water is connected to the high-rise piece along Water/Cherry.


***

The Pleasant Street Market has been proposed for a while already as a small retail anchor for the southern end of the Beerline corridor. It will be located along E. Pleasant Street, between the Milwaukee River and N. Commerce Street. The project will include an upscale grocery store as well as other small shops and a new RiverWalk section.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/6844/pleasantstreet1eq4.jpg
^ A nighttime rendering of the Pleasant Street Market as seen from the Pleasant Street Bridge. The building will open up onto a new segment of RiverWalk.

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/5558/pleasantstreet2cy2.jpg
^ Another nighttime rendering of the retail development looking at the corner of Commerce/Pleasant.

[Steely Dan]

^ great update mark!

that block 12 proposal looks very promising. i especially like the way it terminates the view corridor in the rendering you posted. and the staybridges looks like a nice clean straightfowrad design, nothing groundbreaking, but not every building needs to be.

[CGII]

Holy cow, how did I miss these? looks like I've got some diagram work to do. Block 12 is such a great way to terminate Water Street. it really looks like Water just kind of dies off from around Red Arrow Park.

By the way, I'm starting to notice some running themes in proposed architecture around here: Does anyone notice the similarities between the US Bank sister tower, Block 12, and the new Ovation Plaza? And for that matter, University Club, the Art Museum and Pier Wisconsin?

[Markitect]

Holy cow, how did I miss these? looks like I've got some diagram work to do.

You may want to hold off on that before devoting too much time in them. With the exception of the Staybridge, and perhaps the Pleasant Street Market, none of the other designs are final...they may get taller, they may get shorter, they may be reconfigured...they are still being tweaked...

[ajknee]

I think we need to focus EVERYTHING to making sure the block 12 proposal gets built. The angle it sits at and it's height are perfect for anchoring that corner of downtown. And if we want people to move into the Park East (which I'm pretty sure we do) we need to give them a visual reason to go there. Someone else already mentioned how Water St just kind of dies off as it goes north. I completely agree. I think it's more important that this gets built than Lake Point and ClubSport simply because it's visually appealing. And while economic impact on a city usually beats out visual impact, I think it's time we took a big risk and got this erected.
--AJ

[Nowhereman1280]

Holy cow, how did I miss these? looks like I've got some diagram work to do. Block 12 is such a great way to terminate Water Street. it really looks like Water just kind of dies off from around Red Arrow Park.

By the way, I'm starting to notice some running themes in proposed architecture around here: Does anyone notice the similarities between the US Bank sister tower, Block 12, and the new Ovation Plaza? And for that matter, University Club, the Art Museum and Pier Wisconsin?

I missed these too!

Yeah, I noticed that theme forming a while ago, I think I pointed it out too. You can also add some infrastructure to the list of University Club, Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin. The Sixth street bridge, the new Amtrak Station and even the Detailing on the Marquette Interchange project all follow that sorta futurist/neo-art deco/modern design pattern of U-club, the art museum, and Pier Wisconsin, Heck, to an extent even US bank matches in its enormous white hulkieness!

You could probably add Kilbourn Tower to the US Bank2, Block 12, and Ovation Plaza list as well.

That Block 12 building is really exciting, between it and the Ruvin Building and other future Park East developments there will be a pretty nice extension of the downtown area to the north, hopefully eventually proving a complete link between the retail and entertainment areas of Water Street with those of Brady Street and that whole area. Ruvin and Block 12 will also provide a decent extension of the skyline and hopefully add density to the skyline from several different angles.

[wisco0117]

Mix and mismatch?
Some worry about quality of City Hall's facelift
By WHITNEY GOULD
wgould@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Jan. 26, 2007

Quotable
The colors of the brick and terra cotta don't match, and the mortar joints are three times wider in some spots than they should be.
- H. Russell Zimmermann,
restoration consultant

Quotable
The color differences are small, and when you look at it from a distance or from the street, it all blends together.
- Chuck Engberg,
Engberg Anderson Design Partnership


Background
11/7/05: Gould: City Hall's exoskeleton draws out the beauty within
10/19/05: Taxpayers to find obstacle course at City Hall
8/21/05: Gould: City Hall tower poses lofty preservation questions
5/23/05: Editorial: Urgent update for City Hall
5/20/05: Council OKs City Hall restoration
5/19/05: Barrett opts to go with City Hall plan
5/1/05: Fixing City Hall won't come easy
4/21/05: Rising costs faulted in City Hall bids
3/21/03: Towering repair job awaits at City Hall



But beneath the steel scaffolding, controversy swirls: When its restoration is complete in November 2008, will the 1895 landmark look like the civic icon generations have known and cherished? Or will it look as if it has had a bad facelift?

Even preservationists cannot agree.

In one corner are critics such as H. Russell Zimmermann, a well-known restoration consultant, who says he is shocked by the differences between old and new materials. Zimmermann inspected the work recently, at the invitation of a public relations firm hired by the contractor, J.P. Cullen & Sons.

"They wanted me to write a puff piece," he says, "but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The colors of the brick and terra cotta don't match, and the mortar joints are three times wider in some spots than they should be."

Another preservationist, Matt Jarosz, agrees that some of the color differences are "pretty startling." Jarosz, who serves on the city's Historic Preservation Commission and heads the Historic Preservation Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, also worries that in the relentless push to keep the project on schedule, not enough original material is being saved. Chunks that the contractor considered unsalvageable have turned up in local antiques shops.

"I don't expect them to do it perfectly," Jarosz says. "And I realize that you can't save everything. But it's a significant enough building that you should make the extra effort to get it right."

Ald. Bob Bauman, who has also raised questions about the project in the past, said he's still not comfortable with it.

"It just doesn't look right to me," he says. An anonymous letter writer who has peppered preservationists and the Journal Sentinel with close-up photos of the restoration work asks: "If this were your home, would you be satisfied with the matching of materials?"

In the other corner is the restoration team, led by Engberg Anderson Design Partnership. President Chuck Engberg, whose firm also restored the nearby Pabst Theater, says the criticisms are "unfounded and unfair."

Engberg concedes that there are color differences between old and new materials.

"But they are small," he says, "and when you look at it from a distance or from the street, it all blends together."

On close examination, perhaps the most noticeable contrast is in the brick and terra cotta that was used to rebuild the crumbling dormers facing N. Water St. Seen through binoculars from a 10th-floor room in the InterContinental (formerly Wyndham) Hotel across the street, the new brick has a uniform, orangy hue; the old is a more mottled pecan color, with flecks of yellow and gray. Likewise, the new terra cotta is a more uniform gray than the old.

Melding the old and new
But matching new to old materials is tricky. Walk around architect H.C. Koch's Flemish Renaissance Revival masterwork, and you'll see a patchwork of original brick colors, some darker or lighter than others. That's also true of the terra cotta, where water, weather and mold have produced color variations ranging from green and yellow to red and purple.

Gary Kulwicki, the city's facilities manager and point man on the project, says a big reason for the contrasts is that some parts of the building got heavier weathering than others. Engberg put it this way: "You had so many different climatic conditions around the building that it was like little eco-zones."

The section facing Water St. also was exposed directly to soot from an old, now-dismantled power plant on nearby Wells St. Then there are the effects of an ill-starred chemical cleaning more than 30 years ago, which eroded the surface of some bricks and left them more vulnerable to pollutants.

Add to that the change in brick-making technology. The old bricks came from a coal-fired "beehive" kiln near St. Louis, which produced darker hues at the top, where the temperature was hottest, and lighter ones at the bottom. The new bricks are made in a gas-fired, tunnel-shaped kiln that produces a more uniform color.

"It's like the difference between cooking a ham in the oven versus a Weber grill," Kulwicki says of the contrast between new and old.

After rejecting samples from a brick-maker in Ohio, the restoration team settled on a Canadian firm, I-XL Industries, to manufacture the 200,000 bricks (out of 8 million) that would have to be replaced. Engberg Anderson's Jim Otto said that after adjusting the clay formula several times, the team picked a mid-range hue that seemed close to the original.

Some 12,000 pieces of terra cotta are being made by Gladding, McBean, a 132-year-old company in Lincoln, Calif., which used original pieces to create molds for the new. New sandstone for the foundation came from the same quarry in Ohio that was tapped in 1895. But as with the terra cotta and the brick, color differences are visible here, too: The newer stone looks gray; the older, yellow. The process of aging will blur the differences, Engberg says.

Addressing other issues
Jim Draeger, an architectural historian with the Wisconsin Historical Society, says it's possible to tint building materials to artificially give them the patina of history, but that might not be a good idea. "How does the material age? In 20 years, what will it look like?"

As for criticism of the mortar joints, Kulwicki acknowledges that some were done badly and had to be corrected; in other cases, he says, the new joints are wider than the old because the new terra cotta shrank at different rates in the kiln. "But you can't see (the differences) from 300 feet away," he says, adding that some of the original sandstone joints themselves had wide variations because the stone wasn't cut uniformly.

As for the sale of damaged material, Kulwicki says that was permitted under the city's contract with J.P. Cullen. More intact pieces have been put in storage. "From an economic standpoint, there is a limit to how much you can save," he said.

Draeger, whose agency approved the rehab plans, said he is not in a position to judge the work at this point because he hasn't inspected it. Part of the problem, he said, is that the city's process for developing the plans may have been too insular and left critics feeling muzzled.

But the bottom line, he said, is that "the process of preservation is imperfect. In a way, it's a fallacy to say we're going to 'restore' a building like City Hall - it's more of a rehabilitation. You can't turn the clock back to what it was. You can't replicate those old technologies. No matter what they do, you're going to notice where they've touched it. It's not going to be seamless."

[ajknee]

I'm not worried at all about it. With weathering after a few years it'll all look great. Everyone seems to want immediate results when really we should always be thinking about what's best in the long run.

[CGII]

I'm not worried at all about it. With weathering after a few years it'll all look great. Everyone seems to want immediate results when really we should always be thinking about what's best in the long run.

Exactly. Of course it looks different with new materials. I wonder if they'll replace the copper roof with clean copper, instead of falsely aged, blue stuff. That'd be great.

[Nowhereman1280]

Exactly. Of course it looks different with new materials. I wonder if they'll replace the copper roof with clean copper, instead of falsely aged, blue stuff. That'd be great.

I agree, shinny new copper would be sweet. The only worry I would have about that is that supposedly, and don't take what I say as complete fact cause I'm no expert on this, but supposedly copper doesn't get that blue-green oxidation when its up on a building like that on it anymore because of the changes in the climate caused by pollution. Either that or it takes wayyyyy longer than it should. Remember, I just heard someone say that on another thread, and think it sounds kinda fishy based off of what I know of chemistry, but its still something that needs to be considered...

[CGII]

Even if that's true, it should still happen because the goal of the restoration is to repair and clean the original...it would be a reversal to the restoration to age the roof.

It's not like they cleaned the facade of Merchandise Mart in Chicago just to put more soot on and make it look aged...

[Nowhereman1280]

Even if that's true, it should still happen because the goal of the restoration is to repair and clean the original...it would be a reversal to the restoration to age the roof.

It's not like they cleaned the facade of Merchandise Mart in Chicago just to put more soot on and make it look aged...

Yes I agree, just something to consider...

I really want new copper on it just so I can see what it looked like when it was the WTB!!! Yea for Milwaukee pride!

[sensei]

I think the best view of Milwaukee's skyline is when you go east on Vliet, before it becomes Van Buren, right before MATC. The street curves around. You get a great view of all the taller buildings, nothing is obstructed. I might take a picture of it. Is there a way I can post a picture of it here from a digital camera?

[thrillbilly]

bump

[Markitect]

Updated info on the Ghazi mixed-use hotel proposal for the 4th and Wisconsin site:

Like the earlier version, it will be a U-shaped building with a public plaza set between two towers.

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/2204/ghazioverviewiu4.jpg http://img57.imageshack.us/img57/406/ghazicourtyardfh7.jpg



- 175-room hotel in a 15-story tower (operator unknown yet)
- 200 condos in a 25-to-31-story tower (height to be determined by demand for units)
- 100,000 sqft of retail/entertainment/office space (no committed tenants yet, in talks with some undisclosed potential tenants)
- Parking garage for 350 cars

Redevelopment Authority is to vote on approving a purchase option for Ghazi at meeting this Thursday. The purchase option would allow Ghazi some time to obtain financing.

Linkage to the Journal Sentinel article: Downtown hotel proposal refined - Wisconsin Ave. plan includes 200 condos (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=575174)

And more info from the Small Business Times: Another hotel proposal arises for site near convention center (http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2007/3/9/another-hotel-proposal-arises-for-site-near-convention-center)

[CGII]

That's quite dissapointing after those rough renderings we got quite a while back [it's way too Miami and the roof is rather tacky]. Nonetheless it'll bring the streetlife to that part of town a whole new dimension, and if this, LPT, and the Ruvin proposals all go through, we could be talking about a whole new downtown.

Props to the architects for giving the Hilton tower some space.

[Markitect]

The design isn't concrete yet.

[CGII]

Naturally.

[Crazy Ivan]

Does anyone know whats going on on the corner of Kilbourn between Cass and Van Buren? There used to be a gas station on that parcel and its been vacant for years, but today they erected a fence and a crane showed up.

[Markitect]

Does anyone know whats going on on the corner of Kilbourn between Cass and Van Buren? There used to be a gas station on that parcel and its been vacant for years, but today they erected a fence and a crane showed up.

http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/2924/terracerow01gz2.jpg
^ Terrace Row townhouses as viewed from Kilbourn Avenue.

[Rush_437]

does anyone have a rendering - or know where i can get one - for the proposed Chase parking garage extension???

[Markitect]

Late last year, Brookfield Real Estate Opportunity Fund, a New York-based investment firm, purchased Chase Tower and its adjacent parking garage from JP Morgan Chase & Company. A few weeks ago, Brookfield unveiled preliminary plans for a 29-story mixed-use development on the parking garage site along N. Water Street, between E. Michigan and E. Clybourn Streets. The proposal calls for adding 12 floors of office space (220,000 sqft) and 12 floors of condominiums (about 100 units) on top of the existing 5-story garage, which itself would be renovated with some ground floor retail space, new facades, and RiverWalk improvements.

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9425/chasetowergaragejs2.jpg
^ This preliminary rendering shows the proposed mixed-use tower built atop a renovated parking garage as viewed from the corner of N. Water and E. Clybourn Streets.

In addition, Brookfield is making enhancements to Chase Tower via remodeling the lobby, incorporating more ground floor retail, and other service improvements.

More from the Business Journal: Offices, condos for Chase parking ramp - $100 million project to add 24 floors (http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/othercities/milwaukee/stories/2007/03/19/story1.html?page=1&b=1174276800^1433154)

[Steely Dan]

In addition, Brookfield is making enhancements to Chase Tower via remodeling the lobby, incorporating more ground floor retail, and other service improvements.


this makes me nervous as i absolutely love the "glass box" lobby for chase tower. do you have any idea if the renovations will be sensitive to this wonderful modern statement?

[Markitect]

Haven't been over there since they started remodeling.

I'm more concerned about the awkward, poorly-massed tower proposal.

[Nowhereman1280]

I'm going home this weekend, I'll try to get downtown and get pictures of everything under construction. I'll be sure to stop by chase...

[Steely Dan]

I'm more concerned about the awkward, poorly-massed tower proposal.
it is quite an odd looking beast. there's almost something meso-american about it.

[Markitect]

A couple years ago there was at least one developer actively exploring redevelopment possibilities for the site, but Chase opted not to pursue that redevelopment at the time...probably because Chase was going to be making arrangements to sell the tower and garage anyway. Late last year, Chase sold the tower and garage to these new owners, who have decided to pick up the ball and enhance its investment.

But I don't think the old conceptual proposal (http://www.boothhansen.com/frames/portfolio/middle_milwaukee.html) and the new conceptual proposal are connected at all.

The old proposal had somewhat bulky massing, but also had some interesting bowed-out facades (a bit like the Lake Pointe Tower proposal). This new proposal is pretty boxy and doesn't seem to have enough mass. Hopefully a new design could be created, at a happy medium somewhere between the two.

[Rush_437]

i actually really like the look of the old design that you posted a link to, and would be really happy with it.

the new proposal looks a lot like a lego tower to me and would be much better suited in a city with some more buildings to help it blend in. if it were built in milwaukee, i think it would stick out like a sore thumb.

[Oshkosh49]

Yeah, to me it looks like three separate buildings stacked on top of each other. No continuity at all in the overall design.

[CGII]

Oh Christ that new rendering just made me lose whatever shred of faith I had in the current design. The only redeeming qualities to it are the green roof and the fact that it'll develop one of the ugliest block downtown. Otherwise, it's a shame and whoever designed it out to be shot.

[Rush_437]

Oh Christ that new rendering just made me lose whatever shred of faith I had in the current design. The only redeeming qualities to it are the green roof and the fact that it'll develop one of the ugliest block downtown. Otherwise, it's a shame and whoever designed it out to be shot.

haha....i was trying to be nice about it above, but as long as someone else feels that way, i totally agree with you.

[sentinel]

Late last year, Brookfield Real Estate Opportunity Fund, a New York-based investment firm, purchased Chase Tower and its adjacent parking garage from JP Morgan Chase & Company. A few weeks ago, Brookfield unveiled preliminary plans for a 29-story mixed-use development on the parking garage site along N. Water Street, between E. Michigan and E. Clybourn Streets. The proposal calls for adding 12 floors of office space (220,000 sqft) and 12 floors of condominiums (about 100 units) on top of the existing 5-story garage, which itself would be renovated with some ground floor retail space, new facades, and RiverWalk improvements.

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/9425/chasetowergaragejs2.jpg
^ This preliminary rendering shows the proposed mixed-use tower built atop a renovated parking garage as viewed from the corner of N. Water and E. Clybourn Streets.

In addition, Brookfield is making enhancements to Chase Tower via remodeling the lobby, incorporating more ground floor retail, and other service improvements.

More from the Business Journal: Offices, condos for Chase parking ramp - $100 million project to add 24 floors (http://losangeles.bizjournals.com/losangeles/othercities/milwaukee/stories/2007/03/19/story1.html?page=1&b=1174276800^1433154)

I have to say that project looks pretty damn cool - and the best part: it's in the Midwest not somewhere out east or west; very modern and could be a catalyst for other developments in Milwaukee (hopefully).

[Markitect]

Local developer Robert Schultz is refining designs for Rivianna--a significant development proposal for an underutilized riverfront site in the post-industrial Walker's Point neighborhood. The 1-acre site, currently used as a boat storage yard, is located at the southeast corner of S. Water and E. Pittsburgh Streets, adjacent to the Broadway Bridge.

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1116/rivianna02vp7.jpg
^ The latest design for Rivianna calls for a triplet of 11-story towers built atop a 4-story base. The central tower would contain a boutique hotel flanked by two condominium towers. The base building would include street-level retail space, live/work units, and a parking structure.

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/1001/rivianna01xv1.jpg
^ Rivianna would also include several public and private amenities. A public new RiverWalk extension would be built along with some private boat slips which would be used by "Rivianna Yacht Club" members. Plans for the hotel feature "The Spa @ Rivianna," which would be made available to guests and resident members. A rooftop helipad is planned on the central tower which would offer corporate air taxi service to Chicago for "Air Rivianna" members. In addition, Schultz is employing environmentally-friendly design, with hopes of achieving a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status.

Schultz anticipates seeking City approval later this spring, a possible groundbreaking in Spring 2008, and completion during 2010.

Some more info from the Business Journal: Another mondo condo plan for 5th Ward - $100 million project proposed for Water St. along Milwaukee River (http://washington.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2007/02/19/story1.html)

Another article from the Small Business Times: Fifth Ward development could include helipad (http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/2007/3/28/fifth-ward-development-could-include-helipad)

And also check out the Rivianna website, still under development: Rivianna.com (http://www.rivianna.com/)


***

Just across the river from Rivianna, the Mandel Group has proposed a new condo development called Domus (Latin for "home"). The riverfront site is currently a surface parking lot on E. Erie Street in the Third Ward.

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/1253/domus03tz5.jpg
^ Although Domus would be all new construction, its design is a sleeker, modern twist on the exposed concrete frame with brick and glass infill panels of the early-twentieth century-era industrial architecture found throughout the surrounding neighborhood. This perspective shows the view along Erie Street, with the Marine Terminal Lofts (a recently-completed warehouse-condo conversion/addition also done by Mandel) in the right background.

http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/7651/domus02nk6.jpg
^ As with all new riverfront developments, Domus includes a new RiverWalk segment and boat slips. The adjacent Union Pacific (former Chicago & North Western) railroad swing bridge is no longer used, but remains an iconic local landmark.

More from the Business Journal: Condo craze fuels another Mandel project - $40 million Domus planned on riverfront (http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2006/12/11/story1.html)

[CGII]

These two projects are going to be big as they'll be closing in the Third Ward with development, meaning it won't be 'isolated' by brownfields. I have to admit I'm a little nostalgic for the wide open swaths of post-industrial grit in Walker's Point, but these developments will be great in the long run.

[mbradleyc]

I love looking down the river from the Water St bridge now. The buildings are creating a wall on either side that just looks cool to me.

I read a year or so ago that someone was considering renovating that old railroad bridge if they could finance it. I wonder if any progress has been made.

[Mikey711MN]

From the JSOnline Day Break article (http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=4/23/2007&id=22408):

30-story development proposed in Park East

A local developer is proposing a 30-story hotel and condominium project for downtown Milwaukee.

Rick Barrett said today he plans to build the $73 million project at the southwest corner of W. Juneau Ave. and N. Old World 3rd St. An investors group formed by Barrett in 2006 bought the lot, which has lately been used as a staging area for another nearby construction project.

Barrett said he's assembling financing for the project. It would feature a 120-room Element Hotel, a new extended stay brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Starwood also is considering downtown for a possible Aloft Hotel. Several other downtown hotel proposals are in the works, but some industry observers say only a few of the plans are likely to make it off the drawing board.

Along with the Element Hotel, Barrett said his 400,000-square-foot development would feature 80 condos, including 10 penthouse units. It also would have 16,000 square feet of retail space.

[Markitect]

Local developer Rick Barrett is proposing a major mixed-use tower for the southwest corner of N. Old World Third Street and W. Juneau Avenue, in the Park East corridor along the northern edge of Downtown. The proposal, called The Moderne, features a 30-story tower that would include an Element Hotel (120 rooms), condominiums (80 units), street-level retail (16,000 sqft), and five levels of indoor parking for condo residents. Additional parking for the hotel and retail uses would be leased from the neighboring City-owned parking garage that exists next door.

While there are several other hotel proposals floating around for nearby blocks, one of the key differences is the developer's intention of moving forward without the need of financial assistance from the City. Pending approvals and securing financing, Barrett hopes to start construction in November 2007, with completion 18-24 months later.

http://img359.imageshack.us/img359/1622/moderne01ef8.jpg
^ A rendering of The Moderne looking at the Old World Third Street (left) and Juneau Avenue (right) facades.

The Journal Sentinel now has a full article online: 1 more hotel is proposed - Park East plan calls for long-term lodging, condos (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=594849)

[Nowhereman1280]

Wow, glad to see some more new proposals for good old Milwaukee. That 30 story has been floating around for a while hasn't it? Either way, it would be good to see another 30 story tower in Milwaukee, even though it continues the tradition of tall buildings being ridiculously spaced out...

[Markitect]

Wow, glad to see some more new proposals for good old Milwaukee. That 30 story has been floating around for a while hasn't it?

No, this is a brand new proposal.

[Steely Dan]

While there are several other hotel proposals floating around for nearby blocks, one of the key differences is the developer's intention of moving forward without the need of financial assistance from the City.


interesting. i hope this project is a huge success so that this developer can show all the other pretenders out there that a large mixed-use development like this built by and for the free market can work in downtown milwaukee.

the design is kind of "meh", but the height will be nice in that part of downtown.

[CGII]

I am a huge fan of the design of this tower. Look carefully at the detail in the windows and windowpanes, and you'll find some great nods to Miami Deco. I especially like the first three floors or so. God, the glass is so great there.

[Tom In Chicago]

The Moderne is an interesting building. . . late deco early international style elements in the details. . . very cool. . .

[Markitect]

Some more on the Moderne proposal...

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/4663/moderne02ac7.jpg
^ The Moderne takes its name from the building's architectural style--Streamline Moderne. A popular design motif of the late-1930s, the crisp, rounded, sleek styling of Streamline Moderne was applied to just about everything imaginable--buildings, automobiles, trains, boats, household appliances, you name it. This view shows how the Moderne contrasts with the late-nineteenth century commercial buildings along Old World Third Street.

http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/4208/moderne03ha5.jpg
^ A rendering showing a view of the north facade, looking south down Old World Third Street.

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/3443/moderne08bj2.jpg
^ The horizontal bands of windows and column-less rounded corner glass panels are signature elements of the Streamline Moderne style. Although the tower will include five levels of indoor parking, the garage is blended very well into the overall appearance of the building.

A critique of the Moderne from Journal Sentinel architecture critic Whitney Gould: Crisp tower would add to skyline (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=598415)

Also be sure to check out the photo slideshow for even more renderings. (http://www.jsonline.com/site/photographerphotos/gallery.aspx?catid=538)

[ardecila]

What's the status on the Amtrak station facelift?

Oh, and can we actually give the station a name? Unlike Atlanta or Houston or something, Milwaukee's station has a definite architectural presence (even in its old form) and it deserves a name beyond "the Amtrak station".

[Nowhereman1280]

What's the status on the Amtrak station facelift?

Oh, and can we actually give the station a name? Unlike Atlanta or Houston or something, Milwaukee's station has a definite architectural presence (even in its old form) and it deserves a name beyond "the Amtrak station".

I use the Amtrak station frequently going to and from Chicago. As of about a month ago, the whole front of the building was ripped off and it looked like they had most of the steel properly exposed. Then they were also digging down to build the new foundations for the front of the building and had some cement in the ground down there. We should probably see them start rebuilding what they tore down pretty soon now, if they haven't started already...

[Markitect]

What's the status on the Amtrak station facelift?

It's been under reconstruction since about August 2006, and is supposed to be completed by late-summer 2007. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has a website that is updated occasionally with construction photos. (http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/state/amtrak-term.htm)

Oh, and can we actually give the station a name? Unlike Atlanta or Houston or something, Milwaukee's station has a definite architectural presence (even in its old form) and it deserves a name beyond "the Amtrak station".

The official name is the "Milwaukee Intermodal Station" (or sometimes "Station" is swapped out with "Center") to reflect the fact that it will be served by multiple inter-connected modes of transportation (Amtrak, Greyhound, MCTS, MegaBus, and some other miscellaneous operators--limo service, taxis, etc.).

[Markitect]

this makes me nervous as i absolutely love the "glass box" lobby for chase tower. do you have any idea if the renovations will be sensitive to this wonderful modern statement?

Some floor plans and sketches of the Chase Tower modifications have been posted by Exit_320 over at SkyscraperCity. (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=12948677&postcount=1254)

Not only will the glass cube lobby remain, but it will be flanked by some glassy additions which will contain restaurant space. There is also restaurant space planned at the street level of the office tower itself.

[Rush_437]

Any developments on the proposed MLG tower on Water St.?? That's the one I really hope they build....I think the design and placement of that tower are perfect for the site and the city.

[NYC2ATX]

wow...Kilbourn, university club....now moderne....condo boom much? This is all really exciting. If we could only get Lake Pointe built, we'd have a new Milwaukee.

[Markitect]

Any developments on the proposed MLG tower on Water St.??

Nothing new.

[Marvel 33]

Here is an article related to this project:

http://www.newcityskyline.com/TheModerne.html

High rise one of many planned for Milwaukee

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Milwaukee, WI, US (NCS) - The Moderne, a $73 million, 30-story condo and hotel proposed for Milwaukee, is one of many new projects planned for the city. Its sleek, contemporary design intends to enhance the currently modest skyline.

Designed by Matt Rinka of Rinka/Chung Architecture Inc., the tower is a vertical reinterpretation of the Streamline Moderne architecture of the 1930s, whose playful curves and horizontality was inspired by ocean liners and airplanes, and evokes nostalgia for the machine age. The slender white tower soars above a wider, eight-story section at street level and curves around its southern edge.

There is a visual appeal in the contrast of horizontal mullions in the majority of the windows and vertical mullions in other parts. Other design details include a curved overhang, a mix of recessed and projecting balconies, and bands of dark limestone at street level. An indoor parking garage would be built using an already existent ramp. The building also incorporates “green” features.

Although the tower would require a zoning variance and would be much taller than other three to six-story buildings on the street, it has been given a positive reception by many residents who hope for its approval as part of a larger movement to further development and high rise construction in Milwaukee.

[Crazy Ivan]

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=603042

Developers propose 2 more condo towers
30-story building planned for Prospect Ave.; Knapp St. site must be rezoned
By TOM DAYKIN
tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 8, 2007

Two separate condominium high-rise proposals about a half-mile apart from one another on Milwaukee's east side have surfaced as developers continue to tap the urban housing trend.

High-Rise Condos


Residential Homes of America Inc., based in Lake Forest, Ill., wants to build a 30-story tower at 1646 N. Prospect Ave.

The tower would have 179 units and three levels of underground parking, according to Residential Home's plans. The high-rise would replace the 105-unit Prospect Heights Apartments, which would be demolished.

Executives at Residential Homes couldn't be reached for comment. The company has created several single-family developments in the Chicago area, as well as the 210-home Forest Point development in New Berlin.

Residential Homes also has developed apartments and condos, including the Avenue East condo high-rise that's under construction in downtown Chicago.

Meanwhile, developer Peter Renner is planning to build a high-rise at 1132 E. Knapp St., on the site of the former Christopher East Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Christopher East, a nursing home that closed in December 2005 because of financial problems, would be razed to make way for the new development. Franklin & Knapp LLC, an investors group led by Renner, bought the former nursing home in December for $1.65 million, according to assessment records.

Renner couldn't be reached for comment on how many units and stories he's planning for his project, dubbed Break Water Condominiums.

An ordinance recently introduced by Ald. Mike D'Amato, whose district covers the east side, would rezone the Christopher East site to allow for construction of a condo tower. That zoning proposal has not yet been scheduled for a Plan Commission hearing.

Renner's local developments include three condo projects built along the Milwaukee River: The Waterfront, 130 S. Water St., and The Harborfront and Hansen's Landing, neighboring developments in the 500 and 600 blocks of E. Erie St.

The towers planned by Residential Homes and Renner come as Chicago-area developer Warren Barr continues construction of the 291-unit Park Lafayette on Milwaukee's east side.

That project, east of N. Prospect Ave. and north of E. Lafayette Ave., will feature twin 20-story towers. Park Lafayette's underground parking structure is to be completed by September, with construction of the development's twin towers to begin at that time.

[Nowhereman1280]

^ I saw that in today's newspaper on my way back from school.

What I gather is that means another 30 story condo tower for Milwaukee and reiterates the Park Laffayette towers...

[Markitect]

What I gather is that means another 30 story condo tower for Milwaukee and reiterates the Park Laffayette towers...

Reread the article. These are two new condo high-rise proposals (one at 30 stories, the other undisclosed right now) in addition to the under construction Park Lafayette twin towers.

[Nowhereman1280]

Really? I figured that's what it was trying to say but only scanned it and somehow thought they were referring to Park Laffayette. So that means three new towers for Milwaukee in about a week? Crazy...

I'm going to go downtown sometime this week and take some pictures, I'm curious to see what the Park Lafayette looks like after being gone 9 months...

Sounds like its not even out of the ground yet from that article...

[CGII]

Park Lafayette is a hole in the ground with some basement concrete and core stuff going on. I drive by there a lot but lamentably haven't taken photos for a long time.

Here's the JS map of the new proposed projects:

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/owlive/img/may07/condo_050907_big.jpg

The one on Knapp could be interesting as it could possibly terminate the view corridor along Humboldt, but I suspect that impression may be due to an ambiguous graphic.

[Markitect]

The one on Knapp could be interesting as it could possibly terminate the view corridor along Humboldt, but I suspect that impression may be due to an ambiguous graphic.

It won't be an exactly on-center terminus because the property is off to the east just a bit, but nevertheless, a tower there would still have quite a visual impact when headed south on Humboldt or southwest on Farwell/Prospect. It also fronts right on Burns Triangle.

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/4124/breakwater01bt6.jpg
^ Unfortunately from these preliminary designs, the tower is less than impressive--a tall box with tacked-on balconies (the same type used on Renner's developments in the Third Ward and Walker's Point) stacked on top of a low podium base. Hopefully the design is reworked into something less bland!

The Journal Sentinel has a new article about the Breakwater Condos: East side condo tower proposed - Developer has units on market (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=606163)

[Miltown_Hero]

Developer plans 84 apartments
Large rental development would be only third in condo-rich Third Ward

By TOM DAYKIN
tdaykin@journalsentinel.com
Posted: May 16, 2007

A developer who's created several projects in Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward plans to begin construction by September on an 84-unit apartment building in that neighborhood.

Joseph said Wednesday he has secured preliminary financing for the Jackson Square apartments, which will be on the west side of N. Jackson St., between E. Menomonee and E. Chicago streets. The apartments will take about 18 months to build, he said.

Jackson Square will offer a mix of one- and two-bedroom units. Most of the one-bedroom units, with around 900 square feet, will rent for about $1,300 a month, with the two-bedroom units, with around 1,200 square feet, offered at about $1,700 a month.

The five-story building will include an underground parking structure with 113 spaces and 12,000 to 15,000 square feet of street-level retail space, Joseph said.

The Third Ward has seen a number of condominium developments in recent years, but the construction of only two large apartment buildings: Jefferson Block Apartments, 144 N. Jefferson St., and Gaslight Lofts, 425 E. Menomonee St. Those developments, which are just south of the Jackson Square site, total about 350 apartments.

Joseph says the market for rental housing in the Third Ward is strong.

His other Third Ward projects include a 21-unit apartment building at 245-249 N. Water St.

Joseph has been involved in condo projects, including the conversion of the former Creative Leather & Vinyl Inc. building, 525 E. Chicago St., into 22 residential condominiums and 5,000 square feet of retail space.

[Steely Dan]

this is probaly just a fantasy, but it's so wicked-cool i had to copy it over here from SSC. it's called Water Street Tower and it's from Fürer + gas-trust architecture. Their main office is in Gossau, Switzerland and they have a subsidiary office in Milwaukee. there probaly isn't anything real behind this, but it sure is fun to day dream.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/7069/ztowerjd7.jpg

[Tom In Chicago]

Cool building. . .

[AJR Journal]

The work on the Breakwater has begun. The demolition of the old Christopher's East nursing home on E. Knapp Street has begun.

[CGII]

The work on the Breakwater has begun. The demolition of the old Christopher's East nursing home on E. Knapp Street has begun.

I wish construction on some of the city's more attractive proposals could've started that promptly.

[ardecila]

What's happened to all our Milwaukee forumers? There hasn't been a post in this thread for 3 months.

[i_am_hydrogen]

SSC has a lot of Milwaukee forumers. Their development thread is pretty active.

[TwoadayMilwaukee]

I have taken some new photos of Park Lafayette if you want to check them out
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/sets/72157602295343381/
and I'll be updating them as the project goes on

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Thanks for taking those, could you embed them into your posts from now on? Its good to have someone willing to take pictures in Milwaukee. Welcome to the Forums!

I was just home this weekend and was suprised to see them a few floors out of the ground.

[Twoaday]

Nowhereman1280 > My bad I had setup a new user (TwoadayMilwaukee) thinking somebody had snagged my username from SSC.. anyhow I used to post on SSP way back when... I take a lot of photos of Milwaukee and the various development projects going on... are there any others your interested in?

[Nowhereman1280]

Here, this is how you embed these Twoaday...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2385/1500765068_a8bd3bcd73.jpg?v=0
twoaday

As far as which projects I am interested in, all of them! Milwaukee is ignored in these forums right now!

Weren't they building some new dorms up by locust and the river? I'd like to see that if they are doing it still. Also, you should go take pictures of all of the new housing in the third ward, I haven't been down there in ages...

[Crazy Ivan]

Does anyone know whats going on with University Club Tower? Its taking forever to finish. The crown is going slower than molasses and the backside is still open.

[Twoaday]

Crazy actually I think that is the finished UCT.

[Twoaday]

So like this I guess

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2138/1726974918_56ce3c24eb_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/1726977196/)

That is the demolition going on at the North End... I also have a set for that as well http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/sets/72157602258343011/

And the dorms appear to be finished... soon to open

[Markitect]

For the past several months, developer Afshin Ghazi has been quietly refining plans for a large mixed-use proposal that would have a significant impact in Downtown Milwaukee. The previously-unnamed development has been now been aptly named "The Catalyst" as the project would give a boost to W. Wisconsin Avenue, between N. 4th and N. 5th Streets--directly across the street from the convention center and the Shops of Grand Avenue mall.

http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/4369/catalystoverviewxe4.jpg
^ This rendering shows an overview of the Catalyst development, looking over the rooftop of the Midwest Airlines Center in the foreground. The 31-story tower would include 200 condominiums and upscale apartments, rooftop terraces, and street level restaurants/retail. The shorter building would include a hotel with approximately 170 rooms, as well as street level restaurants/retail. Parking would be included using a combination of a new garage incorporated into the buildings, plus the purchase of an existing garage next door to the south.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/1828/catalystcourtyardot6.jpg
^ This courtyard between the two buildings opens out onto W. Wisconsin Avenue, Downtown's "Main Street."

These latest renderings have improved quite a bit since the preliminary designs were released earlier this year. (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=2677284&postcount=930)

So far, the street level spaces have attracted interest from six potential tenants based in the restaurant/nightclub/entertainment-oriented business, although Ghazi is not releasing specific names at this time. He has said, however, that they are similar to some of the tenants in other developments he's worked on around the country (Fox Sports Grill, Lucky Strike upscale bowling, etc.). The letters of intent he has received will have to be converted into signed leases. Ghazi is also in the process of negotiating with Noble Investment Group to operate the hotel.

Furthermore, Ghazi is in discussions with the department of City Development regarding possible financial assistance. Also, in the coming months Ghazi will be working towards closing the deals on purchasing the City-owned land ((which is being offered for one dollar) and the privately-owned adjacent parking structure (the price of which has not been disclosed) to get the Catalyst off the ground. And perhaps the biggest challenge to overcome will be getting enough pre-sales on the residential units in a slowing housing market--though Ghazi says he's confident that will happen. He hopes the project could break ground in the spring of 2008.

Some more info in the Journal Sentinel article: Project could get quick start -31-story complex planned for Wisconsin Ave. (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=680674)

[Nowhereman1280]

!!!!


Now that is a quality development! Look at how well done it is, all of the buildings pushed up and fronting Wisconsin, the large, notable public space that draws you in off of the street! Great location! Good height! Wow! I wish Chicago was getting something of this quality on B37!

I've been wishing for this parking lot to bite the dust for years, its such a dead spot on Wisconsin Ave. and this is the perfect way to fill it up!




Also, thanks for the pictures Twoaday, they are really making progress on getting rid of that old tannery!

[Twoaday]

Yea it's amazing they will have that tannery cleared away before the end of the year... Might even start some construction I believe.

As far as the Ghazi project yea it's great to be moving forward.. that could really help that location.

[ajknee]

Great proposal. I'm curious though how it addresses 5th street. I know the city is trying to make some streetscaping improvements to connect the AMTRAK station to the Midwest Airlines Center and it'd be cool if the Ghazi building is welcoming on that side. Just curious.

Another quick question, is the official name for this project "Catalyst," or am I reading it incorrectly?

[Twoaday]

Yup that is the official name now.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Both of you guys need to stick around here, its good to actually have some people from Milwaukee here, this thread is dead all the time. Hopefully you stick around and help alleviate my homesickness for Milwaukee!

Thanks and welcome if you are new...

[Twoaday]

Will do... though so you know on SSC there is a pretty active Milwaukee thread.

[Twoaday]

Thought you guys might like a couple of these.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2258/1835697469_e1de213eb9_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/1835697469/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2022/1836536476_b66df6de12_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/1836536476/)

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2299/1836503240_e7046f8a51_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davereid/1836503240/)

[Jesus in a Geo]

Catalyst is EXCITING. Holy crap that would be a boon for Wisco Avenue. I'd like to see a more centrally located skyscraper in Milwaukee. I really feel like like it could use a bigger core of tall buildings east of the river. Many parts of Water street and Wisconsin Avenue are underutlized.

[Miltown_Hero]

Nice to hear about Catalyst, would certainly be a nice addition. But we'll see...

Staybridge is coming out of the ground...will really start to change the look and feel of that area.

[Nowhereman1280]

How tall is Staybridge? Is it a hotel? Is that on Water st. across from the Water Street Brewery?

[Twoaday]

The staybridge (the residences on water) is a hotel and condo development on water street right next door to bar louie. And it will be 14-stories

[wissundevil06]

^ Is there a link to the project website?

[Twoaday]

http://www.theresidencesonwater.com