A column in Milwaukee Magazine criticizing the design of Renner Architect’s soon-to-be completed BreakWater Condominiums spurred a response from Renner’s firm that was in very poor form.  The column in Milwaukee Magazine centered around the design of the BreakWater building itself, although Renner’s rebuttal was more interested in other things.

There are two key elements to the issue.  The first is the response from Peter Renner’s firm.  The second is the question of the actual architectural value of the building.

In the case of the first issue, Peter Renner’s firm issued a response via email to an article by Tom Bamberger in Milwaukee Magazine (not yet available online).  The email sent out to an undisclosed number of individuals, but presumably went to every future BreakWater resident as part of a “BreakWater Condominiums Weekly Update.”  The email that was sent out was addressed from Sales staff member Chris Corley, but Renner himself should be held personally responsible until he issues an apology.  Furthermore, it would be shocking if Renner himself didn’t have involvement in the authoring of the email with the amount of architectural detail included.

A rebuttal to a printed column that criticizes your development is completely fair, and that’s not at all where the issue is.  The problem is the way the rebuttal was authored, and the personal attack it included.

The email, which I have posted in its entirety as a PDF, attacks architecture critics in the city calling them hypocrites.  Renner then moves along to attack Park Lafayette comparing it to something you would find in the Soviet Union.  It follows that up with an attack the UWM School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

The final and most egregious insult Renner issued was at columnist Tom Bamberger, exposing his address unnecessarily (with the only point of posting photos of his home and mocking his home), marginalizing his financial well-being, and randomly criticizing his photography skills.

A response from Renner was certainly not uncalled for, but the way this response was written certainly was.

The second question is over the architectural value of the building.  Bamberger was rather harsh in his criticism of the BreakWater, but when you’re building something that is visible from more than a mile away you’re not going to please everyone.

Do I personally think the building is a great architectural addition to the skyline?  It’s okay, nothing special.  There is a better question to be asked though.  Does every building that adds to the skyline have to be approved by the architectural community as a quality addition?  I say no, although I’m sure others would certainly disagree.

Milwaukee is blessed with a number of beautiful buildings from Milwaukee City Hall to “the Calatrava.”  There are also a lot of bland buildings that are still assets to the urban fabric.  The massing of the BreakWater will certainly prevent it from ever blending in with others around it, but it will certainly will not distract from Milwaukee’s best architectural assets.

The inside of the building is a different story from the outside.  The quality of the construction as far as we can tell (from past Renner projects and tours of the BreakWater) should make the BreakWater a great place to live for years to come.  Renner has a history of delivering quality units that have historically had high resale prices.

From an urbanist’s perspective the development is pretty sound, it interacts with the street pretty well, and brings a substantial amount of residents into downtown Milwaukee.  Unfortunately it’s not a mixed-use development, but there are a substantial amount of commercial buildings in the area.  Another real positive is that it elevated the height of the neighborhood, which should help future developers build high-density buildings in the area.

If I was Peter Renner I would have issued a response to my customers in response to Bamberger that said “look at my track record.”  Nothing more was needed.

The BreakWater Condominiums development consists of 101 condominiums in a 20-story tower. Designed and developed by Renner Architects, the tower has rapidly risen over East Town and hopes to begin allowing residents to move-in come January. With major construction nearing completion, the Urban Milwaukee authors toured the building with future 16th floor resident Ray Allen. We had the chance to take some photos of Ray’s yet to be completed unit while talking to him about his decision to live there.

UrbanMilwaukee (UM): Why the BreakWater?

Ray Allen (RA): The BreakWater is a very high-quality development that is priced very reasonably.  It is one of the hottest, if not the hottest, new development, being over 60% sold with over 7 months until move-in.  The views from all sides of the building are just spectacular, the location is fantastic, and the developer has a great reputation.

Also, since I bought in early, I was able to select all my options and upgrades, giving me the opportunity to make the unit “mine.”  The options to choose from were very plentiful, but at the same time, the standard fixtures that came with the unit were all very nice and did not need to be upgraded.  I did not have to spend a lot of money to make my unit how I wanted it.

Last, the people have been a lot nicer to work with then at other developments I looked at.  From the developer to the sales director and everyone who I have met who works for the company, they have all been very friendly, helpful, and have responded to questions very quickly - which I have really appreciated.

UM: Were you close to choosing anywhere else?

RA: I was looking very closely at another new development in Milwaukee prior to the Breakwater as well as a unit at a project that was a couple years old.  They were both very nice, but the prices seemed high and I did not feel I was getting enough condo for what I would be spending.  So far, it seems to have been a good move since the used condo I looked at is still on the market 10 months later and the new development I looked at is still under 25% sold and is over six months behind schedule.  I knew what I wanted to have in a condo, and the first development I was looking at met those wants, but when I found Breakwater, it had everything I wanted and more at a price that was very reasonable.

With the housing market being very bad in several markets, I had also thought about moving to a new city and starting fresh.  Miami and Charlotte were both pretty high on the list, but in the end, I decided that my family, friends, and most of my network is still in the greater Milwaukee area, and though Charlotte would have been a nice change of pace (especially in February), I just could not justify the move.

UM: What excites you the most about the BreakWater?

RA: Every time I visit the Breakwater site or a past Renner Architects project, there is still a “wow” factor for me - which I did not get with other developments.  Walking into the building or in the units, they are not your “normal” condos - there is just something very special about the look and feel.  The units are very welcoming, which after a long day at work will be wonderful to come home to.

I have also had the opportunity to meet a lot of my neighbors in the building at parties that Renner has hosted and everyone has been very nice.  I am really looking forward to having them as neighbors and it feels like there will be a very strong feeling of “community” at the Breakwater.

UM: You went to school (at MSOE) and lived downtown for four years, but have been back in Kenosha for two years.  What are you most looking forward to once you move back?

RA: I am really looking forward to being back near a lot of my friends from college, being able to stay out late and not have to leave early because of the drive home and just being able to walk everywhere again.  Living away from downtown certainly has its benefits, but since college, I have seen downtown as home and miss the excitement that comes with living in a big city.

UM: One piece of advice you would give to other first-time buyers?

RA: For those coming out of college, if you have the opportunity to live at home for a couple of years and save some money, I would highly recommend it.  Had I looked at buying right out of college or if I had been renting for the last couple years, there would be no way I could afford a condo this nice.

Also, look around some, even if you find something you really like.  The reason I was in the market was because I had found a development that caught my attention that I really liked - and even had offer papers in hand.  But, after doing more research, planning of what I could afford, and looking at what other projects had to offer, I found a nicer place to live at a lower price.

UM: Why downtown instead of a suburb?

RA: While living downtown for 4 years during college on the 10^th floor of my dorm, I became very spoiled by the view and by having everything within walking distance - including the lake.  I wanted that view and convenience back.  My company’s offices are within walking distance, I have a lot of friends very close by and I will be one block away from Lake Michigan.  To top it off, the view from my unit is just gorgeous with the skyline, sunset, and Summerfest grounds - you can’t get a view like this living away from the city.  There is just so much more to see and do, so many more people close by, and the atmosphere of living downtown is much more energetic and fun.

See Also:

- More of our articles and photos about the BreakWater Condominiums
- Official Website

Links from the Milwaukee-informationsphere

• Mary Louise Schumacher is yet another art person doesn’t think it’s a good idea to build a recognizable landmark that will increase pedestrian traffic in downtown Milwaukee.
• Hofbrauhaus Milwaukee, a proposed German beer hall and restaurant, is likely coming next The Brewery development at the old Pabst brewery in Blue Ribbon Hall after the settlement of a lawsuit involving Brew City Redevelopment LLC with the complex’s former owners, WisPark LLC. The article makes no mention of the existing Old German Beer Hall and how urban Milwaukee is delightfully reinventing itself more in the fashion of a city like Munich, Germany.
• Robert Kern, of Generac fame and fortune, is powering a change in the way the state handles engineering education through his foundation (Kern Family Foundation). Two urban Milwaukee schools are at the center of this in MSOE and Marquette, through the recruitment of Project Lead the Way students form high schools and their participation in KEEN (Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network). Urban Milwaukee would like to applaud the efforts of Robert Kern for his visionary leadership in truly investing in the future of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the entire Fresh Coast economy and education system.
• The Journal Sentinel takes a look at how you can reduce your power consumption and what effects it will have. Absolutely worth your time to read.
• Dave Reid takes a look at the Kane Commons development and gives us a construction update of the Breakwater Condos and The Residences on Water.

As the city slipped and slid around from multiple inches of snow and ice dumped on it in recent days, construction crews continued building our city. Down on Water St. at The Residences on Water site men scrambled to remove snow from the roof while a crane lifted large beams into place. It appears the ER Post Structural System does allow them to build quickly as had been indicated. In fact fast enough that a line of semi’s sit with their engines running across the street from the site waiting their turn to unload the next beam.

Over at the Breakwater site they have been busy as well. A second crane which is the largest crawler crane in the state has recently been assembled and will have a reach of up to 400 feet. The snow may have slowed some work but workers continued building the foundation and with second crane it’s clear that shortly we will see this project begin to rise out of the ground.

Despite minor community concern over the height of the building and DCD’s concerns over the balconies, the BreakWater condominium tower has begun demolition of the former Christopher East Medical Center building. The tower is planned to be 20 stories with 101 units and is the latest in what has become an ongoing trend of lakefront development in Milwaukee.

To follow this development I’ve started a flickr set, Breakwater Development, that I will update with new pictures to keep track of the progress.

Articles
Breakwater to break ground.
East side condo tower proposed