Bookends North (Proposed)

Odds of New Land Enterprises project getting off the ground in the next twelve months are slim to none. Probably worse with the recent announcement that New Land satisfied a potential foreclosure by surrendering their Transera/Goll Mansion property.

Brewer’s Hill Lofts (Proposed)

Commonwealth Development Corporation received $1,313,568 in WHEDA tax credits to help finance the proposed 45-unit Brewer’s Hill Lofts on the corner of N. Holton Street and E. Brown Street. No other public details have emerged on this project yet.

Mercy Housing Lakefront – North Avenue (Proposed)

Perhaps the most active of any proposed project in the Milwaukee-area. After a number of revisions by Korb Tredo Architects and Mercy Housing Lakefront, this $8.5 million, 5-story, 54 unit project finally appears ready to seek full Common Council approval.

Mercy Housing Lakefront's proposal

North End Phase Two (Proposed)

The speed at which this $39 million second phase leaves the drawing board and breaks ground appears largely in the hands of the city at this point. Despite the eagerness the city had to finance The Moderne and the Bookends North proposals, the city to-date has not yet pushed through any type of financing the second building at The North End. The project would include two six-story buildings at 1551 N. Water Street. The Mandel Group had hoped to break ground in the spring of 2011.

Park East Commons (Proposed)

This project seems unlikely to move forward in the next twelve months, and may be dead all together. CommonBond Communities had agreed to buy a portion of the Park East block (bordered by Milwaukee, Jefferson, Lyon and Ogden) that RSC & Associates bought from Milwaukee County. CommonBond’s proposal was for 87 apartments, 61 underground parking spaces, and street-level retail (11,000 square-feet, owned by RSC). CommonBond was placed “on hold” by WHEDA for the $1,672,644 in federal affordable housing tax credits for which they applied. Prior to the CommonBond deal, RSC was approved for a $30 million bond issuance by RACM in January. To-date RSC has been unable to develop anything on the land.

The Moderne (Proposed)

The Moderne has had more false starts in the past year than the Chicago Bears. Initially, with financing from the city they hoped to break ground in November of 2009. That didn’t happen, so it was on to a planned December 2009 ground-breaking after the city awarded the proposal financing in early November. December didn’t happen, which led to Developer Rick Barrett believing February would see shovels in the ground, but due to a delay at HUD that didn’t happen. Next up was a September or October groundbreaking, which again didn’t happen because of HUD even though they awarded the project final loan guarantee approval in late August. Technically it could still happen in November, but now it looks like The Moderne will finally break ground in December of 2010 with HUD expected to finally close on the deal.

Nighttime rendering of The Moderne

Wangard Properties (Proposed)

Wangard’s proposal to develop an apartment building next to the HighBridge Condominiums on North Water Street received zoning approval in January of 2010. Wangard, as of August, was seeking a loan guarantee from HUD for the proposed 68-unit building, and had hoped to break ground in October 2010. Similar to the The Moderne, this project is still waiting on HUD to move forward.

Beerline B Apartments (Under Construction)

General Capital Group broke ground on the Beerline B Apartments in November of 2010. The project is financed in part by $2,345,310 in WHEDA tax credits. The project includes 140 units, and will occupy the long vacant corner of Commerce Street and Pleasant Street in Milwaukee’s Beerline neighborhood.

Beeerline B Apartments Rendering

Jackson Square Apartments (Under Construction)

Nearing the completion of construction in the Third Ward is Robert Joseph’s 81-unit Jackson Square Apartments.  When finished the project will feature 100+ underground parking stalls, and 9,000 square feet of retail space.  Rents will range from $800 to $1,600 with units split between one and two bedrooms.

Jackson Square Apartments Construction

National Lofts (Under Construction)

Dixon Development (Tim Dixon, Iron Horse hotel, Kramer Lofts) has begun demolition of the former Barry Trucking facility on the northeast corner of National Avenue and 1st Street. This development will be the first on the site, and will be placed at the back of the lot. It is being financed through $1.5 million in federal affordable housing tax credits.

South Water Works – Building Three (Under Construction)

Lighthouse Development is in the process of building an additional 52-unit apartment building at the South Water Works development. Construction is expected to be completed by March of 2011. Average unit size in the new development will be smaller than the neighboring Bridgeview apartments (800 vs 940 square-feet).

Corcoran Lofts (Open)

Mandel completed the Corcoran Lofts in the spring of 2010. The building is connected to the existing Gaslight Lofts, and includes 76 apartments and 3,400 square feet of retail space.

Corcoran Lofts Construction

Hide House Lofts (Open)

The Hide House Lofts were completed in November of 2010. The Bay View development features sixty units on four floors. General Capital Group and Joseph Property Development built the apartments after a contentious battle with area residents in 2009, which largely centered around the building’s use of WHEDA tax credits to finance part of its construction. The Hide House Lofts replaced the portion of the Greenebaum tannery complex built in the 1940′s, the portion built in 1898 still stands.

Hide House Lofts Construction

Latitude Apartments (Open)

The Latitude Apartments were completed in August 2010. Originally a project of New Land Enterprises, the Latitude Apartments won full zoning approval from the Milwaukee Common Council in December 2008 and was sold to Dermond Property Investments for $2.1 million in January 2009.  The project is located at the intersection of Kenilworth Ave. and Farwell Ave. just across from the Kenilworth Square Apartments.  The $13 million project features 90 units, and 7,500 square feet of street-level retail.  The units are broken down into 71 one-bedroom units and 19 studios.  Units range in size from 650 to 1,000 square feet.  The project includes 90 underground parking spaces, with 13 reserved for retail tenants.

Latitude Apartments

Wangard Properties (Proposed)

The most recently announced of any of the projects.  Tom Daykin reported yesterday that Wangard Properties intends to build an apartment building next to the Highbridge Condominiums (developed by New Land Enterprises) on N. Water St/E. Kane St.  The proposed building would likely include no more than 88 units.

Latitude Apartments (Under Construction)

Originally a project of New Land Enterprises, the Latitude Apartments won full zoning approval from the Milwaukee Common Council in December 2008 and was sold to Dermond Property Investments for $2.1 million in January 2009.  The project is located at the intersection of Kenilworth Ave and Farwell Ave just across from the Kenilworth Square Apartments.  Construction is in full swing now.  When finished the $13 million project will feature 90 units, and 7,500 square feet of street-level retail.  The units are broken down into 71 one-bedroom units and 19 studios.  Units range in size from 650 to 1,000 square feet.  The project includes 90 underground parking spaces, with 13 reserved for retail tenants.  Direct access to the Oak Leaf Trail is a unique aspect of the project.

Jackson Square Apartments (Under Construction)

Under construction in the Third Ward is Robert Joseph’s 81-unit Jackson Square Apartments.  When finished the project will feature 100+ underground parking stalls, and 9,000 square feet of retail space.  Rents will range from $800 to $1,600 with units split between one and two bedrooms.

Corcoran Lofts (Under Construction)

The Corcoran Lofts are under construction on Corcoran Avenue in the Third Ward and are on pace to open in the spring of 2010.  A Mandel Group development, the six-story development will include 76 units and 3,400 square feet of retail space.  The building will connect to Mandel’s 138-unit Gaslight Lofts, which will allow Corcoran residents to take advantage of Gaslight Lofts amenities such as the fitness center.  It will also allow the operating staff at the Gaslight Lofts to serve the new building. Rents will range from about $900 to $1,500.  The first two floors of the building are largely all parking, with the apartments being confined to the upper four floors. Urban Milwaukee has extensively photographed the development of this project, visible in our Friday Photos feature.

• Official Website

The North End ONE (Open)

ONE, the first building in the “neighborhood by design” development has been a resounding success in terms of apartment occupancy so far.  Having opened in the late spring of this year, the 83-unit Mandel Group development is within a couple units of being completely leased.  On a positive note for Milwaukee, Richard Lincoln of the Mandel Group estimates that 75% of the residents have moved to the building from outside of the city.  Mandel has a letter of intent for 3,000 of the 12,000 square feet of first floor retail space.  The next building built in the North End is likely to feature apartments as opposed to condos as well.  Mandel hopes to break ground on that building in 2010. Urban Milwaukee took a tour of the building while construction was finishing.

• Official Website

Bridgeview (Open)

A former warehouse turned apartment building by Lighthouse Development, the 55-unit Bridgeview is part of the South Water Works development just south of the Third Ward in Walker’s Point.  One and two-bedroom units with prices ranging from $900 to $1,800.  The five-story building that was once home to Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) is 85% leased and over 75% occupied. Urban Milwaukee took a tour of the building when it was under construction.

• Official Website

Blue Ribbon Lofts (Open)

The former Pabst Brewing Keg House is now home to 95 units by way of Gorman and Company Inc.  A big piece of the conversion of the Pabst Brewing Complex into The Brewery.  Targeted towards the creative class, the building features a music studio, artists’ workspaces and galleries, a fully equipped business center and conference rooms, a theater/presentation space and a fitness center.  Of the 95 units, 69 are available under affordable rent tax credits thanks to tax credits from WHEDA to support the project’s development.  The total project cost was $16.2 million.

• Official Website

Looking at Minneapolis, Melissa Kovach, observes that even with a light-rail line, nearby downtown sporting events, and anchor tenants, the urban mall, Block E, still has a vacancy rate equivelant to Grand Avenue’s (30%).

The way to a healthy urban retail environment proposed by the Public Policy Forum is to focus on unique, indepdent retailers at the street-level.  Words of wisdom that sound similar to what we concluded when we explored the idea of rebuilding the Shops of Grand Avenue.

It’s great to see more and more people coming around to the idea that an urban shopping center that is simply a clone of the suburbs will fail.

What survives?  Look at the Delmar Loop in St. Louis.  An urban neighborhood served by a light-rail line, with good urban, street-level design.  Every time I visit the area, it seems to grow bigger and healthier.

What do we have to look at locally? The Third Ward.  No fixed transit connections, but it is served by two bus lines.  Most importantly though is the extensive network of street-level retail establishments with offices and condos above.  Good urban design grows upon itself, unlike a stationary mall.  This is no more evident than in the growth of the Fifth Ward where retail, offices, and condos are spilling over from the Third Ward.  The Fifth Ward, officially known as Walker’s Pointer is located just south of the Third Ward, and has seen projects like South Water Works spring up over the past year, and now Riviana appears to be moving forward again even in a down economy.

There is also the East Side concept of dorm-oriented development that appears to be taking hold.

By bringing in Deanna Inniss as a recruiter and taking the inside of Grand Avenue off of her plate, she is poised to build off the success of the Third Ward and spread that unique urban shopping experience to the rest of downtown. Godspeed to Deanna, and kudos to BID #21 for bringing her in and not saddling her baggage of bad ideas past.

We’ve re-posted them here to make them more widely available.

Fullhouse will occupy the top two floors of the building at 235 E Pittsburgh Ave. The adjacent building is being redeveloped as the Bridgeview Apartments, a 55-unit development.

The company is currently located at 207 N. Milwaukee St. Just over a quarter mile from their new location. They’re packed to the brim and bursting at the seems at the Milwaukee St location, with employees being crammed into any free space that can be found. It’s the kind of problem you’re happy to see a Milwaukee company having. You can always find a bigger building, but if you can’t find work the size of cubicle doesn’t matter.

Having the new office location close to the old one means employees won’t have to search for a new watering hole, but if I’m the owner of MOCT across the street, I’d be a little excited.

Fullhouse leaving the Third Ward next summer will open space for another business to locate and flourish there. For Fullhouse moving across the river to Walker’s Point (commonly called the Fifth Ward by people trying to cash in on the Third Ward’s real estate prices) will accelerate the development of the neighborhood and allow the company to continue to grow. A trip down any street in the northern most portion of Walker’s Point will quickly show you that the Transpak redevelopment is far from the only thing going on.