5th Ward’s Growth Continues
Work has begun on at the former Transpak buildings located at 235 E. Pittsburgh Ave. The first is a smaller more recent building which had significant structural problems and is in the process of being demolished. The second is a larger warehouse building that is in the process of being gutted for a mixed-use redevelopment. To accommodate a first floor retail component the City of Milwaukee recently vacated the turning lane adjacent to this property.
The new 102-room Iron Horse Hotel located at 500 W. Florida St. has been under construction for several months and should open during the summer of 2008. It will be run by Miami boutique hotel operator Desire Hotels. Desire Hotels operates numerous high-end hotels throughout the country including the The Strand and The Sagamore. The Iron Horse Hotel will bring this same level of style to Milwaukee by featuring exposed brick and timber, down pillows, high-end linens, walk-in showers, flat screen TVs, Wi-Fi and covered parking for motorcycles.
For those of us who foresaw the re-development of the 5th Ward, these developments come as no surprise.
I fought unsuccessfully to stop the demolition of the old Boy’s Tech high school building, with no success. There was a solid wall of ignorance that I ran into at every turn. The sand-bagging I received from the MPS, the Bradly Tech board, DCD, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Mayor, among others, was impressive, however infuriating.
This building was 400,000 sq/ft, all eco-remediated, solid concrete, and with irreplaceable opportunistic potential.
It would have loved to be re-invented and to become a part of the afore-mentioned 5th Ward redevelopment.
I love yoour blog. Keep up the good work.
Stephen> Yea I’ve been saying the 5th Ward/Walker’s Point is where the development is heading in Milwaukee for awhile now… If only I had the funding to be part of it. Oh well.
You know I didn’t follow the Boy’s Tech demolition much but now that it is too late. One thing I would like was instead of just becoming a grass field could it of become a true “place” where they could of had events like Cathedral Square does in East Town.
Thanks!
Great article and comments, I currently live in the home of Mr. Milwaukee, William George Bruce, a large cream city victorian built in 1896 in the Walker’s Point area, just down the road from Bradley Tech. I hated to see (Boy’s Tech.) this building go, the sunshine left in it’s wake being the only possitive i can see. Commenting on the Fifth ward, i love to watch the developments happening there. Most of the projects have tickled my history bone and i’m pleased to see so many buildings being re-hashed. Being the oldest historical district in Wisconsin we need to keep these newly-found traditions going. I firmly beleive that the success the 5th ward will have will not come from similarities to the Third Ward, but from celebrating the differing pasts Walker’s Point has to offer.
We have created an informational page on “Historic Walker’s Point” @ Facebook.com
if interested please apply when visiting the site.
take care….
Aryn
The name is Historic Walkers Point. If you want to call it Historic Walkers Point/Fifth Ward that’s OK just remember it was a neighborhood before it became “hip and trendy”.