New Apartment Building Planned for Water St.
The Rhythm would replace dive bar on Water St. and feature studios and one-bedroom units.
A new apartment building is under consideration just north of Downtown. “The Rhythm,” as it would be called, would replace The Curve tavern (formerly O’Brady’s) at 1634 N. Water St. The project is being led by Tim Gokhman, who is currently involved in a new apartment complex wrapping up construction on N. Humboldt Ave. Also involved are land owner Jim Wiechmann, who leads the investor group, and architect Scott Kindness.
Despite sources indicating the project involved “micro units,” Gokhman said he wouldn’t call them that. According to the Wall Street Journal micro units are between 300 and 500 square-feet. The Rhythm is slated to include one-bedroom and studio apartments.
The location of The Rhythm (three yellow parcels) on N. Water St.
Gokhman’s name is likely familiar from his extensive work with New Land Enterprises, a firm founded by his father Boris Gokhman and Walter Shuk. Gokhman partnered, outside of New Land, with Shuk’s daughter Ann for the project on N. Humboldt Ave. Wiechman himself is no stranger to New Land Enterprises, having been involved in a number of the company’s projects, including the condos at Cathedral Place and the Terrace Row Condominiums on E. Kilbourn Ave. Kindness is in the same boat, having served as architect on numerous New Land projects. Despite so many of its past partners being involved, it was noted that this project is neither a New Land Enterprises project, nor the same development team that is building the RowHouse 31 apartments on N. Humboldt Ave.
The Rhythm would be built just across the street from the third phase of The North End. The latter is the latest phase of the Mandel Group‘s “neighborhood by design” and will include a grocery store on the first floor and 168 apartments above. Demolition work began recently on the site, with full construction to begin next month. The project is slated for an Autumn 2015 opening. Already completed are the first two phases of the project which include ONE, Portrait, and Silhouette.
Located at the northern boundary of the Park East tax incremental financing district, the property tax revenue from both projects will go towards paying off the bonds used to tear down the elevated freeway and rebuild the streets through the area.
Tim Gokhman and his team are negotiating with the Department of City Development on the project specifics for The Rhythm.
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Nice to see something going up there, as that little stretch always had such a sad, almost Appalachian quality of passivity and decline.
I just hope it is visually interesting and not just another one of those boring postmodern boxes that crop up everywhere.
So far, lots of talk of promise in the Park East with only a little action. Avenir and the North End are the only projects that have been realized. Marcus movie theater? Dead. Opus project? Silent. Wangard’s project on Water and Brady? Silent.
Yes the North End has been a success and Avenir is almost complete but the city has begun celebrating the success of the Park East and all the pending developments. I don’t see success quite yet, I still see TONS of vacant land with empty promises of development.
@Justin I’d add the Aloft, MSOE thing (garage er soccer field), the FlatIron, and don’t forget the Moderne was built utilizing Park East funds… Yes Opus is still quiet though I feel confident that one is a go… Wangards Water and Brady is still a ways off. And the Marcus movie theater was always a much longer shot as it at one time included an office component. That said there is no doubt the Park East is better today than when the freeway was there.
I cringe every time I see a Gokhman associated with Milwaukee development.
@ Dave…I forgot about Aloft and MSOE, nice catch. Are the FlatIron and Moderne on Park East land though? I still look at all that barren land as a symbol of Milwaukee and the County’s inability to get things done. The Opus project concerns me because Wangard also submitted a proposal and if Opus isn’t going to get it done, one would have to wonder if Wangard could have. But then again Wangard doesn’t have that great of a track record actually getting projects out of the ground either. Can we get some legit developers in the city besides Mandel?!? There is no doubt the freeway had to go but maybe they should have waited until they actually had proposals for the land because personally I think it looks worse now, sitting as a vacant reminder or what could have been. I’m also for tearing down 794 but I fear the same would have happened there. We don’t need two areas of downtown that look like post-apocalyptic wastelands.
@Ted…Correct. I feel the same. How is his Bookends tower doing? Oh wait, it’s not there….
The FlatIron was basically the only city land that came out of the Park East removal. And the Moderne although not PE land was developed using the PE TIF. I’m not worried about Opus, projects just take time. Wangard gets projects done, that’s just how development works. “There is no doubt the freeway had to go but maybe they should have waited until they actually had proposals for the land…” No way. It would never have been removed then… Development is not a fast process, but the PE is moving along.
Paul Miller, I totally agree. For all the variety post modernism is supposed to provide it sure does all look pretty much the same.
Paul:
“Appalachian;” a perfect description for that little parcel! It’s been that way since I was commuting past it on the way home from high school in the early 70’s.
PS: the Gohkman thing very likely won’t happen but at least a conversation has begun..
Looks like a tavern review of the Curve is in order.
Anyone know why Ted doesn’t like Gokhman? I’m just a curious newb.
I know the Curve building interior is probably a dump,but have always been curious how far back the building dates. It would also be nice if , in developing the site, they found a way to preserve some of that foliage on the bluff up to Jackson St.. Also , some style beyond the sterile, postmodern “shoebox” would be welcome.Just saying.
I know Michael Horne and Fitz believe the building is very old (one of them thinks it’s Civil War era I believe). Horne is working on it for an upcoming Taverns column.
No word on the design yet.