Behold the Belay Apartments
E. North Ave. project has 46 apartments and climbing gym you can see in 45-foot-tall windows.
Belay Apartments construction. (Photo taken October 16th, 2015 by Jeramey Jannene)
The Mandel Group‘s latest offering has begun rising from the ground just west of the Milwaukee River. The development, a unique partnership between the prolific Milwaukee development firm and the Adventure Rock climbing gym, will feature 46 apartments when completed.
Local firm Johnsen Schmaling Architects designed the building, with Greenfire Management Services serving as the project’s general contractor. Also part of the development team are Pierce Engineering, Pinnacle Engineering and GZA GeoEnvironmental.
The project broke ground on May 20th and is expected to have its first residents by May 2016.
Adventure Rock, which operates another climbing gym in Brookfield, has signed a long-term lease for 18,000 square-feet in the building. Unlike most commercial spaces in apartment buildings, the climbing gym is integral to the building’s design and will be highly visible via two 45-foot tall windows.
The building’s name, Belay Apartments, is a clever homage to climbing itself. A belay is “a spike of rock or other hard material used for belaying.” In plain English, the apartment building serves as the rock for climbers to scale.
The building is located at the southeast corner of the intersection of E. North Ave. and N. Commerce St. where Riverwest meets the Beerline B neighborhood.
Photo Gallery
Project Renderings
Friday Photos
-
RNC Build Out Takes Over Westown
Jul 12th, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
-
Northwestern Mutual’s Unbuilding Changes Skyline
Jul 5th, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
-
New Apartment Building Rises In Summerfest’s Shadow
Jun 28th, 2024 by Jeramey Jannene
Maybe, just maybe, people driving on North avenue there will slow down from 45mph to 30mph to look in the windows at the climbers.
That four lane section of North Avenue between Humboldt and the River Bridge needs to shrink.