City Struggles on Couture Streetcar Extension
As project drags, officials to meet with Federal Transit Administration to discuss options.
The delay in starting construction on The Couture is causing issues beyond just the development of the 44-story apartment tower along the lakefront.
An extension of The Hop, paid for almost entirely with a federal grant, is required to start operating by the end of 2020 and is planned to run through the base of the proposed building at 909 E. Michigan St.
The idea, part of a plan by city and county officials to avoid having to pay the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) back for demolishing the former Downtown Transit Center, is for The Couture and eventually Milwaukee County’s East-West Bus Rapid Transit proposal to operate out of a three-story concourse at the base of the high-end apartment tower. But Barrett Lo Visionary Development has been unable to secure the necessary equity financing for the project to start construction.
City Engineer Samir Amin said in June that the city would need to consider alternatives if the project had not broken ground by the end of August.
The August deadline came and went, with the only news being that Barrett Lo replaced the signage at the two-acre site as part of a financing push with Robert W. Baird & Co.
“They are assembling a report to redirect the streetcar terminal away from The Couture,” said Bauman in announcing the file would not be heard Wednesday morning. He said city officials would soon meet with the FTA to discuss options.
“DPW and [the Department of City Develpoment] will be meeting with FTA later this month to discuss options with the Lakefront Line and any exploration of alternatives will be done in collaboration with Milwaukee County,” said DPW communications manager Brian DeNeve in a statement to Urban Milwaukee.
When will The Couture be built and when the streetcar extension ultimately be built? “Whether it’s next month, next year, or next decade, that’s hard to say,” said Bauman. Meanwhile, members of the county board have begun advocating for some other developer or project to replace Barrett Lo.
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Related Legislation: File 190352
More about the Couture
- Friday Photos: See The View From The Couture’s Upper Levels - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 8th, 2024
- The Couture Shows Off First Apartments - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 24th, 2024
- Transportation: Streetcar Extension Opens Sunday - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 28th, 2023
- Lakefront Streetcar Extension Opens October 29 - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 22nd, 2023
- Eyes on Milwaukee: See Inside The Couture’s Rise - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 9th, 2023
- Transportation: Congress Extends Streetcar Grant - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2022
- Eyes on Milwaukee: The Couture Starts Massive Concrete Pour - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2022
- City Hall: Council Could End Fight Over Couture Provision - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 22nd, 2022
- Eyes on Milwaukee: The Couture Completion Delayed Until End of 2023 - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 3rd, 2022
- City Needs Act of Congress Because of Couture-Streetcar Delay - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 1st, 2022
Read more about Couture here
More about the Milwaukee Streetcar
For more project details, including the project timeline, financing, route and possible extensions, see our extensive past coverage.
- Milwaukee’s Three Streetcar Extensions Need Mayoral Direction - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 8th, 2023
- Transportation: Streetcar Extension Opens Sunday - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 28th, 2023
- Ride Along On Streetcar Extension Before It Opens - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 11th, 2023
- Lakefront Streetcar Extension Opens October 29 - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 22nd, 2023
- Streetcar Ridership Has Climbed For 27 Straight Months Year-Over-Year - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 28th, 2023
- Transportation: Harley-Davidson Is New Streetcar Sponsor - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 7th, 2023
- Committee Backs 4 Streetcar Extensions - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 28th, 2023
- Garbage Truck Crashes Into Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 27th, 2023
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Has $16 Million Plan For Downtown Plaza - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 10th, 2023
- Transportation: Feds Don’t Select Milwaukee For Streetcar Grant - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 11th, 2022
Read more about Milwaukee Streetcar here
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