County Lists Park East Lot For Sale, Again

Block 22 in the Park East. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

One of the last remaining undeveloped downtown blocks is for sale.

Milwaukee County issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2.28-acre block bounded by N. Water St., E. Ogden Ave. N. Milwaukee St. and N. Broadway.

It’s the fourth time the county has listed the site, known as Block 22, for sale.

The latest listing comes after developer Cornelius McClendon‘s purchase option was allowed to expire in January. McClendon, who secured a purchase option in 2020, had initially proposed a $60 million hotel and apartment complex. His firm, McClendon Capital Group, was to pay the county $3.5 million for the property.

“Prior to January 2023, McClendon discussed with the County some concerns and delays they were experiencing related to modifications to their project plans, a request to amend the proposed purchase price, and some project funding delays and issues,” wrote interim economic director Celia Benton in a report earlier this year to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. She said negotiations around renewing the lapsed option took place, but discussions about changing the purchase price and the evolving nature of the project triggered the need to issue a new RFP.

Bonfire, the third-party service Milwaukee County uses to host its RFPs, shows that McClendon Capital Group has already downloaded the RFP.

There is not a specific asking price, with the proposed price to be used as part of the scoring criteria for RFP responses. The buyer will need to deposit $50,000 with the county for a nonrefundable one-year purchase option.

Block 22 is one several lots created by the removal of the Park East Freeway in the early 2000s. Wangard Partners held an option to purchase the site from 2016 through 2018. The Opus Group and Mercy Housing also partnered on an RFP response in 2013 that was endorsed by a review board only to stall before the county board.

It’s the last Park East full-block parcel still controlled by Milwaukee County. Parcels on the west side of the river were pledged to an affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the arena development, with the county now transferring them as they are developed. Parcels on the east side of the river have been sold individually.

Block 22 slopes downhill towards the river and has a five-sided, irregular shape. Immediately to the south, a new apartment building is under construction. To the east, the first phase of the Avenir apartment complex occupies a third of another former Park East block. Weidner Investment Services has yet to develop the second and third phases, in violation of a development agreement with the county. The Mandel Group‘s multi-building The North End complex is located to the north. To the west is Milwaukee School of Engineering‘s Viets Field, also built atop former county land, and the 1433 Water office building.

To the southwest, Marcus Corp. is attempting to sell land it previously assembled for a riverfront movie theater and corporate headquarters.

The RFP says no pre-proposal conference will be held because “extensive information” can be found at parkeastmke.com; however no website responds at that address.

Responses are due Oct. 6.