The Year’s Most Popular Real Estate Stories
As the city's landscape changed in 2025, which stories resonated with readers?
Is Milwaukee moving forward, backward or standing still? There are many ways to measure this, but real estate development is definitely a key factor. New developments, old buildings getting torn down, efforts at historic preservation — all can transform the landscape of the city, often in powerful ways. And our readers are very interested in stories that track these changes, though it’s often a surprise which ones get the most attention.
Here are the 10 most popular real estate stories of 2026.
10. Friday Photos: Long-Planned East Side Apartment Building Opens
Elevation 1659. Photo by Urban Milwaukee staff.
9. Murphy’s Law: Bronzeville Center for Arts Loses Its Main Donor
Conceptual, non-site-specific rendering of Bronzeville Center for the Arts. Rendering by Wilson & Ford Design Studios.
8. Are East Side Buildings Historic or Is That ‘Slander’?
1700, 1708 and 1714-1716 N. Farwell Ave. and 1516 E. Brady St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
7. Murphy’s Law: Betty Brinn Museum Must Move
Photo courtesy of the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum.
6. New Plan To Save Building Literally Falling Apart
4500-4506 W. Burleight St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
5. Aurora Demolishing Office Building
Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center in 2023. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
4. Murphy’s Law: Why Attanasio Has Never Developed Around Brewers Stadium
American Family Field. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
3. Replacing 100-Year-Old City Building Won’t Be Cheap
1540 W. Canal St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
2. Two Milwaukee McDonald’s Restaurants Being Demolished
McDonald’s at 2455 W. Wisconsin Ave. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
1. Milwaukee’s Mayor Is Looking To Move
Mayor Cavalier Johnson purchased a new home in the Concordia neighborhood. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
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What’s happening with these stalled developments?:
Hotel at Brady Farwell/Cambridge.
Redevelopment of The Fenwick on Farwell (just north of Shank Hall)
Triangular residence at Franklin Lyon/Warren.
Construction on the latter two have been paused for years.
Any updates on Century City and 30th street (formerly industrial) corridor? On a related subject, any update on the former Master Lock complex?