Catalyst

Overshadowed a bit by neighbors, 833 East expects tenants by March

Tour the Talgo Trains You Might Never Ride

Downtown block parties are coming, use of bike racks on MCTS buses doubles year-over-year, explore the Historic Concordia neighborhood with HMI, UWM gets a zoning change, The Moderne is meeting hiring requirements, and kids can ride free on the Amtrak Hiawatha this summer.

Target in Downtown Milwaukee

With the announcement that Target is opening a CityTarget store on State Street in Chicago's The Loop Neighborhood, the idea of a downtown Milwaukee Target has been generating a considerable amount of buzz in the past few weeks. Unfortunately for those wishing to shop at a downtown Target, none of that buzz has come from Target. Assuming Target was interested though, what location and store format would best match the desires of Target-loving shoppers with the needs of the city to continue to develop a healthy urban core in and around downtown? Let's explore.

The Ghazi Company’s EpiCentre Project Involved in Legal Fight

The Ghazi Company's proposed Catalyst project in downtown Milwaukee has been one of the most talked about projects in recent years but issues with The Ghazi Company's EpiCentre project in Charlotte have raised new concerns over the fate of Catalyst.

Activity at 4th and Wisconsin

Despite the market downturn The Ghazi Company appears to be pressing forward with their Catalyst project. Back in November they launched the project website CatalystMilwaukee.com and today they began advertising the project with a large banner on a neighboring parking garage. The project includes 150,000 square feet of retail space to be leased out and approximately 200 condominiums and apartments to be leased or sold which is a considerable undertaking in any market but more difficult as the country faces a possible recession. Despite this these increased marketing efforts show The Ghazi Company’s willingness to carry on with the Catalyst project and that potentially Milwaukee’s market is still strong enough to support these new developments.

CatalystMilwaukee.com

In recent weeks Ghazi Co. has been building momentum for the Catalyst. They announced Big City Lanes as the first secured tenant. Afshin Ghazi spoke at the fifth annual Small Business Times Commercial Real Estate and Development Conference promoting both Catalyst and a return to the city. And today Catalyst took yet another positive step forward with the launch of CatalystMilwaukee.com. Hopefully this momentum is truly sustainable, so that one day the surface parking lot at 4th & Wisconsin will be Milwaukee’s newest entertainment district.

The Catalyst

The Ghazi Company was all over the mainstream press this week with coverage of their updated plans for 4th & Wisconsin. Probably the biggest piece of news to come out of all these articles oddly is the project’s name, The Catalyst. Just like The Ghazi Company’s EpiCentre project in Uptown Charlotte, NC the name fits precisely. The potential impact of this project is catalytic due to its scale, the draw to the neighborhood of new residents and new customers, and its ability to raise the level of the neighborhood. Further it will be of value to the convention center by assisting in drawing bigger events as it adds new amenities and additional hotel rooms to the area. Missing from the news reports but also of note is that Afshin Ghazi, president of the The Ghazi Company, will be speaking at the 5th Annual Small Business Times Commercial Real Estate & Development Conference on November 8, 2007, where I’m sure we’ll hear more on The Catalyst project. Once this project gets under way I’ll be photographing their progress and posting them on flickr, but if you’d like to see what The Ghazi Company is doing in Charlotte, NC right now, take a look at their construction cam, my flickr set or Eric Bahr‘s photos. Articles Ambitious Downtown Construction Project Could Begin In Spring Project could get quick start Wisconsin Avenue hotel, retail project takes step forward