Beerline B

City Unveils Plan to Replace Swing Park

'The Landing at Tannery Row' would be a big change. Citizen input sought.

City Proposes Study of Streetcar to Walker’s Point

Proposed extension would run from Third Ward south to 6th and National.

City Offering $5,000 Down Payment Grants

Live in the city? Want to buy your first house in Milwaukee? New program aims to help.

Committee Approves Over 20 Amendments To Milwaukee Budget

Amendments target violence prevention, housing, lead abatement and more.

City, State Selling Site Near Train Station

Alderman wants to see transit-oriented development.

Downtown Has Added 11,450 Housing Units

All under Barrett, all since 2004. But what about the rest of the city?

No Strip Club for Riverwest

Owners of Tha Circle cite miscommunication, withdraw application.

Affordable Housing Plan Inches Forward

But proposal has been narrowed, will only affect city-financed projects.

Bucks Unveil Arena Parking Garage

New garage to include tailgating, fast exits, glassy stairways and direct arena access.

Milwaukee’s Canal, Mid 1860s

The canal was one mile long, but never grew as the company went bankrupt.

Inside Walker’s Landing Apartments

Final residential development on Beerline adds 114 apartments and great views.

Apartment Hunting in Milwaukee

A close-up look at eight new apartment buildings in Milwaukee.

Phase Four of North End Underway

Fourth phase of $175 million project adds 155 apartments to booming Lower East Side.

Behold the Belay Apartments

E. North Ave. project has 46 apartments and climbing gym you can see in 45-foot-tall windows.

Tim Gokhman Builds His Dream Home

Developer is building on one of the last remaining lots in Beerline B.

Walker’s Landing Takes Shape

It might be misnamed, but it's rising along the river, as our photos show.

Walker’s Landing Has Landed

The two-building apartment complex with 133 units is now as tall as the Humboldt Ave. Bridge and still rising, as our photos document.

1,449 New Apartments Coming

And more are on the way, all within a two-mile radius of City Hall.

Mandel Group’s “Coolest Project” Ever

Mandel Group breaks ground on a 46-apartment, mixed-use development that includes an indoor climbing gym.

Bucks Plan Envisions Arena Streetcar

$1 billion plan for new arena and other development would transform Park East land and tear down Bradley Center.

Walker’s Landing Aims for Third Ward Style

133 unit apartment complex on Commerce Street is beginning construction a bit later than planned. Our photos capture the early progress.

Can Milwaukee Upgrade to Gold Ranking?

City officials pledge to work towards upgrading the city's national, bicycle-friendly ranking from bronze to gold.

Walker’s Landing Coming to Commerce Street

The $19.5 million, 133-unit apartment complex along the river will fill in one of the last developable pieces of land on the Beerline.

Santa Cycle Rampage Goes National

Milwaukee had as many as 1,000 cycling Santas, and cities like Boston, Chicago, Kansas City and Minneapolis also had rampages.

The Greenway Gateway

Shoreline restoration, bicycle trails and other changes are happening along the river on the Lower East Side. Our photos track the progress in the last year.

City Cameras Now Nab Parking Violators

No more chalked tires? The system is quietly becoming automated, invisible -- and a big surprise for parking scofflaws.

Water St. and Humboldt Ave.

Can the city upgrade and improve its design? First story in a new series.

Rooftop Dining

The dramatic yet oh-so-civilized views from Cafe Benelux, Wolf Peach and Hotel Metro's Zen on 7.

MIAD Apartments Changes Irk Bauman, Who Demands Fix

A planned community gathering space instead becomes an underwhelming staircase.

Rock River Canal, 1860s

The area which is now the Beerline, looking toward the Humboldt Ave. bridge, was once a canal.

Developer Tim Dixon’s Home and Tennis Court

High above Commerce Street, it offers a spectacular view of Downtown, and respite from Dixon's financial woes.

MANDI Awards Announce Sweet 16 Nominees

Finalists for 2014 Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation include Three Bridges Park and 15 others.

The Governor as Grinch

Walker's crass campaign pitch, a weird art thief and the Santa Rampage.

City Authority Okays New Beerline Buildings

RACM approves two apartment buildings with 113 units that will increase density on N. Commerce St.

Grand Opening of Marsupial Bridge Connector

Hurrah! Newly-opened Trestle Stair connects Marsupial Bridge to Commerce Street and better knits neighborhoods.

A Very Pleasant Opening

Photos and gossip from the ceremonial opening of the Pleasant Street Bridge.

16th Annual Mayor’s Design Awards Announced

Which are the best designs? You be the judge.

Marsupial Bridge Connection At Mid-Point

Renderings of how the bridge will better connect to pedestrians and photos of ongoing progress.

School Switcheroo?

Maryland Avenue Montessori might swap buildings with Cass Street School. And poor Sweet Water's building is available for lease.

Patrick Yates

From small town to the Brew City, a young professional's take on what makes Milwaukee exciting.

The Holton Bridge Swings

Kinetic sculptures enliven the gathering place below the Holton Bridge. And Weird Al holds court in MKE.

A Year in Review

As the US economy continued it slow recovery from the Great Recession, Milwaukee was left with a couple of failed development projects to complete or redefine, a changing real estate market, the opportunity to make small infrastructure changes, and questions about the future of transit.

Milwaukee Apartment Update

What apartment projects are currently proposed, under construction, or have recently opened in Milwaukee? A little over a year ago we did a similar exercise, so it will be good to take a look and see what has changed in the past year.

Beerline Trail Open to the Public

On Wednesday evening, the Beerline Trail celebrated it's grand opening.

Beerline B Apartment Complex to Break Ground in November (Renderings)

General Capital Group plans to break ground on the 140-unit Beerline B apartment project, located at the long vacant corner of Commerce St. and Pleasant St., in November.

Beerline B Apartments Riverwalk Proposed

The riverwalk segment for the proposed Beerline B Apartments will go before the Milwaukee City Plan Commission on August 23rd. General Capital Group is bringing the riverwalk segment forward for approval before the entire project. The 140-unit project, which recently was awarded $2,345,310 in WHEDA tax credits for 119 low-income units, will occupy the corner of Commerce St and Pleasant St.

Rivianna, Villard Square, and New Riverwalk Sections Approved at ZND Meeting

Harry Drea, one of the developers of the Rivianna project, was before the committee to request an amendment to the previously approved General Planned Development, and approval of the Detailed Planned Development.

Growth is Good. Let’s Keep it Going

Good news. The City of Milwaukee has been growing over the past decade, albeit slowly, but this recent trend is better than the decades long slide from a high point of 741,324 in 1960 to a recent low below 596,974 in 2000. Since 2000 Milwaukee has seen a small, but significant increase to 604,477 residents. Yes, a growth rate of just 1.3%, but it is a start.

Milwaukee Police District Boundaries Redrawn – Will Affect New UWM Dorm

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn has had his new police district boundaries approved by the Common Council Public Safety Committee. The new boundaries will have the most significant effects on the East and South sides of Milwaukee.

Lower East Side Grocery Store To Open

John and Anne Nehring will open Nehring Family Marketplace in a building owned by New Land Enterprises at the intersection of Brady and Water Streets.

Five Reasons to Look Forward to Summer in Milwaukee

What did I miss?

Chicago Doesn’t Always Beat Milwaukee

Too often we, as Milwaukeeans, are too quick to assume all the good ideas in Milwaukee are trickling up from Chicago.

Milwaukee Snow Videos

Just about everyone in Milwaukee is ready for spring, right? Well in the event that you're not, we have two pretty impressive videos to share with you that have a lot of snow (and Milwaukee) in them.

Who Lives in Milwaukee’s Condos?

The UWM Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR) undertook the first comprehensive study on Milwaukee's "condo boom" to understand who was actually living in the condos stretching from the northern part of Walker's Point up to North Avenue on the East Side.

Friday Photos Friday, 24. October 2008

Kane Commons The North End Breakwater Condos The Edge Park Lafayette

Where Is The New UWM Dorm Going?

To be honest, we don't know exactly. But we do know that they've proposed 8 sites, and we'll break down each one to determine which one we think might be the best.

Condominium Sales Update

A sampling of projects in varying states of completion showed that over 200 recently completed or under construction condominium units have not been sold. A look at the data indicates that In many cases the high priced units have gone un-sold. Clearly the market downturn has slowed sales but this may also indicated a demand for units priced at an affordable level. Development # Units % Sold Status City Green 44 20% Ready to Move In First Place on the River 184 56% Ready to Move In Park Terrace Bluff Homes 16 56% Ready to Move In Park Terrace Row House 21 71% Ready to Move In Residences on Water 31 29% Under Construction River Renaissance 81 55% Ready to Move In 601 Lofts 83 61% Ready to Move In Sterling 112 98% Ready to Move In University Club 56 89% Ready to Move In Data was not available for the The Breakwater, Park Lafayette, Flatiron, Union Point, The Edge, and Kilborn Tower

The End of the Beer Line

Marsupial Bridge Originally uploaded by repowers While the Beer Line railroad trunk has been gone from the Beer Line neighborhood for a long time, the last legitimate piece of the stretch has finally been given regulatory approval to close. With the closure of a 2.4 mile stretch by Wisconsin & Southern Railroad, all that is left of the famous line is 1 mile. In its heyday, the six-mile stretch hauled more freight than many cross-country railroads. It linked foundries, machine-tool shops, lumberyards, tanneries and makers of engines, castings, shoes, cardboard, cans, batteries, furniture and sausages. The north side line also connected three of the nation’s biggest breweries; during summer peaks in the 1950s, the Beer Line carried up to 270 boxcars each day with nothing but kegs and bottles. Read more… All things considered, you can’t be upset that the line is slowly being removed. The portion removed in the Beer Line neighborhood clearly has created a lot of land for quality development. I would expect the same to happen with the latest 2.4 mile stretch over time. Wisconsin & Southern clearly isn’t fleecing the city’s industries either, they’re simply not in need of large industrial shipping anymore. The only thing consistent in life is change. Apparently that rule applies to urban Milwaukee too.

Brew Pub Legislation

Milwaukee Ale House Viewed From the Milwaukee River Originally uploaded by purpleslog A anti-capitalism, pro-lobbying law was snuck into the state budget. It had been protested already this summer by Milwaukee Ale House owner Jim McCabe when the idea was floated originally. I’ll let you form your own opinion, but I can’t figure out a reason why this law should exist. Under current law, a Wisconsin brew pub can operate only two locations if it produces more than 4,000 barrels of beer a year. The budget proposal lifts that production ceiling to 10,000 barrels and allows up to six locations. That change was sought by Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co., a Madison-area brew pub operator that opened its third location earlier this year. Meanwhile, McCabe’s new brewery, at 613 S. 2nd St., is designed to ramp up production of the Louie’s Demise brand for sale in packaged form at liquor stores and other retail outlets. Other regional craft brewers, including Chicago-based Goose Island Beer Co. and Cleveland’s Great Lakes Brewing Co., started as brew pubs, and McCabe wants to follow that same path. However, the new law “caps our overall growth,” he said. Also, the new law bans a licensed brew pub operator from also owning a brewery that produces beer for packaged sales, said McCabe and Russ Klisch, president of Lakefront Brewery Inc. McCabe said that might force him to convert the 2nd St. brewery into a brew pub – a move that would require a large investment. Klisch said he fears the production limit might require him to close Lakefront Palm Garden restaurant, which operates at his brewery, 1872 N. Commerce St. Lakefront Brewery this year will produce around 9,600 barrels and is expected to exceed 10,000 barrels in 2008, he said. The new provision could be changed by Gov. Jim Doyle through the line-item veto process, McCabe said. Another possibility is filing a lawsuit to challenge the law, he said. The proposed limits initially surfaced this summer and are supported by some of the state’s craft brewers and brew pub operators. The changes also are supported by the Wisconsin Beer Distributors Association Inc., whose members buy beer from breweries and then sell it to retailers. The law could help fend off possible lawsuits challenging the lack of a state brew pub license, association officials say. The wholesalers group also said the 10,000-barrel limit allows plenty of room for brew pubs to grow. The only places I can imagine that are in favor of it are Great Dane and Water Street Brewery because they don’t appear to be interested in selling their beer off-site via production at a brewery. I can’t figure out why this law exists. It seems anti-business and anti-logic to not allow Milwaukee’s (and Wisconsin’s) only locally-owned breweries from expanding their operations in ways that increase employment and generate tax revenue. They produce a quality product and are assets to both the restaurant and brewing community. Urban Milwaukee supports the repeal of this ridiculous […]

The Edge

For a quite sometime it appeared this project may not ever get built as no progress had been taken place on the site but finally progress can been seen at the site as work has begun on the foundation. This is great news as The Edge includes one of the missing Riverwalk pieces needed to complete the Beerline section and will include the cleanup of a contaminated property. Additionally this project has a creative design and once completed will have 133 units running in the range of $200,000 to $300,000. To follow this development I’ve started a flickr set, The Edge that I will update with new pictures to keep track of the progress.         Articles Chicago firm plans condos near Milwaukee River Condo developers to receive brownfields grant

Voting With The Mayor

Mayor Barrett’s office announced Monday that he would vote at City Hall at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

“Groundbreaking” for Bridge

My Campaign Blog

Two hundred fifty bucks or a free press pass?

Bobot Calls for Term Limit

Vince Bobot plans to request a change in the City Charter to limit the term of Milwaukee Mayor to two consecutive terms.