Depending on which news sources you follow, Milwaukee is going through either a “renaissance” or a “reinvention.” Or maybe it’s a “reboot” or a “reimagining,” like that crappy Tim Burton version of Planet Of The Apes. However you want to define it, it’s safe to say that Milwaukee is currently building a lot of new shit.
• Remember the ailing Shops of Grand Avenue? Remember the highly touted plans to convert the ailing Shops of Grand Avenue into apartments, office space, and a whole bunch of restaurants? Well, that first bit is finally coming to pass: Construction has begun to turn the storefronts on the second floor of the Plankinton Arcade into 50 high-end apartments. Located above TJ Maxx and the former Linens ‘N Things, the apartment complex will be dubbed the “Plankinton Clover,” and is expected to be ready for occupancy in spring 2018. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal:
Studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom units will all be available, [Grand Avenue co-owner Tony] Janowiec said, with square footage running from 500 to 1,600. In addition to modern features and appliances, Plankinton Clover will include amenities like a business center, fitness center, club room and “doggy wellness center,” which will be an indoor space where pet owners can take their canines for exercise, bathing and grooming. High ceilings and expansive windows will also be a hallmark of the apartments, Janowiec said.
Some Clover apartments will also have their own private entrance; however, the public walkway leading along the Plankinton Arcade’s storefronts will remain public, assured Janowiec. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Still stunned that the gloriously empty mall (perfect for burning energy off of amped-up toddlers) will soon become luxury apartments? Urban Milwaukee has the pictures to prove it. [Urban Milwaukee]
• An investor group has purchased the Park East Hotel, 916 E. State St., and plans to convert it into 96 apartments. The interior of the downtown building will be gutted, its exterior replaced, and a penthouse will be added to the top floor. The apartments—a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom units going anywhere between $1,200 and $2,500 a month—are expected to be open to residents in late summer 2018. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Wheel & Sprocket might be opening its first Milwaukee bike shop in Bay View. The possible location—now a vacant warehouse at 187 E. Becher St.—would also include a dining area and “other expanded services.” Why open in Milwaukee now? According to Wheel & Sprocket co-owner Noel Kegel, to take advantage of the city’s “urban renaissance.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• It’s official: Developers have purchased the former Hamburger Mary’s site in Bay View, with plans to build a 144-unit apartment building there. New Land Enterprises and Wiechmann Enterprises are currently looking to lock down businesses for the project’s 15,000 square feet of first-floor retail space. “We want something that is both dynamic and an amenity to the neighborhood, whether that is a local retailer, or a restaurant or maybe even potentially a grocery store,” says New Land Enterprises Tim Gokhman. Construction is expected to begin in summer 2018. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• Jewels Caribbean Restaurant is coming to the former Playmakers space, 2230 N. Martin Luther King Dr., as soon as December or January. [OnMilwaukee]
• Do you want a proposed $60 million redevelopment plan for a bunch of empty industrial buildings on 33rd and Center streets? You’ve got a proposed $60 million redevelopment plan for a bunch of empty industrial buildings on 33rd and Center streets. [Milwaukee Business Journal]