Depending on which news sources you follow, Milwaukee is going through either a “renaissance” or a “reinvention.” However you want to define it, it’s safe to say that Milwaukee is currently building a lot of new and wonderful things! Here are some of them, brought to you by GTG Home Buyers!
• You know that one Riverwalk bridge in the middle of downtown that crosses the Milwaukee River? You know, the one that leads to the corner of Highland and MLK on the west, and that little street (Edison) that runs behind the Marcus Center parking garage on the east? Yeah, that one. Well, there’s a new plaza on the west side now. And it’s really nice!
Earlier this week, Milwaukee officials officially celebrated the official opening of the Gary P. Grunau Memorial Plaza. “The plaza will serve as a new public space within the broader Milwaukee Riverwalk network, improving connections between the Water Street entertainment district, the Deer District, and the Old World Third Street entertainment district,” a press release explains. “The project also reflects the City’s commitment to leveraging public investment and partnerships to strengthen downtown’s walkability, vibrancy, and economic vitality.”
The plaza is named in honor of Milwaukee developer, civic leader, and downtown advocate Gary P. Grunau, who passed away in 2019.
“The City of Milwaukee leveraged tax incremental financing through TID No. 84 to support the plaza and pedestrian bridge improvements,” continues the press release. “The Milwaukee Common Council approved up to $5 million for the project in January 2025, with the project advancing through a development agreement with Business Improvement District No. 15.”
• The Gary P. Grunau Memorial Plaza is a clear success. (The optical illusion “bridge to nowhere” is pretty cool!) So let’s check in on some nearby downtown developments that aren’t doing so well!
Cross the above pedestrian bridge heading east and you’ll find the Neutral Edison apartment tower, 1005 N. Edison St. Well, to be more precise, you’ll find the abandoned worksite of the Neutral Edison apartment tower, 1005 N. Edison St. General contractor C.D. Smith walked off the job way back in September 2025, putting a year-and-counting hold on what was supposed to be a 31-story, 353-unit mass timber tower.
C.D. Smith filed a lawsuit against the tower’s developer, Neutral, earlier this year. Urban Milwaukee reports that “Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Glenn Yamahiro entered a default judgment Monday in favor of general contractor C.D. Smith, advancing the company’s effort to foreclose on the downtown development site and recover more than $11 million in unpaid construction costs.”
• Continuing east, remember when everyone got excited about that beer garden planned for the empty cafe space in Red Arrow Park? That was back in late May, early June. It’s now late September, early October. Still nothin’.
“The beer garden would be run by Hans Weissgerber, who also operates Old German Beer Hall and the Estabrook Park Beer Garden, along with his wife Kimberly,” reported 620 WTMJ in May. “A Milwaukee County Parks letter of intent indicates details and terms are still being finalized, but that a concessions and operations agreement could begin as soon as June 1st and would run through March of 2027.”
• Moving on to something not controversial at all: Brady Street traffic calming construction begins…NOW.
Offsite links to more new and wonderful things…
• “Downtown condo high-rise proposal wins initial city endorsement.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• “Daughter’s cancer treatment led Milwaukee mom to champion first city-owned universally accessible playground.” [Wisconsin Public Radio]
• “American Family Field winterization schedules pushed back.” [Ballpark Digest]
Want more Milwaukee Record? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and/or support us on Patreon.