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 and wonderful things.
• The Couture. Finally.
Yes, in case you missed it, the loooooooong-in-the-works Couture project is finally happening. Ground broke last week on the 44-story, 322-unit luxury apartment tower that will sit alongside Milwaukee’s lakefront, right next to that hellish intersection. There’s gonna be a streetcar/bus hub on the ground floor. There’s supposed to be a big lakefront plaza thing that will make that hellish intersection a little less hellish. The project was first proposed in 2012.
So yeah, you probably read 8,000 stories about the thing last week, and you probably saw 8,000 accompanying photos of developer Rick Barrett rocking some sick aviator shades and dad jeans. But in case you didn’t, here’s a quick roundup of a few Couture stories, all featuring the word “finally”:
• “Finally, it appears that the long-discussed Couture development, planned for the lakefront site that once housed the Downtown Transit Center, is ready to move forward.” [OnMilwaukee]
• “Construction of The Couture is finally underway, nearly 9 years after it was first proposed and 50 years after permits were pulled for downtown Milwaukee’s last 40-plus story building: The nearby U.S. Bank Center.” [BizTimes]
• “Now that the Couture is finally under construction, city officials and others can work on another long-delayed lakefront project: a public plaza designed to make the area near Milwaukee Art Museum, Maier Festival Park and other attractions more welcoming.” [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]
• Anyway, on to some other new and wonderful things: The 10-story Sentinel Building at 225 E. Mason St.—a.k.a. the long-ago home of the Milwaukee Sentinel newspaper—is gonna be a 33-unit apartment building now. What kind of rent are we looking at? Well…
“I think they’re going to be one of the most affordable new units in the city,” said [developer Adam] Gollatz of the price points. The smallest units would rent for approximately $2.25 per square foot, with the larger units trending towards $1.90 per square foot. At that price point, a 450-square-foot studio would lease for $1,012 per month.
“We are still going through the design and working with the city on code compliance,” Gollatz added. [Urban Milwaukee]
• The eight story office building with Rock Bottom Brewery on the bottom, 740 N. Plankinton Ave., is gonna be converted into a 130-unit apartment building. Construction is expected to begin next year. And don’t worry: Rock Bottom isn’t going anywhere. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• That 205-room Marriott hotel they’re building right next to Fiserv Forum is gonna be called “The Trade.” [OnMilwaukee]
• The Harley-Davidson Museum is building a new 8,200-square-foot events space on its campus at 400 W. Canal St. “We’ve all been missing the fun that comes when friends and families gather to celebrate,” said Bill Davidson, Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum, in a press release. “And we know there are a lot of people who are looking forward to coming together in person in the near future. This new event space will give our 1903 Events team the opportunity to deliver unique experiences that can only be found on our campus. This investment represents our growing commitment to the community, to the city of Milwaukee, which Harley-Davidson has called home for 118 years.” Work is set to begin later this year. [Milwaukee Business Journal]
• The final chunk of county-owned Park East land—currently a nice green space that gives you a chance to breathe for a goddamn second amidst all the mixed-use apartment buildings that have sprung up in the area in recent years—might become a mixed-use apartment building. And a hotel, too. [Urban Milwaukee]
• And what did we learn this week? Well, they’re always building something. Isn’t that right, old song from my old band?
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