http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4866/bookends2.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4685/bookends3.jpg

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/7105/bookends4.jpg

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/4408/bookends5.jpg

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4646/bookends6.jpg

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/1828/bookends1.jpg

$60 million
224 high-end rental apartments
Street Level Commercial

New Land Enterprises
Kindness Architecture

10/19/09 Bookends North Project Advances (http://www.jsonline.com/business/64851032.html)

Is this going where Edwardo's was?

I think New land should scrap this project and just consintrate on building the Transera.

Can't they do both at the same time? Like walking and chewing gum at the same time?

Well it looks like the Bookends will be going back to the drawing board
http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2009/11/23/story5.html?ana=tt3245

Apparently the Bookends received conditional approval at ZND (still has common council) to go, dependent on HUD approval..
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/72576492.html

wow this project is just like a Packers game...

D/P

It's a bad and ugly building project, I wish they would just give up on it already. If built this will be like the Susan Boyle project of Milwaukee, it serves a purpose but is dog ugly! By the way, beautiful voice!

^^ Exactly. With so many units, it leaves less opportunity for a nicer-looking apartment building to go up, which sucks. I know the Transera is a condo tower so they don't want to focus on it with the financing issue, but the two designs don't even compare...one is beautiful and one is straight up ugly (which is much worse than just being bland, such as the Breakwater). If they really want this built, I wish they could at least re-design it. I also wish it was narrower and taller, but either way the design is just awful in my opinion.

Just saw this on JSOnline, the reason why HUD denied the loan.

http://www.jsonline.com/newswatch/71778832.html

When HUD starts to deny loans because they think there is an over supply shows me that the high-rise condo boom in Milwaukee may just be over for a long while.

^^ Exactly. With so many units, it leaves less opportunity for a nicer-looking apartment building to go up, which sucks. I know the Transera is a condo tower so they don't want to focus on it with the financing issue, but the two designs don't even compare...one is beautiful and one is straight up ugly (which is much worse than just being bland, such as the Breakwater). If they really want this built, I wish they could at least re-design it. I also wish it was narrower and taller, but either way the design is just awful in my opinion.
LOL, I agree, and The Breakwater compared to this thing is a gem. :)

If it was taller than narrow all you would have is a more noticeable ugly tower. Think about it....

Poor Breakwater :( Always gettin picked on.

What's ugly about it? And what is so ugly about the breakwater? I like both projects.

Sometimes I wonder if the public can complain enough,if it would stop these projects, and get a redesign.

From what I think is the Van Buren perspective below (4th from the top), I like what appears to be a glass atrium from the ground up to the setback a few floors up. It corresponds with a vertical blueish tint running up the side of the building so it reminds me a bit of a waterfall. I like that.

On the other hand, from the same perspective, I can also see a double stuffed ice cream sandwich (if something like that exists), with two brown cookies are on either side of a lot of white ice cream, set back from the first few floors. Maybe they can incorporate a break in the verticalness of the ice cream sandwich cookies, part way up, and/or at the top. Also, I think there is room for improvement on the street level in the stretch of (what appears to be) blank wall to the left of the "waterfall."

What's ugly about it? And what is so ugly about the breakwater? I like both projects.
Well we can start with the colors. Brown and white? What, did grandma pick those colors out? LOL, and like how embora said it, it looks like a double stuffed ice cream sandwich

And I never said the Breakwater was ugly, I think it's a bit bland, but not ugly. The Bookends North design is ugly.

I agree, the brown is ugly, but the design looks decent to me.

I agree, the brown is ugly, but the design looks decent to me.
"decent"? No, I would say typical box. At least the Moderne gives it's box design some sexy curves and straight lines that ordinary box designes neglect.

Nothing personal.

Poor Breakwater :( Always gettin picked on.

I don't dislike the Breakwater, but I don't love it either. I have come to the point where I actually really like it. As I said in the last Milwaukee photo skyline thread, seeing the breakwater in the skyline has made me like the building more and more. But I still think it's rather bland.

The lights are almost out on the project. HUD has once again denied the loan saying they don't believe the market is strong enough for two appartment towers to go up at the sametime. The developer is going to appeal insisting that there is a market for it.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/78830652.html

From what I understand there is a strong demand for apartments in downtown Milwaukee. I remember not finding very many good options at all when I was looking for apartments a few years ago.

I think the next big thing we'll see is moderately pricing apartment buildings.

Since I moved to Milwaukee from Madison 6 years ago, I always thought there was a large amount of apartment inventory and choices. Normally overwelmed when it's time to apartment search.

Since I moved to Milwaukee from Madison 6 years ago, I always thought there was a large amount of apartment inventory and choices. Normally overwelmed when it's time to apartment search.

Ok but what HUD sees as the problem here is that the Bookends North is on the same pay scale, concerning rent, as The Moderne, and they believe the Moderne, which will be built, will take care of that niche in the market. The Bookends North is trying to make the case that they are even more high end the The Moderne. To me that is strange. Either way, I agree with Coldwake, moderately priced appartment buildings are the way to go.