Years after the demolition of the Park East freeway in Milwaukee, construction has sprouted on some major projects. Here's a rundown on what's happening on the newly vacant land.

Approved/Under Construction

The Flat Iron
33 Units
Investment: $5,600,000
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/bym/img/may05/parkeast051405.jpg

Gorman Park Lofts
85 Units
Investment: $12,000,000
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8991/gp7ne.jpg
http://img92.imageshack.us/img92/1233/gp23kt.jpg

Kern Center
210,000 sf
Investment: $31,000,000
http://www.msoe.edu/kerncenter/graphics/dusk.jpg

ManPower (Fortune 500 Company)
290,000 sf Office Space
Investment: $87,000,000
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2536/manpower6ce.jpg

The North End
450 Units
27,275 sf Office Space
Investment: $162,000,000
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/5577/ne9os.jpg http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5326/ne29yr.jpg

Planned

Block 22
175 Units
Investment: $73,000,000
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9486/228ri.jpg

Block 26
134 Units
Investment: $48,000,000
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/561/267qx.jpg

Terraces at River Bluff
197 Units
8,000 sf retail
Investment: $64,000,000
http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/3028/ttt3wf.jpg

Thanks MilwaukeeD for the DCD link!

noice!


some of this stuff is absolute gold and NEEDS to be built

noice!


some of this stuff is absolute gold and NEEDS to be built

I know. Stoked for North End.

Nice thread, East Sider. I've been keeping my fingers crossed for the Terraces at River Bluff. I love that project. In any event, it's great to see that area so alive with new proposals.

Just love what's happening in Milwaukee-

Shouldn't this be in the Milwaukee Development Sticky Thread?

WOW!!!!! That's all I can say!!!!! Incredibly cool!!!!!!

its nice to see it.
the gorman park lofts are looking nice,
its really nice to see something go up there,

what i would really would like to see is the old part of ace hardware on 4th street, which looks like it mighthave been a firehouse,
dates back to 1892... be rehabbed into a mixed use building, retail on the bottom and living space above.

are all of these projects a for sure go?
dont they have to presell 50 percent before they can break ground?
when are they going to start building the flatiron....
as soon as these developments take off i think chicagoans will have no choice but take notice of milwaukee,

i think in the next 5-10 years there will be alot more local/regional interest in milwaukeee, which is really nice to see.

Shouldn't this be in the Milwaukee Development Sticky Thread?

theres already way to many posts in the thread...it does its job here!

its nice to see it.
the gorman park lofts are looking nice,
its really nice to see something go up there,

what i would really would like to see is the old part of ace hardware on 4th street, which looks like it mighthave been a firehouse,
dates back to 1892... be rehabbed into a mixed use building, retail on the bottom and living space above.

are all of these projects a for sure go?
dont they have to presell 50 percent before they can break ground?
when are they going to start building the flatiron....
as soon as these developments take off i think chicagoans will have no choice but take notice of milwaukee,

i think in the next 5-10 years there will be alot more local/regional interest in milwaukeee, which is really nice to see.


I'd say it's already happening.

And my guess is once Chicagoans begin to visit Milwaukee en masse, the rest of the country won't be too far behind.

what i would really would like to see is the old part of ace hardware on 4th street, which looks like it mighthave been a firehouse,
dates back to 1892... be rehabbed into a mixed use building, retail on the bottom and living space above.

It'll be rehabbed eventually as the redevelopment ripple effect makes its way there.

There are plans in the works for some of the other existing buildings and underused sites in that area as well. And the actual adjacent old freeway blocks on that side of the river are/will be put up for requests for proposals in the coming months as well.

are all of these projects a for sure go?
dont they have to presell 50 percent before they can break ground?

No, not all of them are a for sure "go" yet because they are in varous stages of proposals right now with getting all the necessary approvals from the County and City, financial backing/marketing/pre-sales, design tweaks, and so forth.

when are they going to start building the flatiron...

Soon.

Does anyone have a map of where this freeway used to run?

Shouldn't this be in the Milwaukee Development Sticky Thread?

Feel free to pass by it :)

The Flatiron is breaking ground the third week of July.

Does anyone have a map of where this freeway used to run?

Here's an aerial from 2002, with new street construction already beginning.
http://www.mkedcd.org/parkeast/photogallery/images/overview2002Nov.jpg

From Google Maps
http://img344.imageshack.us/img344/7075/parkeast8jj.jpg

New Street Grid
http://www.cnu.org/pressphotos/winner_scans_2003/low_parkeast.jpg

^^ Thanks! Looks like the removal of the old freeway will do wonders for downtown. I don't think there will be too many traffic concerns either from the freeway being gone, as that freeway looked pretty short.

^^ Thanks! Looks like the removal of the old freeway will do wonders for downtown. I don't think there will be too many traffic concerns either from the freeway being gone, as that freeway looked pretty short.

Yea it looks like it was only a little over 10 blocks long, they used to call it the 'freeway to nowhere'.

It was more like a glorified on/off ramp right into the heart of downtown dropping people off at key landmarks such as the Bradley Center. It was one of those things that if you were from the suburbs you saw a use for it, but if you were from the city it was just taking up space, so mark it as a victory for the city people.

whats funny is that where mckinley now intersects the freeway is such a large area,
for people that didnt see the park east spur,
its like why the fuck is it so spacious here?
I had been wondering about this forawhile but i guess its just a by product of this stupid ass spur,
but atleast they have fixed it up now and they have murals on the underpass there,
but still a bit of a waste of space.

what is the status of "manpower" is it approved or under constrution ??..same question with the north end and terraces at river bluff.

what is the status of "manpower" is it approved or under constrution ??..same question with the north end and terraces at river bluff.

manpower is approved and construction is underway.

the north end is suppossed to begin demolition later this year. that is a large and multi-phased project that will take several years to fully complete.

terraces at river bluff demolished the old Center for Independence building, but they have yet to begin construction. I would assume they are still waiting for pre-sales.

http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/bym/img/jul06/parkeast18g.gif

Smaller Park East plan finding favor

One downtown Milwaukee development proposal - call it Plan A - would generate $2 million in annual property tax revenue, create over 500 construction jobs and involve a national firm that has developed luxury hotels in Los Angeles and other major cities.

A competing proposal - Plan B - would provide a much smaller tax benefit, fewer construction jobs and is offered by a local company known mainly for operating gas stations and convenience stores. In fact, a gas station/convenience store/car wash is a key part of its plan.

Members of a County Board committee, reviewing both proposals at a Monday meeting, seemed to lean toward Plan B.

The Committee on Economic and Community Development held off making a recommendation to the full board. The committee might meet next week in a special session to make its recommendation.

But committee members had some tough questions for Ruvin Development Inc., author of Plan A, and some kind words for Rana Enterprises, the firm behind Plan B.

Ruvin wants to buy a county-owned parcel, bordered by N. Old World 3rd St., N. 4th St., W. Juneau Ave. and W. McKinley Ave., and create a $104 million mixed-use development. The Ruvin project would feature a 175-room hotel, 70 condos, 55,000 square feet of offices, 31,000 square feet of retail space and a 330-car parking structure.

Rana wants to build a $34 million development on the same parcel. Rana's plans call for a 202-room hotel, a gas station/convenience store, 14,000 square feet of offices, 9,000 square feet of additional retail space and a 400-car parking structure.

The site is part of 16 acres made available for development when the former Park East Freeway stub was demolished. The block is empty except for the Sydney Hih building, which Ruvin Development bought last year with plans of incorporating it into the development. The Ruvin project also would include the former Gipfel Brewery, which Ruvin would move to the development site from 423-427 W. Juneau Ave.

An internal county review panel recommended selling the parcel to Ruvin.

Ruvin's proposal would generate annual property taxes of just over $2.02 million compared with roughly $626,000 that Rana's development would generate each year, according to estimates from county development officials. Ruvin would create 500 construction jobs while Rana would create 137 construction jobs.

Also, Ruvin offered to buy the parcel for $2.9 million compared with $2.8 million offered by Rana.

Finally, Rana's president, C.A. Rana, told the committee he has experience in the hotel industry. His Milwaukee company is mainly an operator of gas stations/convenience stores.

Rana later said in an interview that he worked for seven years as a project director with American Heritage Group, developing medium-tier hotels, such as Holiday Inn Express, in Canada.

Ruvin's projects include the $35 million conversion of the 169-unit Blatz Apartments, 270 E. Highland Ave., into condos. And Ruvin has a national development partner lined up for this latest project: Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital, which has developed luxury hotels in Los Angeles, San Diego and Dallas.

However, Rana is vowing to provide a higher percentage of construction contracts to minority-owned firms. Also, Rana pledged to donate 2% of the project's annual operating profit to the county to help with its efforts to develop affordable housing.

Those points appeared to resonate with some committee members. Most of their questions dealt with plans for minority hiring in connection with the projects.

Ruvin's goal is to provide 27% of the project's construction contracts to so-called disadvantaged-business enterprises. Rana would provide 35% of the project's construction work to those types of businesses.

Supervisor Toni Clark said Ruvin's work force diversity goals seemed "kind of fluffy," and said she wanted strong minority hiring goals.

Also, Supervisor Peggy West said she and other committee members had reservations about Ruvin's hiring of Carla Cross as its disadvantaged-business coordinator. West said Cross had opposed the County Board's creation of minority hiring goals in connection with the sale of former Park East Freeway parcels.

"It seems very forced to have someone on your team who doesn't believe in the goals," West said.

West later complimented Rana for creating a "very community friendly" development plan, including plans for the gas station. She noted that Ruvin's plans would include condos selling for an average of $450,000, saying, "I don't know who in Milwaukee County can afford that."

West later complimented Rana for creating a "very community friendly" development plan, including plans for the gas station. She noted that Ruvin's plans would include condos selling for an average of $450,000, saying, "I don't know who in Milwaukee County can afford that."


How the hell do you expect affordable housing to be DOWNTOWN!?


anyway, I'll take 70 condos over a damn gas station anyday. Rana's plan sucks.

How the hell do you expect affordable housing to be DOWNTOWN!?


anyway, I'll take 70 condos over a damn gas station anyday. Rana's plan sucks.

I don't get it, the city just built two 30-story condo towers with a average asking price of $1 million. Is the county aware?

I don't get it, the city just built two 30-story condo towers with a average asking price of $1 million. Is the county aware?

yeah, that just makes her statement sound even more stupid

Park East has offically began construction with the groundbreaking of the Flat Iron.

New Proposal by Ruvin
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/bym/img/jul06/pink_072106_big.jpg

Any Rana renderings yet?