MilwaukeeMark,

Any idea when those photos are going to be posted you mentioned in the past?

Seriously, I'm dying with anticipation, Mark

Spare us your endless arugments Skyking by just going to Dubai or something. University Club Tower sure looks grand, but there are buildings recently constructed in this city that are about 30 stories lower that have made a much bigger impact. If you had your way, you would just take every project in the city and put them into Milwaukee's very own Tower of Babel, complete with winged museum structure on the roof.

And now I know who I am dealing with, I am sorry I wasted my time. Thanks for your informative and insightful posts and proving my point. I asked an honest question and got a snotty remark back with no value what so ever. Why aren't there rules about that anyway? Anyone who does not have the ego and is willing to have serious conversations about actual Milwaukee development (not just SKYSCRAPERS, SKYSCRAPERS, SKYSCRAPERS), I am still interested.

P.S. fully expecting childish reply back about my panties in a bunch, sad that it has come to this.

YOU are talking about egos, Mr. Urban Planning Man?! My goodness, on behalf of everyone here (who has been participating on this site long before you turned up), we are truly indebted and blessed to have you and your years and years :lol: of expertise in this area helping us get by. Not sure how we accomplished openly discussing such a serious, life-threatening issue as skyscrapers before you came to the rescue.

Get a grip, boy. And, in case you are, again, going to cry "why aren't there rules about that, anyway," as if to say, "teacher, help me, this isn't fair," one word: Please. You fired the first personal salvo -- now take your sanctimonious crap and go learn some life lessons on dealing with people and ideas and thoughts that aren't in perfect harmony with yours. Because, you're right, life isn't fair. And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll grow up.

Kids these days. :ohno:

BTW, we're not surprised to hear you wear panties. (Sorry, but that softball was way to easy to hit.)

Oh geez, don't take it so seriously... this is an online chat forum. Skyking is a piece of work, no doubt. But don't get into a pissing match over internet posts. Simma down nah.

Thanks, MM. You da guy! Yeah, I've been a piece of work from time to time, but try not to be a total jackass...

Here's some skyscraper pron for all you 'build tall or not at all!' freaks.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3163/2328207064_872d8bbdcb_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2328176274_47c257be0e_o.jpg

And no, sorry, it's not a proposal or anything, just my own vision for a 786' tower that would replace a short parking deck on the Southwest corner of Wells and Milwaukee. I creatively titled it 'Wells Tower.' [Note that in the rendering it's a bit too far West]

Thought y'all might enjoy it.

Get a grip, boy. And, in case you are, again, going to cry "why aren't there rules about that, anyway," as if to say, "teacher, help me, this isn't fair," one word: Please. You fired the first personal salvo -- now take your sanctimonious crap and go learn some life lessons on dealing with people and ideas and thoughts that aren't in perfect harmony with yours. Because, you're right, life isn't fair. And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll grow up.

Kids these days. :ohno:

BTW, we're not surprised to hear you wear panties. (Sorry, but that softball was way to easy to hit.)

Seriously...cool it, man.

It's absolutely insane that people are complaining about "only" getting an eight story office building. If the demand was there, we'd get more and larger projects. It isn't.

What might concern me more about this is that it seems like there are better sites for a new office building than right at the edge of downtown along Michigan. But even then, a developer is going to build where they already own land if its an option.

Don't you get it, man?! An 8-story office building would be super in Sheboygan -- not downtown Milwaukee!! If demand was there?????!!!!!
Demand is there -- if the $#&% developers and city planners could work in unison to get some really significant projects done. The clock is ticking, and we're going to see 155,000 sq. feet of office space go into a...AHHHHH!!!! :down: 8-story building?! Sorry, but how in the H can you get at all excited about an...:ohno: 8-story building downtown?

Don't you get it, man?! An 8-story office building would be super in Sheboygan -- not downtown Milwaukee!! If demand was there?????!!!!!
Demand is there -- if the $#&% developers and city planners could work in unison to get some really significant projects done. The clock is ticking, and we're going to see 155,000 sq. feet of office space go into a...AHHHHH!!!! :down: 8-story building?! Sorry, but how in the H can you get at all excited about an...:ohno: 8-story building downtown?

You would prefer a parking deck? Do you actually know the site this building is proposed for? It's a stubby little parking deck. Nothing taller would ever go in there, both for structural reasons and for the reason markitect stated (USB tenants want their views). Get over it and realize that there is more to good architecture and vibrant downtowns than lumbering skyscrapers. This is good infill.

Well I'd rather have a local architect and urban planner posting his/her comments on this forum rather than someone with a tagline of "If it ain't 50 stories, don't post!"

I think Warder has every right to piss on that parade!

As far as the 8-story building, I'm already on record praising it. It at least gives the Milwaukee office market, which is dubbed as slumping and not doing pretty, an opportunity to at least make the word "slumping" turn into "moderate"

:ohno: You continue to underwhelm me with your idiocy and irrelevant banter.
You and the big-time local architect should get a room...and piss on each other. On a more pleasant note, Milwaukee (Greendale to be exact) is losing the Bowling Congress HQ and may soon get an 8-story office tower!! :banana:

Spare us your endless arugments Skyking by just going to Dubai or something. University Club Tower sure looks grand, but there are buildings recently constructed in this city that are about 30 stories lower that have made a much bigger impact. If you had your way, you would just take every project in the city and put them into Milwaukee's very own Tower of Babel, complete with winged museum structure on the roof.

What are you "talking" about?

Here's some skyscraper pron for all you 'build tall or not at all!' freaks.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3163/2328207064_872d8bbdcb_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2328176274_47c257be0e_o.jpg

And no, sorry, it's not a proposal or anything, just my own vision for a 786' tower that would replace a short parking deck on the Southwest corner of Wells and Milwaukee. I creatively titled it 'Wells Tower.' [Note that in the rendering it's a bit too far West]

Thought y'all might enjoy it.



Seriously...cool it, man.


No problem, CGII. BTW, pretty damn cool rendering. But, now you're going to think I've totally lost it...it's too tall for Milwaukee. Really. I like the look of it, but it stands out like a sore thumb even more than the USB building does currently. Maybe if you shaved about 100' and placed it closer to USB -- the block due east of the Pfister? Thanks.

You would prefer a parking deck? Do you actually know the site this building is proposed for? It's a stubby little parking deck. Nothing taller would ever go in there, both for structural reasons and for the reason markitect stated (USB tenants want their views). Get over it and realize that there is more to good architecture and vibrant downtowns than lumbering skyscrapers. This is good infill.


Ok. Now that's a good response to my rant. Thank you.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3163/2328207064_872d8bbdcb_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3059/2328176274_47c257be0e_o.jpg
Thought y'all might enjoy it.


thats a pretty sharp design. I was disapointed when I read that it was not a real proposal!


What are you "talking" about?

What do you mean? Various incarnations of myself have appeared and argued you about this same subject--on this site, on SSP, and even on the now silent Urban Milwaukee site. You go on everytime a new proposal is thrown out there about how its not tall enough. I even recall your unhappiness with Breakwater's height!

I like skyscrapers too, dont get me wrong. I didnt start coming onto this site to banter about politics and all that b.s. The fact of the matter is that Milwaukee just isnt going to build these 50-60 story skyscrapers. Be happy with the numerous, sizeable buildings like Moderne, Lafayette, Palomar, Ghazi, etc.

You have an easilly accessable city an hour and a half south that offers the absolute best skyscrapers in the world.

Are people really getting this excited and personal about the height of proposed buildings?

If so, do realize that there is very little we can do to control this. We are just here to comment and observe.

Don't you get it, man?!...Sorry, but how in the H can you get at all excited about an...:ohno: 8-story building downtown?
Let's finally give the guy his due. He only gets excited by tall erections.

After listening to both sides of the argument... I suppose it's beneficial that ANY company would want to expand in Milwaukee, no matter how small the building may be. Lately construction has been condos condos condos... We need jobs!! :sleepy:

You would prefer a parking deck? Do you actually know the site this building is proposed for? It's a stubby little parking deck. Nothing taller would ever go in there, both for structural reasons and for the reason markitect stated (USB tenants want their views). Get over it and realize that there is more to good architecture and vibrant downtowns than lumbering skyscrapers. This is good infill.

I'm not saying that a taller building should go into THAT space. I agree, and I'd hate to see any more Siamese Towers (UCT and KT practically joined at the hip), and I understand the proximity and view issue with USB. All I'm pointing out is that it's rare to find anyone who needs / wants to develop 155,000 sq. ft., and it would be nice if it could be incorporated into a bigger project. Because once this footage is gone into the 8-story building, it could be a while before that kind of demand opens up again downtown.

I actually agree with your assessment regarding good architecture and vibrant downtowns not necessarily needing lumbering skyscrapers. But, darn it, this is a skyscraper forum, and we don't really have many skyscrapers to talk about in Milwaukee...or look forward to any time soon it seems.

That First Wisconsin Center-turned-Firststar Center-turned-US Bank Building has been Milwaukee's tallest since 1972. It's a nice-looking building, but it sticks out like a sore thumb and further emphasizes a vertically-challenged skyline. After 35 years, you'd think we could've found a similar-sized neighbor to make the stark sightlines easier on the eyes. Oh well, maybe someday...

Let's finally give the guy his due. He only gets excited by tall erections.

:lol: Hmmm...so that's what's on your mind -- "not that there's anything wrong with that!" :wink2:

:lol: Hmmm...so that's what's on your mind -- "not that there's anything wrong with that!" :wink2:
Wrong, as usual.
But we're getting used to that.

Skyking, that you want taller buildings in Milwaukee is fair enough. What I'm not sure I understand is why that makes a smaller building necessarily bad. Developers may have important reasons why they want an 8 story building of their own, and do not want to be included as a part of a larger project. Seems fair enough to me, and it also seems good to me that they want to build/expand in Milwaukee. Help me understand why the 8 story building or the 20 story buildings are bad on their own merits.

Skyking, that you want taller buildings in Milwaukee is fair enough. What I'm not sure I understand is why that makes a smaller building necessarily bad. Developers may have important reasons why they want an 8 story building of their own, and do not want to be included as a part of a larger project. Seems fair enough to me, and it also seems good to me that they want to build/expand in Milwaukee. Help me understand why the 8 story building or the 20 story buildings are bad on their own merits.

Good points, but see my post from March 12 at 1:13 PM above, for the reasons why I'm not gaga over an 8-story building. Yes, any development is good, but...well, read.

Wrong, as usual.
But we're getting used to that.

Defensive AND phallic-minded. Hmmmm.....:cheer:
Hey, you might wanna have a "looksee" at this, your new favorite building:
http://www.cabinetmagazine.org/events/phallic/winner.php

You are what you are.
The annoyance factor is that you keep advertising on so many posts.
Same message, over and over and over.........

You are what you are.
The annoyance factor is that you keep advertising on so many posts.
Same message, over and over and over.........

Reptition builds retention.
Truce?
(BTW, I think it's "I yam what I yam." -- Popeye, circa 1936)

Reptition builds retention.
Truce?
(BTW, I think it's "I yam what I yam." -- Popeye, circa 1936)

Repetition builds...well alright. http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/images/smilies/Handshake_emoticon_-_UPDATED.gif

BTW, since you mention Popeye, I'm old enough to remember a kids' adventure show that always began with "From out of the blue of the Western sky... something something... and his daughter Penny". Any relation to your moniker? Are you really an old gas-passer like me?

Good points, but see my post from March 12 at 1:13 PM above, for the reasons why I'm not gaga over an 8-story building. Yes, any development is good, but...well, read.

Yeah, I see where you're coming from, that it would be nice to roll a project like this into something bigger. I'm not disagreeing with that in theory. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if a developer comes along with a smaller proposal, they may have their own reasons to do their own project on that scale, whether or not you, I, or the city planning staff would like them to do otherwise. After all, they are the ones investing in their money in the downtown project. As such, I feel these projects should be considered as a positive (provided they are well designed for their scale, of course) even if we wish that someone would come along with something more grand, and they should not be considered as some sort of failure by planning or a detriment to future growth.

I'm surprised no one has thought of this or even brought up the topic to see if it would even be remotely viable in Milwaukee...

I think virtually everyone would love to see something new and tall go up on the skyline but the challenge is filling vacant office space with a downtown that already has plenty of vacancies. It's simply not cost effective given the demand. But, what if you could add to the skyline without adding office space?

Think Seattle's Space Needle, Toronto's CN Tower, or even St. Louis's Arch. What is everyone's thoughts on Milwaukee's ability to successfully build and operate, basically, a tourism and marketing based icon to add to the skyline and give the city a more recognizable icon?

I'm surprised no one has thought of this or even brought up the topic to see if it would even be remotely viable in Milwaukee...

I think virtually everyone would love to see something new and tall go up on the skyline but the challenge is filling vacant office space with a downtown that already has plenty of vacancies. It's simply not cost effective given the demand. But, what if you could add to the skyline without adding office space?

Think Seattle's Space Needle, Toronto's CN Tower, or even St. Louis's Arch. What is everyone's thoughts on Milwaukee's ability to successfully build and operate, basically, a tourism and marketing based icon to add to the skyline and give the city a more recognizable icon?

http://www.uncommonphotographers.net/wp-content/images/calatrava.jpg

I'm surprised no one has thought of this or even brought up the topic to see if it would even be remotely viable in Milwaukee...

I think virtually everyone would love to see something new and tall go up on the skyline but the challenge is filling vacant office space with a downtown that already has plenty of vacancies. It's simply not cost effective given the demand. But, what if you could add to the skyline without adding office space?

Think Seattle's Space Needle, Toronto's CN Tower, or even St. Louis's Arch. What is everyone's thoughts on Milwaukee's ability to successfully build and operate, basically, a tourism and marketing based icon to add to the skyline and give the city a more recognizable icon?

Ahh, then this is what you want:
http://www2.jsonline.com/images/enter00/jun00/towerbig061100.jpg

See the whole (sorry) story here:
http://www2.jsonline.com/news/metro/jun00/impside11061000.asp

Just took a nice walk on the first nice day of the year ... the new Riverwalk in front of First Place on the River is open ... it's nice. Spectacular views of the Third Ward and skyline... too bad I did not have my camera with me.

Wow that tourist tower is HIDEOUS, but quite frankly it's kitsch enough that I'm sure it would have been successful and would still be popular today. I've always stood on the hill at Iilbourn/Reservoir Park and thought how great a tourist tower would be in the city. Unfortunately I'm always lost when I try to image what the Milwaukee version would look like. I always picture some 700' tall timber frame Germanic structure, and then I laugh and shrug it off. That tower from the '60s comes far closer to "capturing" Milwaukee than anything I've been able to dream up.

Wow, i agree. That tower is hideous.

But yeah, I know the art museum is our new icon. But can't I use the same excuse everyone else is using in here... this is "skyscrapercity".

Wow that tourist tower is HIDEOUS ... That tower from the '60s comes far closer to "capturing" Milwaukee than anything I've been able to dream up.

Keep dreaming.

This is what I was talking about a few months ago. Not the fountain from the 40's or 50's that someone found a picture of:

And when Maier, credited with championing Summerfest and a number of other high-profile events in the city, dreamed, he usually dreamed big.

In 1987, he proposed the world's largest fountain for Lake Michigan, spouting water 600 feet into the air in the harbor off E. Wisconsin Ave.,

Journal Sentinel: Water Taxis to Ply River Downtown (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728008)

^^ It may not seem like much, but I don't think it can be over-stated how huge this will be for the "feel" of downtown.

araman> I agree this water taxi service will be a great amenity and will further activate the riverwalk... I could definitely see buying an all day pass during the summer (like $10) and go bar from bar to bar along the river.

10 bucks for an all-day fare, compared with Chicago's $4(not to mention the $5 to $2 one-way rates)??? I'm not familiar with water taxi rates, but that little comparison makes it seem a little steep. Not sure I'd pay that when I can enjoy the nice walk along the river.

The water Taxis in Chicago get MUCH higher usage than the ones in Milwaukee will, so they can afford to go cheaper based on the efficiencies from larger ridership. In Chicago there is more competition too, as I remember.

Is $10 really that big of a deal? I mean, come on, it's $10 for all day. If it was maybe $20 I would be concerned, but a difference of $4? Big deal. And what good is it to compare to Chicago? The Milwaukee service won't be competing with Chicago, so that's not something a customer would even think of. I think people that are going to use that service will see the value in an all day pass at that price. Especially travelers . . . I know when I'm visiting a city for a short period I always take the all day transit passes, whatever the mode.

News about Milwaukee real estate in the Chicago Tribune

http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/news/chi-re-umberger-housing-data-031mar16,0,1334959.column

I don't have a link, but Miwaukee was named by Forbes to be the 7th-most up and coming tech city. Although Columbus was first, so it might be just another one of Forbe's stupid lists.

10 bucks for an all-day fare, compared with Chicago's $4(not to mention the $5 to $2 one-way rates)??? I'm not familiar with water taxi rates, but that little comparison makes it seem a little steep. Not sure I'd pay that when I can enjoy the nice walk along the river.
After you come out of your third or fourth bar along the river, you'll be glad you spent a small sum of $10 to continue your bar-hopping trek, or to head back home. :cheers:

After you come out of your third or fourth bar along the river, you'll be glad you spent a small sum of $10 to continue your bar-hopping trek, or to head back home. :cheers:

Yeah that's true. More of what I was getting at was the route, because of the river, is rather restricted. Either way, I'll still try it at least once when it starts, for the novelty if nothing else.

From the Tribune article:

Pass the cheese

While not exactly experiencing a boom, the Milwaukee market appears to be holding its ground, in terms of prices.

Sales were down about 11 percent last year, but prices didn't sink into negative territory, according to one new report. The RPX monthly housing report said Milwaukee was one of just four areas in a survey of 25 where prices -- at least on a per-square-foot basis -- had increased in the last year.

The report said our northern neighbor's residential property prices were up about 5 percent, topping the Wisconsin Association of Realtors' findings that showed Milwaukee County prices up 1.8 percent last year. Chicago's metro prices, on the other hand, declined 4.3 percent in the period, the report said.

Journal Sentinel: Water Taxis to Ply River Downtown (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728008)

This is good news. I hope that in time the operators of this taxi service will see some competition from other operators, and that they will add a stop at MAM/Discovery World, if it's possible for these boats to go out into the harbor. That would open up the whole Summerfest market ... imagine -- hopping a boat next at Rock Bottom, getting dropped off at Summerfest or Discovery World, then hopping another boat to the Harley Davidson museum ...

In news from the architectural community, I see that HGA has finally done what the Journal Sentinel didn't find necessary: They've replaced Whitney Gould.

From JSOnline's Business page, New Faces, New Places:
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=728528

Yeah that's true. More of what I was getting at was the route, because of the river, is rather restricted. Either way, I'll still try it at least once when it starts, for the novelty if nothing else.

Good photo op's :okay:

Whatever did happen to the LPT project?

http://bp3.blogger.com/_yk-n3j1egUA/R1EUHjwW0iI/AAAAAAAAAJM/YJen9-IJl44/s200/edisongreen.png

FYI -- I walked past this site today and the construction crews are out there. Looks like they're clearing the site.

This is the eight story condo going up across from Usinger's Sausage on the River.

Whatever did happen to the LPT project?

I don't know. But if LPT's developer was smart, talking with the Wisconsin World Trade center group about their plans for a supposed tower mentioned awhile back would be a positive step in getting a 40+ story or better tower built as a tallest in Milwaukee.

http://bp3.blogger.com/_yk-n3j1egUA/R1EUHjwW0iI/AAAAAAAAAJM/YJen9-IJl44/s200/edisongreen.png

FYI -- I walked past this site today and the construction crews are out there. Looks like they're clearing the site.

This is the eight story condo going up across from Usinger's Sausage on the River.

What happened to that strange airplane sculpture that used to be just north of the path? I always thought it was quirky and fun.

Anyway, I'm glad to see this project move forward, because that street needed just a little life pumped into it. Does anyone know the developer?

ajknee> Well Russ Davis is the "developer". He is better known as a owner or operator of Lakefront Palm Garden, Café Vecchio Mondo.

Also were you sure they were working on the site because the city has had equipment sitting on the site for months..

Also were you sure they were working on the site because the city has had equipment sitting on the site for months..


There definitely was work going on. I paused for a few moments and watched from the pedestrian bridge. They were taking shovel-fuls of huge rocks from the site and putting them into a river barge. The site was cordoned off and there were signs for the construction company on the fence.

There definitely was work going on. I paused for a few moments and watched from the pedestrian bridge. They were taking shovel-fuls of huge rocks from the site and putting them into a river barge. The site was cordoned off and there were signs for the construction company on the fence.

the company that is rebuilding the Kilbourn bridge is using that site for staging. it is possible that what you saw had something to do with that bridge work.

there were crews out there a few weeks ago doing some soil testing, but i don't believe actual construction on that building has started yet. they still need pre-sales and haven't started marketing yet.

the company that is rebuilding the Kilbourn bridge is using that site for staging. it is possible that what you saw had something to do with that bridge work.

That is a distinct possibility. They were picking up piles of huge rocks and dumping them into a river barge. If they were simply clearing the site for construction, wouldn't they be putting these rocks on trucks? They must have been putting those rocks onto the barge to dump into the riverbed at the bridge site.

Nevermind.

Son of a BITCH, Daryl!

Son of a BITCH, Daryl!

Hey-- I just saw you quoted in a story about the snow on the Wisconsin State Journal's website...

A.J. Knee stood Friday morning in the Milwaukee coffeehouse where he works and sighed as he watched the snowflakes swirl. With a rueful smile, the 20-year-old said he was frustrated to see snow again -- especially the day after he had taken his spring coat out of the closet.

"At first it was one to two inches, which was fine, but as the morning went on...," he said, shaking his head as his voice trailed off. "It's not cool. Now I'm going to have to take the bus two hours to shovel my mom's driveway."


Haha, OMG!!! I love that story, it's so random. He just came up to me when I was at work and started asking about the weather. It wasn't until the end when he mentioned that he was with the Associated Press.

By the way, that was not a direct quote. I've had fun sharing my "rueful smile" with everyone today though.

What I'm stunned about is AJ Knee is your real name! I always thought it was code for something.

I know, I'm THAT creative. Dare you to guess what my e-mail, AIM and MySpace are too. I'm sure there are other ones too.

Anyway, I'm curious if anyone knows the timeline of the Kilbourn/Reservoir Park redo is. It looks like they might be ready to reopen it sometime this summer. I can't wait to get up there.

According to the City of Milwaukee's Water Works website, the Kilbourn Park/Reservoir Hill renovation is "largely complete" but had to be closed to the public over the winter months.

So... it should be open to the public soon! This thing really could become a new crown jewel in Milwaukee's park system.

According to the City of Milwaukee's Water Works website, the Kilbourn Park/Reservoir Hill renovation is "largely complete" but had to be closed to the public over the winter months.

So... it should be open to the public soon! This thing really could become a new crown jewel in Milwaukee's park system.

Does anyone have any links to some reading material on it? I've always wondered what that thing was.... And it looks strange in Google Earth.

This is good:
http://www.water.mpw.net/1specialprojects.htm

I wish you guys posted pics on this thread. Don't any of you own a camera? ;)

I wish you guys posted pics on this thread. Don't any of you own a camera? ;)

This is a thread primarily for posting news items and discussion of urban development in Milwaukee. Photo tours of neighborhoods or photos documenting construction progress generally go in separate threads...see the many threads concerning individual projects in the Midwest & Plains Development News subforum or sporadic photo tours in the general Midwest & Plains forum. This way it keeps things nice and organized.

This is good:
http://www.water.mpw.net/1specialprojects.htm

Thanks! :)

I wish you guys posted pics on this thread. ;)

They're scattered here and about.

Here are some recent pictorials:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=595460
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=591301
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=583264

Also, check some of the "similar threads" Milwaukee links at the bottom of the pages.

Is there anybody out there?

Is there anybody out there?

Hey

We are here.

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/114249-400-0.jpg?rev=2
Just months after the grand opening of the architecturally splendid Milwaukee Intermodal Station, state officials are already scrounging the halls of government for another $16 million to $18 million to pay for additional upgrades that would help travelers with disabilities...
Biz Journal Link (Full Story) (http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/03/31/story1.html?b=1206936000^1610789)

Who cares if its "architecturally splendid" if it was designed without meeting ADA requirements? Nice job. I wouldn't have wanted to be the person going to the head of WISDOT or which-ever other agency was in charge to tell them that we need to try to raise another $18 million (as much as the original cost to re-hab the building - because we didn't meet ADA standards the first time. Youch.

Who cares if its "architecturally splendid" if it was designed without meeting ADA requirements? Nice job. I wouldn't have wanted to be the person going to the head of WISDOT or which-ever other agency was in charge to tell them that we need to try to raise another $18 million (as much as the original cost to re-hab the building - because we didn't meet ADA standards the first time. Youch.

Well they rehabbed the terminal area not the area where the trains pull up and people board.

What does this 18 million include? If they just want to be ADA compliant then they could just build some ramps... are they completely redoing this section now too?

It is not if they went woops we forgot this part no this was the plan from the beginning.

Ummm....hasn't this ALWAYS been a two phase project? I know it has. I'll do some scrounging for old articles. There's no way in HELL WisDOT simply forgot to rehab the platforms. I don't quite remember why they decided to wait until completion of Phase 1 to begin studying Phase 2, but what's done is done.
Also, with the accusatory way that article was written, WisDOT is only going to have a more difficult time getting the money. Thanks Biz Journal.

I do have a good idea though... why don't we just cancel this whole I-94 widening BS. It's never too late to stop the ball from rolling. With rising gas prices (that aren't going to stop,) a road that's already in "decent" shape, a shamefully horrible rail system, and a public yearning for more transit options...is it THAT radical to suggest we reallocate our money?

I am pretty sure i read a while ago that it was a two phased project, and the first phase was the terminal, and the second phase was the platforms. If i remember correctly they were going to wait to rehab the platforms until they knew more details about KMR or something.

The only reason to have two platforms right now is to accomodate the KRM project. Amtrak only uses the first on a regular basis.

Aren't almost all Amtrak stations non-compliant? Only the East Coast stations have level boarding and all of the trains that they use in the Midwest have stepwells.

Have you guys seen this fully functional Miller Park model made out of Lego made by Milwaukee School of Engineering student Tim Kaebisch?

http://homerderby.com/archives/1928

Miller Park: Cool
Legos: Cool
Scale models: Cool

Just a reminder to you all to vote in tomorrow's ultra-important local/state elections. The city of Milwaukee is in a make-or-break time as far as getting to the next level. So, whatever your political leaning, remember to voice your opinion in the form of a vote!

Just a reminder to you all to vote in tomorrow's ultra-important local/state elections. The city of Milwaukee is in a make-or-break time as far as getting to the next level. So, whatever your political leaning, remember to voice your opinion in the form of a vote!

I'll be there. Unfortunately, though, I have this feeling that the election's in the bag for ol' Scotty Boy. I think his one issue focus, combined with lackluster campaigning by Lena Taylor is going to ensure us more of his wonderful "leadership".

Well,

The old coast guard station by McKinley Marina is officially gone. Drove by it this morning only to see an empty field with construction equipment sitting where it once was. A tear has been shed.

http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=1&date=3/31/2008&id=37653

Developer Boris Gokhman's plans to eventually build two residential high-rises on downtown Milwaukee's east side moved forward Monday.

The city Plan Commission recommended rezoning two sites, allowing Gokhman's firm, New Land Development, to build two towers, each with up to 20 stories and 230 residential units. The proposed development sites are at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave., which includes a parking lot and a building that formerly housed Edwardo's Natural Pizza, and a vacant lot at 711 E. Kilbourn Ave.

If the Common Council follows the commission's recommendation, New Land will return to the commission and council with detailed design plans for the two towers. Those detailed plans will require a second set of approvals.

I'll be there. Unfortunately, though, I have this feeling that the election's in the bag for ol' Scotty Boy. I think his one issue focus, combined with lackluster campaigning by Lena Taylor is going to ensure us more of his wonderful "leadership".

Let's all hope so.

I think the County will be decided based on who gets in the County Board. Walker is in like flynn, in my opinion, so the Board would have to be able to override his vetoes.

Let's all hope so.

I don't want to get this into a political discussion on Scott Walker's positions... but since this is a development forum we could take about his development impact. He's generally been a single-issue guy with keeping taxes stable as his mantra -- probably a decent voice of opposition in the county arguments.

But, I really have to disagree with his hotel/waterpark proposal for the zoo. I can't think of a worse way to cheapen the place. The Milwaukee Zoo is one of my favorite places and a wonderful family spot right now. Moreso, though, it's a zoo. We don't need people running around in swimming suits next to the lion cages (exaggeration for effect). If you want to invest more money into making it an even better zoo I'm all for it. But keep it a zoo.

The Zoo would remain the Zoo. The animal-themed waterpark/hotel isn't being proposed to be built inside the Zoo, it is being proposed to be built next to the Zoo, on vacant land the County owns.

I still can not picture where they would do this. Would it be on the land that they occassionally use as overflow parking on the south side of the grounds?

The waterpark/hotel would be built near the southeast corner of Bluemound and Mayfair Roads.

It is basically surplus land owned by the Zoo...a wooded corner of the Zoo property that has not been developed at all for any exhibits, displays, or other facilities. So it could be built there and easily be separated from the actual Zoo area (you won't be kept awake by lions roaring outside your hotel room window; the line to ride the longest, fastest, steepest waterslide will not begin next to the giraffe pen, etc.).

The waterpark/hotel would be privately operated, but they would make lease payments to the Zoo.

The waterpark/hotel would be built near the southeast corner of Bluemound and Mayfair Roads.

It is basically surplus land owned by the Zoo...a wooded corner of the Zoo property that has not been developed at all for any exhibits, displays, or other facilities. So it could be built there and easily be separated from the actual Zoo area (you won't be kept awake by lions roaring outside your hotel room window; the line to ride the longest, fastest, steepest waterslide will not begin next to the giraffe pen, etc.).

The waterpark/hotel would be privately operated, but they would make lease payments to the Zoo.

Well, it at least sounds a bit more plausible now. I would prefer that they do not take out too much of that wooded buffer area between the zoo and 'reality'.

It looks like there may be space: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=milwaukee+county+zoo&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=47.071879,105.996094&ie=UTF8&ll=43.033514,-88.045024&spn=0.005333,0.012939&t=h&z=16

I'm wondering though if the newly approved water park and hotel at Greenfield and Moreland will effect this.

Ouch!

From JSOnline.com...

Developer Scott Fergus, whose First Place on the River condominium development was taken over by a court-appointed receiver in January, today filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, according to court records. Fergus listed assets of $721,567, and liabilities of $80.9 million, in documents filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Milwaukee.

First Place on the River, with 115 condos at 106 W. Seeboth St., was plagued by cost overruns and a lawsuit involving its former general contractor. Fergus owes $56 million to Madison-based Anchor Bank, the main lender for First Place, according to court records.

Fergus and his attorney, Bruce Lanser, both declined to answer questions about the bankruptcy filing.

Looks like Scott Walker has won re-election as Milwaukee County Executive by a fairly wide margin:

http://elections.todaystmj4.com/G4005.htm

Mike

Oh damn, that means I have to move. Thanks a lot Milwaukee County voters.

Oh damn, that means I have to move. Thanks a lot Milwaukee County voters.

Well, better you than me. Seriously, though, Walker continuing as County Executive is critical for the health of Milwaukee County because he offers a counter-balance to the Board. Since the majority of the Board members disagree with Walker, this is a necessary check-and-balance. A Taylor-led Board, while superficially-attractive to some, would have meant a rubber stamp on everything. And, that could have proved problematic in the long run.
I do believe that Walker needs to become a bit more open-minded on some issues now that he can, again, focus on running the county with the election over.

Well, better you than me. Seriously, though, Walker continuing as County Executive is critical for the health of Milwaukee County because he offers a counter-balance to the Board. Since the majority of the Board members disagree with Walker, this is a necessary check-and-balance. A Taylor-led Board, while superficially-attractive to some, would have meant a rubber stamp on everything. And, that could have proved problematic in the long run.
I do believe that Walker needs to become a bit more open-minded on some issues now that he can, again, focus on running the county with the election over.

Skyking, I rarely agree with you on political issues, but I also think Walker is good for the city. To me, it's always good to have a hearty debate on government spending. Many of his suggestions get overruled, but he is willing to put many things on the table. That forces people to stand up and defend programs, and cost-justify them. Walker is wrong often, but overall I think he works well as the county scrooge.

I think the other thing that everyone should be happy for regardless of your political persuasion is that Mike McGee was unable to get re-elected from jail. That had turned into a New York Times story and was nearly a huge embarrassment for the city.

Well, better you than me. Seriously, though, Walker continuing as County Executive is critical for the health of Milwaukee County because he offers a counter-balance to the Board. Since the majority of the Board members disagree with Walker, this is a necessary check-and-balance. A Taylor-led Board, while superficially-attractive to some, would have meant a rubber stamp on everything. And, that could have proved problematic in the long run.
I do believe that Walker needs to become a bit more open-minded on some issues now that he can, again, focus on running the county with the election over.

If Scott Walker was more open-minded and less short-sighted (a lot to ask from a conservative, I know), I wouldn't have as much of a problem with him. As it stands in my three years of living back in Milwaukee (all of which have been in the city), I have seen and felt his policy-making decisions firsthand. Sure, check-and-balance can be good. But in Milwaukee's current phase of re-birth, I wanted someone more progressive. Oh well. At least the Brewers are playing now.

I have no problem with a fiscal conservative. I like his push to open up small businesses in some of the parks and I think the airport has done well while he has been in office (not sure if he had anything to do with that though). My main two problems with Walker are the Park East and Transit.

He is the person in charge of both. I think that he has done a terrible job dividing and selling the Park East. And I think he doesn't recognize the importance of a modern and efficient transportation to a region trying to compete in the global economy.

Also, while people rip on Barrett for not having a vision...Walker doesn't have one either. Low taxes is not a vision, it's a policy. What is Walker's vision for Milwaukee County or the region?

I believe one of his visions is for every citizen of this fair city to own a car ;)

He may be a really good fiscal conservative, and he has done a pretty good job of keeping taxes down...BUT he is destroying our transit system not for rational reasons, but out of pure spite. If the decline of our bus system was simply a liability of a tight economy, I might be fine with it. But the fact is that all other system are growing, in ridership and revenue, and he's going out of his way to kill it (which he made clear in a Feb 2007 editorial in the JS). It's a pointless and needless waste, and it's driving people away from the city.
I will NEVER own a car. They are a waste of money, time, energy and resources. So I NEED a working transit system to live and pretty soon here, the lack of transit is going to force me to leave the city that I know and love dearly. I KNOW that I am not the only one either.

So, my point is that I understand why the people of Milwaukee kept him in office...I'm just bitter that I might become a casualty out of one man's spite.

ajknee,

maybe i missed your p.o.v in previous posts, but if you have to have a viable transit system to live...how would a fixed track light rail/train system benefit you? i can't imagine that any light rail system in the city of milwaukee would be comprehensive enough to rely on as the only form of travel (or would you need to rely on buses to go places that light rail can't? if so, what's the point of such a huge investment?). light rail in milwaukee will never be the el, nyc subways, or the underground...the demand/volume just isn't there. i guess perspectives might be different on this issue, but i don't see how light rail benefits the city anymore than the current transit system.

well, i am in the same boat as ajknee, so will also answer.

no one is proposing a light rail system in milwaukee right now. there is a commuter rail system (the KRM) and there is a streetcar proposed by Barrett. The street car would most certainly have a benefit to people like ajknee who use transit everyday.

further, busses can and do work. but it is not as if walker has maintained service levels. certain lines have been eliminated (none that I use...yet) and others have had their service reduced (including ones that I use). These service cuts have made me stop using that route. As a result, the ridership goes down. Then that route looks like it wasn't a popular route, so they cut if further and eventually maybe eliminate it. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

finally, the busses are in pretty bad shape. keeping current service levels with new busses would be a HUGE transit improvement at this point.

Sirwilliam, you are right in that I do not need light rail to live in the city, and also that busses are just as important in a system as any other form of mass transit. But in my current rant, I'm not bashing Walker for his lack of rail support...I'm bashing him for dismantling the current system. A bus system that went from being the best in the US to one of the worst in his first term.
And I don't believe for one second that when he says, "I think the money that would be used on light-rail would be better spent on maintaining and improving our current bus system," he means to follow through on that diversion. He has personally stated that his goal is to completely eliminate mass transit in Milwaukee. And one thing I'll credit Walker on is his amazing ability to stay true to his words.

MilwaukeeD,

Is it a self-fulfilling prophecy or a way to reduce costs? I respect your perspective, but at what point does a choice need to be made to cut the fat out of the transit system and how far does providing service to a minority of residents have to be taken into account? Working for a large company, I see everyday the commitment to cutting costs in order to turn a profit...especially given the current economic climate (not a recession). And I see, to a point, that the county has a responsibilty to it's residents to provide certain services, but at what cost to all taxpayers? If a line is losing, as an estimate only, 24k a year, how long before it's the responsibility of elected officials to cut the line as a service to taxpayers?

I'm not advocating that the county "turn a profit", but I do think that the county (and all levels of government) should have to be able to weigh certain options and be able to live within a certain budget. I certainly am not trying to pick a fight, but would be interested in learning more about the thoughts of a person from the other side of the spectrum. Thanks.

sirwilliam,

I could well be wrong in my thinking, but to me the problem when you reduce/eliminate the less-used routes is that such a reduction doesn't only affect the reduced route. Take my overly-simplistic transit system:

http://www.uwgb.edu/moored/transit.gif

In this example, the green route may have a lot of ridership, while any of the other lines may be used comparatively less. Taking a simplistic view, if the blue route is hardly used, it makes sense to cut it. But odds are that the blue riders are transferring onto more used lines on a regular basis, and eliminating that line has a negative impact on the other lines, putting pressure on them to be cut as well. In this scenario, the center stretch of the green line may have the most riders by several times compared to the feeder lines, but when the feeders are cut even the most productive line could become useless.

This isn't to say that no lines can ever be cut or reduced, but it is to say that looking at each line in isolation to see which is the most "profitable" and which is least may be shortsighted, ignore the impacts of a line as part of a larger system, and in the long run may be detrimental to the profitability of all routes and the system in general.

I think it is important to remember that Milwaukee County's bus system has had one of the highest rates of farebox recovery in the United States for years. Because of the Walker cuts, this rate (the amount of system cost covered by fares) has dropped from above 35% to below 33%, thus making the system less self-sufficient.

It's important to look at the whole picture of societal costs, too. A good transit system allows everyone to get to more jobs, reduces traffic congestion (and the need for much less cost effective freeways), reduces the need for costly parking structures (usualy paid for by the city or county, even in private developments), and improves the environment (and people's health). So, if the money is spent intelligently, every dollar spent on transit service should lower the cost of unemployment benefits (paid by the state), jails, health care and human services (provided and paid for by the county) and parking and street repair (paid for by both, as well as the city). It also tends to induce more development because it lowers the amount of congestion and parking troubles caused by new building. It's not as simple as the $100 something million budget that MCTS gets every year.

MCTS has never had the "fat" that some other agencies have. In fact, the bus system that we currently have has expanded little since the 1950's. No transit system in the developed, western world makes money. But then neither do highways, streets, health departments, parks, or fire departments, and we still fund them.

No transit system in the developed, western world makes money. But then neither do highways, streets, health departments, parks, or fire departments, and we still fund them.

Exactly, exactly, exactly.
The talk radio mantra of "government institutions are bad" has turned into a brain-dead substitution for actually attempting to deal with problems creatively and intelligently, as well as a rationalization maximizing gross self indulgence now at the expense of the less well off.

Exactly, exactly, exactly.
The talk radio mantra of "government institutions are bad" has turned into a brain-dead substitution for actually attempting to deal with problems creatively and intelligently, as well as a rationalization maximizing gross self indulgence now at the expense of the less well off.

Heck, I'm a pretty strong supporter of small government but even I recognize that a robust transportation system is important to our cities vitality!

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/115261-400-0.jpg?rev=2

So a developer wants to buy the MPS school adjacent to Whole Foods and the $400 million hospital expansion on North.

Business Journal (http://milwaukee.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/04/07/story4.html)

I heard an update today about the proposed Moderne tower at 3rd & Juneau. The project is going forward as the first 15 floors have been sold. The building is projected to be completed in 2010.

My source: A friend that walked into the sales office on sight today and spoke with the representatives.

I guess we will see what happens.

Oh man, I hope your friend is right. I LOVE the Moderne

I heard an update today about the proposed Moderne tower at 3rd & Juneau. The project is going forward as the first 15 floors have been sold. The building is projected to be completed in 2010.

My source: A friend that walked into the sales office on sight today and spoke with the representatives.

I guess we will see what happens.

The "first 15 floors?" I doubt they are selling this thing from the bottom up.
Perhaps, your friend heard the Moderne rep say something like, 15 floors have been sold. Because, I have to believe that some of the top floors/condos have been sold by now. I, too, hope this building gets built at 30-31 floors as proposed. It will be a nice addition to be sure.

The "first 15 floors?" I doubt they are selling this thing from the bottom up.
Perhaps, your friend heard the Moderne rep say something like, 15 floors have been sold. Because, I have to believe that some of the top floors/condos have been sold by now. I, too, hope this building gets built at 30-31 floors as proposed. It will be a nice addition to be sure.
It's a gorgeous building. I love to hear the good news on this one!

Well the first 15 floors or so are proposed as a hotel. So I guess if they found a hotel that agrees to fill the space then I guess technically yes the first 15 floors are sold...

Well the first 15 floors or so are proposed as a hotel. So I guess if they found a hotel that agrees to fill the space then I guess technically yes the first 15 floors are sold...

lol. Good point.

Coldwake, I nominate you to go to the sales center and get a confirmation to add fuel to the fire. I'd do it if I were still in Milwaukee!

http://www.biztimes.com/news/2008/4/4/milwaukees-coffee


A link talking about one of the best local businesses in milwaukee,
alterra coffee
the new riverwest location is now open, on humbodlt just north of locust
I cant wait to head up there and check it out.
I know that the original structure was in poor shape and had to be razed
so its a brand new place,

Hasn't that place been opened for a few months, now?

Finally something to report.

This vodka is pretty good.

Titos is better though.


Growing distillery plans move to Walker's PointThe Business Journal of Milwaukee - by Rich Rovito

Former tech executive distills 'Premium Milwaukee Vodka' [Milwaukee]

Great Lakes Distillery, which produces Rehorst brand vodka and gin, plans to move to Walker's Point from its current location in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood.

The distillery, which is owned by Guy Rehorst, plans to lease 9,500 square feet of space at 616 W. Virginia St. located in The Tannery business complex. About 6,000 square feet would be used for production, the remainder for offices, Rehorst said.

The move is likely to be completed by July, he said.

Great Lakes, which began operating in 2006, currently leases 3,500 square feet of space at 3950 N. Holton St. About 80 percent of Great Lakes' revenue stems from the sale of Rehorst Milwaukee Premium vodka, with the remainder coming from the sale of Rehorst Milwaukee Premium gin. Great Lakes distributes its vodka and gin throughout the Wisconsin.

Great Lakes will seek a zoning variance at the city of Milwaukee's Board of Zoning Appeals meeting Thursday that would allow the distillery to operate as a special use on the Walker's Point site.

Rehorst said the distillery plans to offer tours to the public once the move is completed. However, laws prevent the distillery from offering on-site product tastings to visitors.

Ambassador Hotel broke ground today on a parking structure that is the first phase of a $20m expansion there. Things seem to be going pretty well for them.

http://www.biztimes.com/nf/uploads/Image/reweekly4.16.08/marcus.jpg

The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts has shifted gears in its attempt to bring a major development to the site of its parking structure at the northwest corner of Water Street and State Street in downtown Milwaukee. The Marcus Center has hired Bill Bonifas of CB Richard Ellis to find either a tenant interested in occupying a mixed-use development on the parking structure or a developer for the project. "We have had meetings with developers that have different concepts for that location, as well as users," Bonifas said.

Small Business Times (http://www.biztimes.com/realestateweekly/2008/4/16/marcus-center-hires-cb-richard-ellis-to-assist-parking-structure-site-development)

I hope it's the back

http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/hotelpalomar_fullsize_story1.jpg

OnMilwaukee.com (http://onmilwaukee.com/visitors/articles/hotelpalomar.html)

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/images/logo.gif

Aloft Hotel Milwaukee has a website, and it said to be opening August 1st, 2009

Aloft Milwaukee (http://www.starwoodhotels.com/alofthotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=3254)

Ambassador Hotel broke ground today on a parking structure that is the first phase of a $20m expansion there. Things seem to be going pretty well for them.

That's fantastic. I stayed there one night and found it to be a real gem. The only drawback is the neighborhood - but that's changing.

I can't remember if I posted a link to this Milwaukee promotional video so here it is again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56o4DHn8QYE

You might notice a few of my photos in there.. :)

Oh FORUM, that was so much fun to plan. I made the map at 0:25 and chose the song for that video.

The music is "Ghostwriter" by RJD2 by the way.

I wonder what kind of responses the city got for this RFP (http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cntyParks/business/RFPs/NorthPointOp.pdf) regarding the North Point Snack Bar at Bradford Beach. It's never been anything special in the past... maybe this year we'll see something neat.

Any word on the restoration project going on at the other end of the parking lot next to Bradford Beach? Also, what's the status of the bamboo plaza in the 3rd Ward? Last I heard about it, the project had stalled for financial reasons and they were considering a scaled back version of the original because the single proposal we got for the site was something like $400,000 over budget.

Lastly, I'm surprised no one here has mentioned the cool new illumination project they've got going on at the PAC. The building looks 100 times better at night now... I can't wait to see it in person!

Here's a photograph from a fellow flickr friend, johndecember (http://www.flickr.com/photos/johndecember/):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2110/2420348820_8fb23980b8.jpg

I wish the County had done an RFP for the snack shop ON Bradford Beach...that North Point one is a little to the south by the big parking lot. Nice that they would allow alcoholic beverages there though. Hopefully someone responded.

The new Marcus Center lighting is fantastic. The colors they chose are very pleasant. The press release mentioned that they were inspired by Georgia O'Keefe, a connection that I don't entirely understand. But the part that I love the most is the new sign above the entrance. The old sign did the building no justice whatsoever. I hope they maintain this installment, as I'm beginning to notice some problems with the Historical Society's lights.

That reminds me, I never looked at these lights from the West. I wonder what the Historical Society and the Marcus Center look like together from 3rd & Kilbourn.

The colors they chose are very pleasant. The press release mentioned that they were inspired by Georgia O'Keefe, a connection that I don't entirely understand.

The connection is explained here: Marcus to shine anew - Downtown lights to make arts center a work of art (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=737029)

Deleted......... False Alarm :-(

This morning, I saw people with an excavator removing the walking mats from the sales center at The Moderne!! :nocrook:

Removing walking mats with an excavator? :lol:

Removing walking mats with an excavator? :lol:

Well... They were picking them up by hand... But the excavator was behind them running hehe.

Ok nevermind... False alarm... They were just dumping a pile of sand it looks like... :cry:

It seems every 6 months there is an article about the pending development of the Pleasant Street Market on Commerce and Pleasant, right on the river.....

This is to be anchored by a Sendiks run by the Nehrings of Sendiks on Oakland/Groppis/V.Richards fame.....

The article always mentions that the development will begin real soon...Design done, leases signed, etc...

Then, nothing ever happens....Anyone have any idea what is going on with this development????:ohno:

I'm also curious about Park East Square. The sign at the lot is falling apart and they havent done site work in months...

Just was by Park East Square yesterday and there has in fact been progress! Half of the construction fence is now up!

American Apparel to open east side store
American Apparel Retail Inc. leased 3,731 square feet of space in Kenilworth Square, 2615 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee, from Kenilworth Retail LLC. Allison Kuchny and Dan Rosenfeld of Mid-America Real Estate represented Kenilworth Retail and Brian Vanevenhoven and Bruce Westling of NAI MLG Commercial represented American Apparel in brokering the deal. This is the latest retailer that has committed to the Kenilworth building, located on Milwaukee's east side. The building also has an Urban Outfitters store.
http://www.biztimes.com/nf/uploads/Image/reweekly04-22-2008/kenilworth.jpg

Cool viewpoint of the Moderne:
http://www.emporis.com/images/6/2007/05/532309.jpg

So is it now safe to say that the back of University Club will remain that aluminum-foil-silver color or will some logically-colored siding be put on now that the weather is warm? On a side note the bus stop down the block says there are only 4 condos left in the building.

Can someone give details about the St. John's Tower on prospect ave? Don't recall anything about that project. thanks! :)

I don't really know what "gaining some traction" means other than him writing a piece on it. But a little "news" with The Grand...

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/market/articles/grandaveideas.html

Well, it is a good view of the Moderne, but I guess you have to go to their website to see it. Apparently they don't want anyone making copies. Sheesh!:ohno:

On the subject of the Grand Avenue, I used to go there regularly in the 80's until I left the state. When I came back 11 years later and visited the mall, I was disappointed. It had gone pretty seedy.

I love the redevelopment of the Gimbels and Boston Store buildings. I was not excited about the way they recently redid the Plankinton Arcade, though. That always had a lot of class and I don't think anyone has gotten it right yet. I do think a lot of the smaller stores would do well to relocate out of the mall to Wisconsin Avenue or East Town.

And will somebody please build a frickin' cinema downtown? What the hell?

Right there with you on the Cinema. I don't know what Marcus is doing wasting their money on a monstrosity of a movie palace that is far from "Majestic" on a dying commercial strip in a dying suburb. There is FAR more demand for one downtown.
I don't think they realize how many city-dwellers don't use cars, and that the ONLY movieplex that is reachable by bus is the lame Southgate one on 27th street. Even that takes an hour to get to via two busses.

COME ON MARCUS!!!

PS - What's with the real Majestic Theater also owned by Marcus?

Can someone give details about the St. John's Tower on prospect ave? Don't recall anything about that project. thanks! :)

This is a link to a page on their website:
http://www.saintjohnsmilw.org/expansion.html

And an even better piece from the Small Business Times:
http://www.biztimes.com/news/2007/11/23/st-johns-plans-20-story-senior-apartment-tower

I know someone who works at St. John's, and she says this is a done deal. Let's hope so. It would be a fine addition to the lakefront skyline.

The Cadillac Ranch, a country-themed restaurant and bar, may not be bucking into downtown Milwaukee after all.

Preliminary work had begun in early March on the 14,000-square-foot, street-level space where Cadillac Ranch was slated to open in the 211 Building, 211 W. Wisconsin Ave. However, that work has stopped and a source close to the transaction said the deal is off due to lack of a financial agreement between Cadillac Ranch and TSG Real Estate of Chicago, which owns the building.

The Cadillac Ranch had opened a successful location in downtown Cincinnati last year and was hoping to repeat the formula in Milwaukee. Owner Eric Schilder of Columbus, Ohio, declined to comment. A TSG executive did not return a call seeking comment.

-- Rich Kirchen

Right there with you on the Cinema. I don't know what Marcus is doing wasting their money on a monstrosity of a movie palace that is far from "Majestic" on a dying commercial strip in a dying suburb. There is FAR more demand for one downtown.
I don't think they realize how many city-dwellers don't use cars, and that the ONLY movieplex that is reachable by bus is the lame Southgate one on 27th street. Even that takes an hour to get to via two busses.

COME ON MARCUS!!!

PS - What's with the real Majestic Theater also owned by Marcus?

While I wouldn't go so far as to label Brookfield, or Waukesha or wherever the hell that theater is "dying", I am in agreement with you on the downtown theater. Screw Marcus, though. If they won't build one, then maybe AMC or Loews can.

By the way, anyone else notice the new signage atop the Hyatt?

By the way, anyone else notice the new signage atop the Hyatt?

Anyone have a photo? I don't live there so I can't see it! :gaah:

Anyone have a photo? I don't live there so I can't see it! :gaah:

I'll try and get one later this week. I am downtown a lot at work, I just have to remember my camera.

While I wouldn't go so far as to label Brookfield, or Waukesha or wherever the hell that theater is "dying", I am in agreement with you on the downtown theater. Screw Marcus, though. If they won't build one, then maybe AMC or Loews can.

Yeah, there is nothing dying about Brookfield or Waukesha - and the Majestic is doing very well. In fact, downtown Waukesha is seeing an improbable rebirth.

That said, I wouldn't be opposed to a downtown movie theatre as long as it didn't detract from the Oriental or Downer theatres. Those are wonderful places in my mind. Bayshore just got an upscale movieplex/bowling place too.

Those cinemas all are niche types. A full blown stadium riser digital movieplex the equal of anything around here would be no threat to them.

The only concern I would have is security. If Mayfair can't keep the hoodlums from causing problems, downtown may not either.

I won't go to the cinema in Mayfair anymore because the punks won't shut up and want to fight if you ask them to.

Construction begins for proposed Days Inn near downtown

Construction has begun on a $4.8 million project to transform the former Jackson Center nursing home building at 1840 N. Sixth St. in Milwaukee into a 79-room Days Inn & Suites hotel, an investor for the project said. The nursing home closed in 2002.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a92/icemone414/days-inn.jpg

Two investors, Karl Rajani and Pat Kasthurirangaian, are renovating the 40-year-old, three-story, 30,018-square-foot building. The project will include the addition of a fourth floor to the building and a tower at the main entrance, Kasthurirangaian said. Milwaukee-based Arquitectura Inc. is the architect of record on the project. The Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corp. recently approved a $1.4 million loan, backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration, for the project.

The hotel is expected to open in the summer of 2009, Kasthurirangaian said. The Days Inn & Suites hotel will fill a need for lower priced hotel rooms in the downtown Milwaukee area, Kathurirangaian said. Most of the rooms in the hotel will be available for $75 to $100 a night, he said. "There are only a couple of mid-priced hotels in downtown Milwaukee," he said. "Most of the proposed and existing hotels downtown are priced $150 to $200 and up a night. There is a huge market for the $75 to $100 a night range."




IRON HORSE OPENING IN JULY
The Iron Horse Hotel, which is being built at 500 W. Florida St., Milwaukee, by developer Tim Dixon, announced recently that it will open in July, the same month that the nearby Harley-Davidson Museum is scheduled to open.

The hotel, which will include amenities to accommodate motorcycle riders, will also be open in time for the 105th Harley-Davidson Anniversary celebration, which will be held in Milwaukee from Aug. 28-31.

The hotel also announced that it has launched a web site at:
http://www.theironhorsehotel.com.

The 102-room hotel is being built in a six-story, 95,788-square-foot, 101-year-old former warehouse building.

Construction has begun on a $4.8 million project to transform the former Jackson Center nursing home building at 1840 N. Sixth St. in Milwaukee into a 79-room Days Inn & Suites hotel, ... The ... hotel will fill a need for lower priced hotel rooms in the downtown Milwaukee area.

Looks like downtown is about to really expand:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v425/looksee/1840N6th.jpg

ok, I know this is a knee-jerk reaction and totally not politically correct but I can't help but thinking to myself "Oh great, all those people coming to milwaukee will stay there and think milwaukee is just one big 'hood."

Weird. This is pretty high on my list of things I never expected to see in Milwaukee. I know that the area around Reservoir and 4th has seen a lot of new condo construction lately, but a new hotel across the street from the projects? I wonder what made the developers/Days Inn interested in that site instead of someplace closer to downtown.

Weird. This is pretty high on my list of things I never expected to see in Milwaukee. I know that the area around Reservoir and 4th has seen a lot of new condo construction lately, but a new hotel across the street from the projects? I wonder what made the developers/Days Inn interested in that site instead of someplace closer to downtown.

Being the diligent Housing Authority employee I am, I felt that I had to respond here. The Carver Park Townhomes are not "the projects" in the Cabrini Green sense. Or, even in the sense of the Lapham Park projects, which used to occupy the area around 6-7th and Reservoir. They are, in fact mixed-income townhouses, and anyone could live there. The development has won awards. The Lapham Park tower is for low income elderly and disabled individuals, and operates as a nursing home for our poor elderly. I find it incredible the amount of stigma that exists whenever someone develops near "those people." Personally, if you want to bash on the old decay of the 60's housing projects, go ahead, but HACM is doing some really amazing things, and the stigma surrounding low income housing is really unfortunate. Even down the street, in the Hillside development, our number one problem is outsiders who come onto our property, who haven't passed screening, and have no business there. We to deal with them accordingly, but our residents very, very rarely are a problem, and in fact tend to be the victims of crime, more than the perpetrators of it. My office is in the middle of Carver Park, on Reservoir Ave, and the area is very quiet. Lots of families and small kids. Not the place you'd want a motel, though, huh?

Nice to see some investment going in there. That area will look very different in 5-10 years. For those skeptics, take a look at the success of the Ambassador today. That is on the edge of a dicey neighborhood but it has done fantastic. No doubt when investment first was going in there it evoked similar responses.

Plus that's really close to the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center. That place gets a lot of traffic, and the neighborhood surrounding it (including Schlitz Park) has a lot going on. I could see us considering this "downtown" in a few years. We'll see. I hope it pays off for Days Inn.

I'm surprised about the Days Inn on 6th/Reservoir. Not because I consider the area to be "the 'hood," but because it is so heavily residential around there. I used to work a few blocks away from there so I'm quite familiar with walking around the area. Reservoir between 6th and King Drive cuts right through an interesting little neighborhood full of new construction and renovated old homes. But that's just it -- it's ALL housing around there. When folks are staying at the Days Inn from out of town, they will be far removed from restaurants, the nightlife, and attractions such as the Bradley Center. Maybe the motel will offer some kind of shuttle to take visitors into the thick of Downtown.

I'm surprised about the Days Inn on 6th/Reservoir. Not because I consider the area to be "the 'hood," but because it is so heavily residential around there. I used to work a few blocks away from there so I'm quite familiar with walking around the area. Reservoir between 6th and King Drive cuts right through an interesting little neighborhood full of new construction and renovated old homes. But that's just it -- it's ALL housing around there. When folks are staying at the Days Inn from out of town, they will be far removed from restaurants, the nightlife, and attractions such as the Bradley Center. Maybe the motel will offer some kind of shuttle to take visitors into the thick of Downtown.

That was precisely my concern. It will be nice to see some more investment in the area, but that motel is going to need a downtown shuttle for out of town guests.

[QUOTE=miltown;20203200][B] "Most of the proposed and existing hotels downtown are priced $150 to $200 and up a night. There is a huge market for the $75 to $100 a night range."

For a lot of smaller businesses or more budget conscious consumers this is a market that you have to go out to the burbs to find. Yet,this is a close cab ride away from everything going on downtown. If they finish it nice enough I can see it being very attractive for this market.

The rendering makes it look darn attractive.

These developers may be on to something.

Target takes aim downtown
Discount chain looking at 3 sites

Target Corp. is again showing preliminary interest in opening a store in downtown Milwaukee, a development that would help boost that area's lagging retail landscape.

But, even if Target decided to proceed, the economic slowdown would likely delay the discount store chain from moving forward on the development until the national retail climate improves.

Target is considering three locations for a downtown store, according to people familiar with the process. Those sources asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The prospective locations are:

• A 3-acre parking lot south of W. Michigan St., between N. Plankinton Ave. and N. 2nd St. That property, which is across Michigan St. from the Shops of Grand Avenue, was bought by Clark Street Development, of Chicago, for $6 million, in January.

• The city-owned 2-acre parking lot south of W. Wisconsin Ave., between N. 4th and N. 5th streets. The lot, which is across Wisconsin Ave. from the Midwest Airlines Center, is controlled under a sales option held by Charlotte, N.C.-based developer Ghazi Co.

• Three adjacent parcels, totaling 6 acres, north of the Bradley Center and south of W. Juneau Ave., between N. 4th and N. 6th streets. Bradley Center Sports & Entertainment Corp. owns the parcels, which are used for parking. The largest portion is between N. 5th and N. 6th. streets. The Bradley Center is working with Indianapolis-based Lauth Property Group to create a proposal for stores and restaurants on the site.

Minneapolis-based Target has no current plans to build a downtown Milwaukee store, said company spokesman Steve Linders. He declined to comment on whether Target executives are considering downtown for a future store.

Executives from Clark Street Development and Lauth declined to comment, saying it was too early to discuss their plans for the respective sites. A Ghazi executive didn't return calls seeking comment.

Ghazi last year proposed a $120 million development for the Wisconsin Ave. site that would include 150,000 square feet of restaurants, nightclubs and other entertainment-oriented businesses, along with a 170-room hotel, offices and around 200 housing units. Those plans would change if the Wisconsin Ave. parcel landed a Target, which could have around 125,000 square feet.

Prior interest
This isn't the first time that Target has shown interest in downtown Milwaukee. Its closest stores to downtown are at 1501 Miller Park Way, West Milwaukee, and 2950 S. Chase Ave.

In 2005, Target considered a site in the Park East redevelopment area. That 2-acre parcel, bordered by N. Broadway, N. Milwaukee St., N. Water St., E. Lyon St. and E. Ogden Ave., is owned by Milwaukee County and under option to Chicago-based development firm RSC & Associates.

"(Target) seemed pretty serious," said Richard Curto, who operates RSC. "However, they later backed off and basically said they were not interested" in downtown Milwaukee.

RSC is now pursuing plans to develop housing on the block. RSC in December bought a neighboring 2-acre parcel from Milwaukee County, and is developing a 122-room Hyatt Place boutique hotel and a 102-room Hyatt Summerfield Suites extended-stay hotel, along with 105 apartments.

New apartments and condominiums in and near downtown could help attract more chain retailers to downtown, said Larry Evinger, first vice president of retail development at Lauth. Those retailers also would likely target downtown workers, Evinger said.

Meanwhile, Target would help draw other retailers to downtown, Curto said.

"They're definitely a magnet, because of their volume of sales and the high number of shoppers they attract," Curto said.

One beneficiary of a downtown Target store could be the Shops of Grand Avenue, which has been struggling to keep tenants. A new Target at either Michigan and 2nd streets or Wisconsin Ave. and 4th St. could be connected to the neighboring Grand Avenue by skywalks.

Executives from New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., which bought the Grand Avenue in 2005, didn't return calls seeking comment.

While Target is showing interest in downtown Milwaukee, a decision on whether to pursue a new store won't be coming soon, one source said, citing the current economic slowdown.

Target typically opens around 100 new stores annually and plans to continue that pace in 2008, Linders said.

The most interesting passage from the article: Minneapolis-based Target has no current plans to build a downtown Milwaukee store, said company spokesman Steve Linders. He declined to comment on whether Target executives are considering downtown for a future store.

Also, in regards to putting a Kohl's downtown, "There's not enough going on downtown for us to put a store there," Kohl's chairman Larry Montgomery said.

No surprise there...

Also, in regards to putting a Kohl's downtown, "There's not enough going on downtown for us to put a store there," Kohl's chairman Larry Montgomery said.

What a moron

What a moron

No sweat, I would be afraid that they would build a 1-story big box with parking galore downtown. I'm not sure if any urban Kohls exist in any other city.

^^ Can't even get Target to come downtown, sad. :ohno: :bash:

Kohls has an "urban" store in chicago along the freeway north of downtown. There is a parking structure there and I believe it is a 2-story store.

Kohls has an "urban" store in chicago along the freeway north of downtown. There is a parking structure there and I believe it is a 2-story store.

he's right
the kohls is on n. elston just south of w webster
it also has a green roof
best buy also shares the garage

Being the diligent Housing Authority employee I am, I felt that I had to respond here. The Carver Park Townhomes are not "the projects" in the Cabrini Green sense. Or, even in the sense of the Lapham Park projects, which used to occupy the area around 6-7th and Reservoir. They are, in fact mixed-income townhouses, and anyone could live there. The development has won awards. The Lapham Park tower is for low income elderly and disabled individuals, and operates as a nursing home for our poor elderly. I find it incredible the amount of stigma that exists whenever someone develops near "those people." Personally, if you want to bash on the old decay of the 60's housing projects, go ahead, but HACM is doing some really amazing things, and the stigma surrounding low income housing is really unfortunate. Even down the street, in the Hillside development, our number one problem is outsiders who come onto our property, who haven't passed screening, and have no business there. We to deal with them accordingly, but our residents very, very rarely are a problem, and in fact tend to be the victims of crime, more than the perpetrators of it. My office is in the middle of Carver Park, on Reservoir Ave, and the area is very quiet. Lots of families and small kids. Not the place you'd want a motel, though, huh?

I wasn't trying to imply anything about the residents of low income housing, I was just remarking on the strange choice of sites. The building is a mile north of downtown in an area full of institutional structures, housing projects, residential developments and abandoned buildings blocks from some of the worst neighborhoods in Milwaukee. It's basically a suburban site without the perceived notion of safety or strip malls.

I wasn't trying to imply anything about the residents of low income housing, I was just remarking on the strange choice of sites. The building is a mile north of downtown in an area full of institutional structures, housing projects, residential developments and abandoned buildings blocks from some of the worst neighborhoods in Milwaukee. It's basically a suburban site without the perceived notion of safety or strip malls.

No worries. I didn't figure you were really bashing low income people. We just battle perceptions in our work all the time. The area is in need of some redevelopment, since as you noted, it's very residential, mixed in with some abandoned properties. Some influx of money can't be all bad, and I actually believe the DCD is pushing the area for redevelopment, which may explain the strange choice of location. (Even though it's really very close to downtown)

Milwaukee's fleet of police cars will go retro in coming weeks as the department starts rolling out classic black and whites to replace the familar white-with-blue stripe cars.

A prototype Ford Crown Victoria has been on display inside the Police Administration Building downtown this week for officers' review. Police Chief Edward Flynn said, so far, the reaction has been good and plans are in the works to paint the ends of 55 recently ordered patrol cars black at a cost of $300 each, and get them on the streets soon.

"When you're moving assertively on many fronts in terms of organizational change and crime fighting strategies, it's not a bad thing to have a little fun," Flynn said today. "The cruisers will be rolling out and they're going to roll out with a different look."

Black and white patrol cars have become more popular in recent years with police departments in Wisconsin and around the country seeking a sleeker, more classic look.

Just this week, the Minneapolis Police Department unveiled its new black and whites, last seen on its city streets in 1973. At that time, the department went to a basically white design but came back to the traditional look to increase police visibility, according to the department's web site.


http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/squad_050308_big.jpg

http://www.theironhorsehotel.com/assets/images/header.jpg
The Iron Horse Hotel, which is being built at 500 W. Florida St., Milwaukee, by developer Tim Dixon, announced recently that it will open in July, the same month that the nearby Harley-Davidson Museum is scheduled to open.

The hotel, which will include amenities to accommodate motorcycle riders, will also be open in time for the 105th Harley-Davidson Anniversary celebration, which will be held in Milwaukee from Aug. 28-31.

The hotel also announced that it has launched a web site at: www.theironhorsehotel.com.

The 102-room hotel is being built in a six-story, 95,788-square-foot, 101-year-old former warehouse building.

The developers of the Pabst Brewery added a conceptual rending of the project on their website (thebrewerymke.com).
http://www.thebrewerymke.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/ss_asset/thebrewery-perspect_rend.gif

Milwaukee's fleet of police cars will go retro in coming weeks as the department starts rolling out classic black and whites to replace the familar white-with-blue stripe cars.

A prototype Ford Crown Victoria has been on display inside the Police Administration Building downtown this week for officers' review. Police Chief Edward Flynn said, so far, the reaction has been good and plans are in the works to paint the ends of 55 recently ordered patrol cars black at a cost of $300 each, and get them on the streets soon.

"When you're moving assertively on many fronts in terms of organizational change and crime fighting strategies, it's not a bad thing to have a little fun," Flynn said today. "The cruisers will be rolling out and they're going to roll out with a different look."

Black and white patrol cars have become more popular in recent years with police departments in Wisconsin and around the country seeking a sleeker, more classic look.

Just this week, the Minneapolis Police Department unveiled its new black and whites, last seen on its city streets in 1973. At that time, the department went to a basically white design but came back to the traditional look to increase police visibility, according to the department's web site.


http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/squad_050308_big.jpg
Appleton's PD is planning to change from its current stylized white police cars to 'black and whites' should their pending merger with the Grand Chute Township PD be completed.

Also, I don't know if the City of Green Bay ever went away from the 'black and white' design.

Mike

The developers of the Pabst Brewery added a conceptual rending of the project on their website (thebrewerymke.com).


I just hope that something gets done there, that rendering looks cool.

The City of Oshkosh has been switching over to the "black & whites" for the past 2 1/2 years already.

More development news in the fifth ward:

http://www.biztimes.com/news/2008/5/2/cre-spotlight-vetter-denk-plans-to-help-rebuild-its-new-neighborhood

I was just out for a nice spring stroll and I saw some activity on the Rivianna site (South Water/Pittsburgh). The site had been cleared of all foliage, a fence was up, and a construction trailer was parked there. Maybe they're just using it as a staging area for River work like the other false alarm I had a few weeks ago.

I would guess the Rivianna site is being used as a staging area for the construction and demolition work going on at the former Transpak complex across the street, perhaps.

Several months ago, Rivianna's developer said he was going to take a slower approach to the project due to the slow-down in the condo market, and thus, the ability to get construction loans on large projects. He said he's planning Rivianna as more of a long-term proposal, waiting for the market to improve before going forward.

When I went past Rivianna in April it was still very much an active truck and boat storage lot.

Markitect: what is happening with the Transpak buildings? I had notice (with some surprise) to see many buildings gutted and a few being dismantled. I hadn't heard any news of renovations there, but due to the nature of the work I assumed the large building was simply being gutted for reuse.

Markitect: what is happening with the Transpak buildings? I had notice (with some surprise) to see many buildings gutted and a few being dismantled. I hadn't heard any news of renovations there, but due to the nature of the work I assumed the large building was simply being gutted for reuse.

The work underway at the Transpak complex is quite an ambitious multi-phase/multi-year project to turn the former warehouse complex into a new mixed-use neighborhood of apartments, offices, and retail. Part of the former warehouses are being gutted in preparation for adaptive reuse, while other buildings are being demolished to make way for new buildings and extending the street grid through the large site. The prep work has being going on for a few weeks now.

More here in this article from the Business Journal: Demolition begins on former Transpak site (http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/03/24/story8.html)

Taken 5/6/08. Quick construction update.

Park Lafayette:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02720.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02726.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02727.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02728.jpg

Flatiron (complete?):

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02741.jpg

The North End:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02745.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02871.jpg

Staybridge/Residences on Water (What's the official name of this building?):

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02747.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02850.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02862.jpg




In other news, Warner Brothers has a bunch of cables headed into the Milwaukee County Historical Society for the production of "Public Enemies" starring Johnny Depp:

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02852.jpg

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f99/ajknee/DSC02851.jpg

what floor level is Park up too so far? thanks for the update

Completed: 15 floors on the S tower and 13 floors on the N tower

Thanks for the pics ajknee!

History lost in Park East bait-and-switch
Posted: April 29, 2008
Mary Louise Schumacher
Art and Architecture Critic


The artful designs of two young, local architects and the promise of revitalization were part of what won developers the opportunity to buy and develop what could be one of the first major projects in the Park East corridor.

It was a hard-fought battle - largely about design - before the County Board, which owns the land once occupied by the Park East Freeway. As it should have been: The project will set the tone for what's to come in this still-undefined 16-acre swath of the city.

But that winning design for the mixed-used project has been scrapped by the developers, and the local, award-winning design team of Brian Johnsen and Sebastian Schmaling has been pushed aside for one of the largest architectural firms in the country, Dallas-based HKS Inc.

What's worse, the HKS design, recently released, is vaguely modern and generic, a development that could exist in any city, with some seriously clunky characteristics.

The $160 million project is being developed by Dallas-based Gatehouse Capital Corp. and Milwaukee-based Ruvin Development Inc. on a parcel bordered by N. Old World 3rd and N. 4th streets and W. McKinley and W. Juneau avenues. It will include a 176-room Kimpton Palomar Hotel, high-end condos, 21,000 square feet of retail, a small park and a parking structure.

From artists' studios to public art projects, from blockbuster exhibits to ambitious new urban design, Art City explores some of the city's most creative endeavors.

What it won't include are the two buildings rich in history - the quirky Sydney Hih and the Gipfel Brewery - that had been woven into the earlier plan by Johnsen Schmaling Architects.

Sydney Hih, Gipfel shunned
That is, except for the condescending gesture of setting a fragment of the Sydney Hih in a small park and using some of its bricks for a pathway. The fragile, federal-style Gipfel Brewery building, the oldest existing brewery in Milwaukee, which was moved to the site to be included in the original plan, will have to be delicately moved again to the 1100 block of Old World 3rd St.

HKS, which helped design Miller Park and which has created beautiful hotels in cities such as Dallas and Hollywood, somehow blundered with this blocky design. A bulky, dark, angled segment of condos looms above a thinner, white and rather uninspired hotel structure. There's no attempt at an artful transition. The two segments are slammed together abruptly for an unbalanced, menacing, 22-story tower.

As parking garages go, though, the HKS design is not so bad. Sheaths of varied fenestration hide the ugly particulars of corralled cars, and a band of glassy retail space at pedestrian level (if it actually gets filled) might create inviting public space, especially along Juneau Ave. However, the bright red, perforated metal panels tucked behind louvers, intended to be a visual surprise, are aesthetically overbearing and add a shut-in, prison-like touch.

By contrast, Johnsen Schmaling, which will remain part of the team and design the residential interiors, envisioned something that would reflect Milwaukee.

The beloved Sydney Hih would have served as a visual point of entry, smartly updated with tall windows on the ground level and flanked with an elegant, glassy office building.

The parking structure would have been tastefully tucked between buildings and blanketed in green. A rooftop garden spilled over the edge of the structure and down its side into an open plaza.

Cues from Hih
The jewel of the Johnsen Schmaling design, though, was the 20-story tower that subtly took its cues in a non-literal way from the colorful, blocky mélange that once adorned the Sydney Hih.

Restrained and modern, the tower's façade seemed to dissipate delicately with altitude. It incorporated touches of color and had a blithe, smart interplay of light and dark, of glass and slate.

The Sydney Hih, if you recall, has been a conclave of cool since the 1970s, a labyrinth of artist and musician studios with an on-again, off-again rock club in the basement. The four-story Italianate building is also the last remnant of a 19th-century street once lined with breweries.

And lest we forget, the land in question is not only historic - it's public. The cost of taking the freeway down alone was considerable to taxpayers. So public goodwill on the developers' part is called for more than ever.

Which is why winning the right to buy and develop the land based on one design, only to switch to another, is such bad form. And it may be a bad omen, a sign that city officials anxious to get projects up and running in the languishing, still barren Park East will sacrifice too much on design.

Ah, now I understand the purpose of tar and feathering.

Is County government really that flaccid?

Very sad.

Dang, that was the one project where I was really excited about the blending of the old and new. Now we just get to become Charlotte... woo.

Milwaukee is better than that.

Very disappointing. I liked that design so much I put it into my screensaver rotation on my laptop. Unfortunately our elected represetatives at the County level do not appear to have the wherewithal to push developers to do better. Sad.

There's got to be something the county can do about this. It's such a show of bad faith on the developer's part. I'd have rather seen the Rana proposal get the nod if I'd known they were going to do this. Such a bummer.

Has anyone noticed the action at Bradford Beach, it looks like they've started construction of the rain garden.

http://www.onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/be/beachdesign/beachdesign_story2.jpg

Hi,
I'm staying downtown tonight and going to see the Brewers lose again. I see the Rt. 90 is the Miller Park gameday route. Anyone used this before, is it a good way to the Park and back?

Thanks.

Its extremely easy to use. Just pick it up along any of the stops marked with the route number, and it will drop you off right in front of Miller Park. After the game, the buses will pick up right where it dropped you off, and you can get off at the same stop you got on at. Enjoy the game!

Has anyone noticed the action at Bradford Beach, it looks like they've started construction of the rain garden.



They are doing the water retention project. This is so the storm sewers don't flow right across the beach into the lake. It's to help clean the beaches up.

I believe the rain garden is actually a seperate project.

These Panoramas look so much better full size
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3125/2479998447_0bb1967e9d_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2480811316_767a02743f_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2360/2480808062_bdd23a5832_b.jpg

Not sure if this is 100% true but I heard that the restaurant group behind Hi-Hat, Balzac, Garage, etc. will be taking over the Bradford Beach snack area and creating a new restaurant....Apparently they will have a one year lease and, if it goes well, the option to sign a longer term lease with the security to make some pretty signifcant capital improvements to the interior and exterior.....

Well it is true that restaurant group has taken over the Bradford Beach snack area though I don't know if they will be creating a new restaurant per se... ( saw them get their liquor license for this venture)

Wow, the waterfront is coming along nicely!

I can't wait to visit the city again :)

Lakeshore State Park desperately needs some trees. Cool pics miltown, thanks for posting.

Lakeshore State Park will never have trees, since it's built atop a pile of rocks that were excavated for the Deep Tunnel.

Since there will never be trees, maybe the State could at least put up some kind of shade structures. It would make it a much better experience.

^========= can we get any light rail??????????

For what?

Lakeshore State Park will never have trees, since it's built atop a pile of rocks that were excavated for the Deep Tunnel.

Since there will never be trees, maybe the State could at least put up some kind of shade structures. It would make it a much better experience.
Well some kind of plant life would be good. It's not all rock, they could easily plant some bushes and stuff. And like what Milwaukeeunseen said, put up some shade structures.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I could've sworn that Friends of LSP said that an observation tower was going to be built this summer. That'll help the landscape a little. And I also thought the original plans mentioned bathrooms somewhere on the island. Maybe these got scrapped, or maybe they're waiting for the grass to grow a little before adding to it. But it seriously needs some work. Until then, it's a great jog.

(irk...restraining myself from the troll that is Skyking2. Another day, another thread)

Maybe I'm crazy, but I could've sworn that Friends of LSP said that an observation tower was going to be built this summer. That'll help the landscape a little. And I also thought the original plans mentioned bathrooms somewhere on the island. Maybe these got scrapped, or maybe they're waiting for the grass to grow a little before adding to it. But it seriously needs some work. Until then, it's a great jog.

(irk...restraining myself from the troll that is Skyking2. Another day, another thread)Please don't tell me they are really going to put an observation tower there! To observe what exactly?

Please don't tell me they are really going to put an observation tower there! To observe what exactly?

MMSD overflows. :lol:

Lakeshore State Park desperately needs some trees.

Here (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=620853) is an article about Lakeshore State Park. There will be no trees. An excerpt:

The park itself looks pretty barren right now. That's because it has just been seeded with native prairie flowers and grasses that won't come to fruition for a couple of years. There are no trees, either. That's not only because of the rocky foundation and a soil cover that isn't deep enough for roots to sink into, but also because the site is in a flyway for migratory birds.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I could've sworn that Friends of LSP said that an observation tower was going to be built this summer. That'll help the landscape a little. And I also thought the original plans mentioned bathrooms somewhere on the island. Maybe these got scrapped, or maybe they're waiting for the grass to grow a little before adding to it. But it seriously needs some work. Until then, it's a great jog.



Yes, a visitor's center with educational displays, offices, restrooms, boater's showers for the park has been designed. Construction is forthcoming on those amenities once they are ready, as well as other things like benches and tables. The planned observation deck will be for checking out the spectacular views of the city and harbor from the island, as well as overlooking the native prairie landscaping (since trees and shrubs are not possible) that will be growing there (which takes a few years to grow out) and observe the wildlife that will be attracted to such an environment.

More here: Friends of Lakeshore State Park (http://www.friendslsp.org/index.php)

[edit

As Kramerica's post alluded to, the park will have prairie grass and that takes a few years to establish. I think it's going to be great.

Markitect, you say that the DNR visitor's center "has been designed". What shop was selected to do the design of this project? Have any renderings been published?

As often as I disagreed with Whitney Gould's opinions on design projects, this is exactly the sort of project that I'd like to see held up to scrutiny prior to execution.

...

Markitect, you say that the DNR visitor's center "has been designed". What shop was selected to do the design of this project? Have any renderings been published?

As often as I disagreed with Whitney Gould's opinions on design projects, this is exactly the sort of project that I'd like to see held up to scrutiny prior to execution.


Kubala Washatko was selected for the work...so it'll be an excellent high-quality green design.

Unless the State decides to skimp.

A rendering has been released for the new Law Building at Marquette, which is breaking ground next week on the corner 11th and Clybourn.

http://www.marquette.edu/omc/newscenter/images/ecksteinhall_1024.jpg

Looks pretty good, especially since its going to be seen by thousands of people going through the Marquette Interchange everyday.

^^ Looks good!! :)

They are doing the water retention project. This is so the storm sewers don't flow right across the beach into the lake. It's to help clean the beaches up.

I believe the rain garden is actually a seperate project.

I thought they were the same, anyone know more information on it?

Office buildings likely would house Associated Banc-Corp

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749851

Very lengthy article on this! Its part of our old friend:
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_vert_051308_big.jpg
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_051308_big.jpg

I thought they were the same, anyone know more information on it?

No, there are two separate improvement projects for the Bradford Beach area, but both of them are intended to combat the stormwater runnoff issues that have been responsible for polluting Bradford Beach.

The first project deals with the dirty runoff that comes from the storm sewer outlets draining out onto the beach (which are owned by Milwaukee County, not MMSD). A series of grass dunes, bioswales, rain gardens, and low walls will be constructed to divert the runnoff and let it filtrate into the ground. Funding for this project came from the State, County, and MMSD.

The second project is the Bradford Beach Water Garden, which deals with dirty surface runnoff from the adjacent parking lot that flows toward the beach. This project will include several concrete/stone benches, water troughs and hand pumps, sandbox/play area, paths, decking, and plantings. Funding for this project came from private donations.

Office buildings likely would house Associated Banc-Corp

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749851

Very lengthy article on this! Its part of our old friend:
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_vert_051308_big.jpg
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_051308_big.jpg

OMG, really!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! This is a dream! That tower has always been my absolute favorite out of all the recently proposed towers. And for it to be coupled with a movie theater is wonderful. We need a theater SO BAD. If anyone from Marcus is on here, ignore the fact that I totally bashed you two pages back. Get this thing built and I will love you forever.

Office buildings likely would house Associated Banc-Corp

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749851

Very lengthy article on this! Its part of our old friend:
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_vert_051308_big.jpg
http://graphics.jsonline.com/graphics/news/img/may08/marcus_051308_big.jpg


This is good news, i really like this building, its too bad we'll probably never see it from the interchange or lake view. Will look nice coming off of McKinley tho. :)

Good news! Now I just have to cross my fingers for a couple years and...

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6164/b6123eh0.jpg

Stole that from the Park East Developments thread, but that is the same building. Thing is, in the renderings, the building looks to be about 20 stories, and the article says that it will only be 14....unless in some weird way they were insinuating that the 14 stories would be ontop of the 6 story bank.

Anywho, goregeous proposal, shorter or not, and a downtown multiplex is definatly needed. While I would prefer the remodling of the Grand, perhaps it can be retooled into a arthouse theatre like the Oriental. I am sure Landmark theatres would pick that place up in a heartbeat.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/6164/b6123eh0.jpg

Stole that from the Park East Developments thread, but that is the same building. Thing is, in the renderings, the building looks to be about 20 stories, and the article says that it will only be 14....unless in some weird way they were insinuating that the 14 stories would be ontop of the 6 story bank.

Anywho, goregeous proposal, shorter or not, and a downtown multiplex is definatly needed. While I would prefer the remodling of the Grand, perhaps it can be retooled into a arthouse theatre like the Oriental. I am sure Landmark theatres would pick that place up in a heartbeat.

Yeah, something's not adding up here with respect to the taller building mentioned in the recent press release. The original -- and current -- rendering shows a building of approx. 20 stories, yet only a 14-story building is mentioned along with a six-story building (why the hell can't Associated Banc Corps. offices be included in one, taller building?! Do we really need a sixer next to a 14?! C'mon!!). Yes, perhaps if the parking levels are included under the taller building -- but six levels of parking usually equates to much less height than the same number of office floors. So, either a misleading rendering is being used to give the announcement more visual impact, or someone's just not counting right. This is a great proposal, but I am not excited about another 14-story "high rise" downtown. If the 20-story rendering gets done, the building has more appeal and spark. It's amazing that we're talking about some 400,000 sq. feet of new offices...and all we may see out of this is 14 stories?! Damn. Sort of speaks to the small thinking of this town. But, something is better than nothing.

Honestly, in that area I will take what I can get. "Downtown" becomes quite barren once you get to State. The Staybridge and this proposal will make that corridor much more appealing. 14 stories is fine by me. The biggest thing for me is the theater. There has been a big need for one to cater to the downtown folk. And this would be like 10 blocks from me!

I'm not familiar with the total approval and design process, but I sure hope they don't change this proposal at all. I really like how that building sets on the river and creates a tiered look up to the tower. Very nice.

from the river rendering, that sure looks like a parking garage along the river...i hope it's not.

...
:banana:

Hey -- I am not going to complain, this is a great development that will really pull Water Street together as not just a bar strip. This with Staybridge, and the possible Marcus Center development will make a nice corridor with hopefully a lot more 10 or so floor developments. It doesn't need to be all about height. (Although I do wish they would stop splitting the same development into 2 seperate buildings..)

Holy crap... a movie theater downtown?! As part of the "Red Prairie building proposal"?! AWESOME! This is some of the most exciting development news to show up in the Milwaukee thread in a long while. Excellent! Makes me excited to move back to the city... whenever that may be. ;)

We having been waiting so long for Marcus to get on the stick and develop a Downtown movie theater. This would be a great location that would really help expand the action and vitality of Downtown Milwaukee up Water Street. It would be a great development for the city, and I hope that this Marcus proposal, finally, gets built.

(irk...restraining myself from the troll that is Skyking2. Another day, another thread)

When someone has a differing view from you, does that automatically makes them a "troll?" Last I looked, this is still the Unites States, and you still have the right to express yourself. It's called "Freedom of Speech." I respect those who would like to see light rail in Milwaukee, just as I'd expect that they would respect my opinion. The day someone can really make a sound case for light rail, is the day I'll be more open to the huge tax burden that accompanies it...for so few potential users. I understand it's the rage these days to "get light rail." But, why? Please sell me on it.

Yeah, I seem to recall that the tower portion of the original rendering from around a year ago was going to be at least 20 stories tall. Now it's only a stubby 14 stories tall. And the JSOnline article mentioned that Red Prairie is no longer interested in being a major tenant. In other words, the project shrunk in size. And that's really sad.

Everyone here has been... You're just pulling a Scott Walker on us all.

Ugh! It's almost mentally troubling how back-asswards conservative thinking can be. /minor rant

Regarding the Lakeshore State Park DNR visitor's center, Kubala Washatko is not currently the architect for the project. A new and revised RFP is going to be issued in the next month or so correcting some oversights in the original RFP, which resulted in a short-lived award to TKWA.

In summary, this lakeshore pavilion is still out on the horizon a ways.

When someone has a differing view from you, does that automatically makes them a "troll?" Last I looked, this is still the Unites States, and you still have the right to express yourself. It's called "Freedom of Speech." I respect those who would like to see light rail in Milwaukee, just as I'd expect that they would respect my opinion. The day someone can really make a sound case for light rail, is the day I'll be more open to the huge tax burden that accompanies it...for so few potential users. I understand it's the rage these days to "get light rail." But, why? Please sell me on it.

Well that's not what a troll is. An internet troll is someone who comes to a website dedicated to a certain subject, only to continuously spout their opposing point of view. It would be like me going to a Honda website and making posts about how much Hondas suck. Last I checked, this is a forum dedicated to skyscrapers, which are built in cities, which tend to support forward-thinking mass transit. Even moreso, you made a snide comment on someone's signature purely to start an argument. That right there defines troll!

Assuming all the naysayers would've been a little more supportive of light rail back when we got our 300million in federal aid, I imagine a nice system could've been developed. Instead, the naysayers got their way, the money got wasted on road projects, and now we can barely put forth a good plan. Again, Skyking2 - I ask you what your thoughts are on cities like Minneapolis and Denver who went against the conservative "no's" for light rail, built it, saw ridership FAR exceed expectations on their first lines, and are now building multiple lines to keep up with demand? Why can Milwaukee not follow this model? Why? Just because *you* personally won't ride it?

^^ Thanks DooMer, but I didn't even mean to go that far. Skyking, I really actually appreciate the differing viewpoint. Honestly, I think it adds a fun debate to the mix. The problem I have is that we were not talking about light rail in this thread AT ALL, and you brought it up just to argue it. We have pages and pages on that argument over at Will Milwaukee Ever See Rail Transit? (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=436421&page=36)
That's the trolling aspect that bugs me.
But in all seriousness, I really did enjoy the argument over there, so like I said before...another day, another thread.


Next, about this Theater. I've been freaking out all day. IT was front page of the freakin paper. I sure hope that means it's closer to fruiting than other projects. (I know it doesn't necessarily mean that, but I'd hope for at least jome journalistic integrity over at JS HQ.) I've been in love with this project for a long time, and I cut out the article and put it on my ceiling above my bed today because I'm so excited. But all this discussion on the floor discrepancy has me really worried. I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight if this isn't resolved. Someone needs to get the scoop on this pronto.

In regards to the Marcus Theater news.

:applause:

Well that's not what a troll is. An internet troll is someone who comes to a website dedicated to a certain subject, only to continuously spout their opposing point of view. It would be like me going to a Honda website and making posts about how much Hondas suck. Last I checked, this is a forum dedicated to skyscrapers, which are built in cities, which tend to support forward-thinking mass transit. Even moreso, you made a snide comment on someone's signature purely to start an argument. That right there defines troll!

Assuming all the naysayers would've been a little more supportive of light rail back when we got our 300million in federal aid, I imagine a nice system could've been developed. Instead, the naysayers got their way, the money got wasted on road projects, and now we can barely put forth a good plan. Again, Skyking2 - I ask you what your thoughts are on cities like Minneapolis and Denver who went against the conservative "no's" for light rail, built it, saw ridership FAR exceed expectations on their first lines, and are now building multiple lines to keep up with demand? Why can Milwaukee not follow this model? Why? Just because *you* personally won't ride it?

I appreciate your comments and effort, DooMer, but you didn't sell me. Who WILL ride it? And, how will it be subsidized?

Who's starting an argument? I'm just stating my point of view to keep some balance here. If you review the history of this forum, you'll see that I have expressed other opinions, and even added something to the discussion from time to time. Admittedly, I may have gone overboard with scarcasm in the past. I didn't mean any ill will, and I'm working on refraining from that activity now. Just don't confuse differing opinions with evil. While I may disagree with many here on certain things, that doesn't mean I don't like you. It just means we don't agree on everything...and that's ok.

Sales tax and well enough people.

And I was going to stay out of this but last year alone we subsidized roads to the tune of $1-2 Billion dollars in the state of Wisconsin (look it up). This was not including the gas tax this was property taxes (not including assessments, or other subsides which would make the number much bigger) so please mass transit would be a drop in the bucket compared to the massive amounts of $ we subsidize the automobile. (please move this to another thread if off topic... sorry had to respond).

What ever happened to Lake Pointe Tower? Is that a dead issue?

Sales tax and well enough people.

And I was going to stay out of this but last year alone we subsidized roads to the tune of $1-2 Billion dollars in the state of Wisconsin (look it up). This was not including the gas tax this was property taxes (not including assessments, or other subsides which would make the number much bigger) so please mass transit would be a drop in the bucket compared to the massive amounts of $ we subsidize the automobile. (please move this to another thread if off topic... sorry had to respond).

"Sales tax" = more money out of our pockets. Yes, an awful lot of money is spent on roads in Wisconsin. But, when you consider how many people use them, the user fee is a "drop in the bucket" compared to what each transit rider would cost us. I'm not against mass transit at all. I just want to see realistic costs, sources of subsidy, sensible routes and ridership projections as justification fo more taxes. I'm not exactly enthralled with the amount of taxes that go into roads, but there is a history of use which helps to justify the expenditures.

"Well enough people?" That's not a real specific nor encouraging number.

(Sorry I needed to respond. Yes, let's move this to another thread.)

My bad, I moved my response over to the Milwaukee Rail Transit thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=20682861&posted=1#post20682861).

Have any of you ever seen this (http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?mid=122cace290502b681c67e6ad3c715b51)? Or are any of you "Development master" by chance?

Interesting --- Nice to see his enthusiasm for Milwaukee - but when exactly was Milwaukee the 4th largest city in the US? (as it says in one of Milwaukee Master's slides) I'm not an expert on Milwaukee, but that surprises me quite a bit. Anyone know if it is true? Just curious.

MilwaukeeMark> Yea I've seen that sketchup site and am working slowly on a JVT sketchup of my own!

but when exactly was Milwaukee the 4th largest city in the US? (as it says in one of Milwaukee Master's slides) I'm not an expert on Milwaukee, but that surprises me quite a bit. Anyone know if it is true? Just curious.

Milwaukee has never been the fourth largest city in the US. The highest it's ever been ranked is eleventh in 1960.

Also, the city's population has never hit over the one million mark. It peaked at 741,324, which was also in 1960.

Damn!! Anybody see this little nugget yet?


The Residences Above? Nope
May 14th, 2008
Rumors had circulated for weeks regarding the demise of The Residences Above portion of Ruvin Developments’ Aloft hotel project. Indications such as the website for The Residences Above being down for weeks and their sales sign coming down in record time combined with the market’s downturn made it appear likely that a change in the project was coming. As of last week the final decision hadn’t been made regarding the status of the condominiums. At the time Rob Ruvin had indicated that they would “most likely eliminate the condos” and that they would “possibly increase the size” of the hotel but they were still working it out. It appears now that decisions have been made and The Residences Above have been eliminated from the project.

I just found this on www.mkedevelopment.com
I'm afraid the downturn may also adversely affect sales at Ghazi's project, The Moderne and others. It has already put the Rivianna project on hold until further notice. Damn.

This Google Web page of Milwaukee by "Development master" seems to me IMHO rather cartoonish, if that is a word. And it gets a 5 out of 5 star rating by someone with a handle of Kevin51340??? I have a feeling that Kevin51340 is the aforementioned "Development master". But hey, I could be wrong.

Damn!! Anybody see this little nugget yet?


The Residences Above? Nope
May 14th, 2008
Rumors had circulated for weeks regarding the demise of The Residences Above portion of Ruvin Developments’ Aloft hotel project. Indications such as the website for The Residences Above being down for weeks and their sales sign coming down in record time combined with the market’s downturn made it appear likely that a change in the project was coming. As of last week the final decision hadn’t been made regarding the status of the condominiums. At the time Rob Ruvin had indicated that they would “most likely eliminate the condos” and that they would “possibly increase the size” of the hotel but they were still working it out. It appears now that decisions have been made and The Residences Above have been eliminated from the project.

I just found this on www.mkedevelopment.com
I'm afraid the downturn may also adversely affect sales at Ghazi's project, The Moderne and others. It has already put the Rivianna project on hold until further notice. Damn.

Not surprising when you think about it. With the residential real estate market in the toilet, you kind of figured these mixed used projects would be delayed, downsized, or even canceled. Just part of the cyclical nature of the real estate market, and the larger economy as well.

there were only 9 condos in Above, not too big of a deal.

This Google Web page of Milwaukee by "Development master" seems to me IMHO rather cartoonish, if that is a word. And it gets a 5 out of 5 star rating by someone with a handle of Kevin51340??? I have a feeling that Kevin51340 is the aforementioned "Development master". But hey, I could be wrong.

The models are computer generated graphics done by someone on his free time and are obviously not all serious proposals. They're meant to be used with Google Earth so if you don't have that program on your computer, it's not as neat I'm sure. You don't have to be a jag about it.