2024 developments to watch include apartment towers--and maybe Northridge Mall demolition
A $500 million development on Northwestern Mutual's campus, the completion of two downtown-area apartment towers with more high-rises planned, and − maybe − the former Northridge Mall's demolition.
These are among the top Milwaukee development stories coming in 2024 (look for separate Milwaukee Journal Sentinel stories about suburban projects).
Some of the projects to watch were part of our 2023 development forecast. Others didn't surface until this year, such as a Brady Street hotel. All bring a big impact.
Here's the list:
Northwestern Mutual's transformational office project
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. in February announced plans to redevelop one of its downtown buildings, 818 E. Mason St.
That $500 million project, which includes $30 million in city cash through a tax incremental financing district, will transform the 18-story office building by stripping it down to the frame, foundation and core. That work started in November.
That building, which opened in 1990, will be remade to look like the company's 32-story office tower that opened in 2017 at 800 E. Wisconsin Ave. Work on the Mason Street building will be finished in 2027.
The company will move its Franklin operations, with around 2,000 employees, to the Milwaukee campus.
Meanwhile, Fiserv Inc. prepares to soon relocate its headquarters from Brookfield to renovated office space at HUB640, 640 N. Phillips Ave.
Two high-rises to open, others in the works
A pair of luxury apartment high-rises, the 44-story, 322-unit Couture, at 909 E. Michigan St., and the 31-story, 305-unit 333 N. Water, in the Historic Third Ward, are to begin opening units in April and late spring, respectively.
The Couture is being developed by Barrett Lo Visionary Development LLC, and includes 42,600 square feet of commercial space and a street-level transit concourse featuring The Hop's new lakefront loop.
333 N. Water, developed by Houston-based Hines, includes 15,000 square feet of retail space.
Meanwhile, Madison-based The Neutral Project LLC plans to start construction in the third quarter on the 32-story, 381-unit The Edison, 1005 N. Edison St. The building would take around 30 months to complete.
Also, New Land Enterprises LLC hopes to break ground in 2024 on a 24-story, 346-unit tower at North Farwell Avenue and East Curtis Place. Madison-based Willow Partners LLC's plans for a 25-story, 192-unit apartment tower at nearby 1550 N. Prospect Ave. are on hold.
A first-ever east side hotel
Along with apartment towers, the east side is to get its first full-service hotel.
Klein Development Inc. plans to begin construction late in the third quarter on the 11-story, 130-room upscale hotel at 1709-1723 N. Farwell Ave., just north of East Brady Street. The hotel's brand name hasn't yet been announced.
Klein and development partner Jeno Cataldo plan to build a parking structure on what are now vacant lots along North Farwell Avenue, between East Royall Place and Zaffiro's Pizza and Bar. That's just across the street from the future hotel, which would take about two years to build.
Meanwhile, efforts to make Brady Street safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers could include a possible closing of a four-block stretch to cars. Any such changes would need approval from the Common Council and Mayor Cavalier Johnson.
Baird Center expansion to host RNC
Baird Center's $456 million expansion will be completed in April, with a May 16 grand opening scheduled by the Wisconsin Center District, the state-created agency which operates the convention center.
Baird Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave., will play a key role in hosting the Republican National Convention on July 15-18.
The expansion, which started in summer 2021, will double the facility's space so it can host two major events at the same time.
Meanwhile, just across Wisconsin Avenue, the city is converting a parking lot into Vel R. Phillips Plaza. It will open in summer.
A dog park − and a dog-friendly taproom
Plans for a downtown dog park are proceeding with an opening likely in summer.
It's being developed by the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District and the Historic Third Ward Business Improvement District south of West Clybourn Street between North Plankinton Avenue and the Milwaukee River.
Much of that lies beneath Interstate 794 and is just north of Foxtown Landing − Foxtown Brewing's planned taproom, distillery and restaurant. Foxtown Landing developer Tom Nieman hasn't yet said when construction is to start.
Foxtown Brewing is an affiliate of pet food maker Fromm Nieman Brands, led by Nieman. Fromm Family Pet Food is the dog park's title sponsor.
Speaking of Interstate 794...
Wisconsin Department of Transportation is to make a decision by the end of 2024 on whether it will recommend rebuilding parts of Interstate 794 − or removing the freeway between the Hoan Bridge and a few blocks west of the Milwaukee River.
The latter would free up 15 to 18 acres for commercial development, and tear down a barrier between downtown, the Third Ward and the lakefront.
Freeway removal supporters say surface streets, including a widened Clybourn Street, could handle the change. They say it would drive new construction, and make downtown more attractive and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to safely navigate.
Downtown business interests, as well as officials from St. Francis, Cudahy and South Milwaukee, fear removing part of I-794 would clog nearby surface streets and greatly lengthen commutes. The freeway work would happen from 2027 through 2030 if federal and state funding is secured.
FPC Live plans smaller Deer District concert venue
Madison-based FPC Live plans to break ground in March on a 4,500-person live music venue at 1051 N. Phillips Ave., just south of Fiserv Forum. It's to open in fall 2025.
FPC Live, in response to rising costs, reduced its initial plans for a facility with two venues: an 800-person-capacity room and a 4,000-person-capacity room.
Meanwhile, a group led by Kenosha-based Bear Development LLC dropped plans for a concert venue within the Iron District mixed-use development west of North Sixth Street and south of West Michigan Street.
Bear and Grafton business operator James Kacmarcik are still planning to develop an Iron District soccer stadium. The team is to begin play in the United Soccer League in 2026, a year later than initially planned.
Public Museum sets spring groundbreaking
Milwaukee Public Museum officials plan to break ground in late spring on a five-story, 200,000-square-foot new museum at West McKinley Avenue and North Sixth Street − if it meets a fundraising goal.
It will be much more cost-effective to operate than the current 480,000-square-foot museum, according to museum officials.
That building, which opened in 1963 at 800 W. Wells St., is too large, inefficient and has seen years of deferred maintenance. The new museum is to open in early 2027.
ThriveOn King brings new life to Bronzeville
ThriveOn King is transforming the historic former Schuster's department store, 2153 N. King Drive, into the new homes for Medical College of Wisconsin's community engagement programs and Greater Milwaukee Foundation's headquarters. Those offices start opening in January.
The development also will include a cafe, a Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin donation center, a second location for Malaika Early Education Center and the new home of JobsWork MKE, a nonprofit worker training group. Those operations are to open by spring.
Royal Capital Group LLC plans to develop 89 apartments by the end of 2024.
And, just north of ThriveOn King, Howard Fuller Collegiate Academy is under construction at 2212-2228 N. Phillips Ave. and is to open for the 2024-'25 school year.
Harbor District lands big affordable apartment complex
Work has started on Filer & Stowell Lofts, which will create 576 apartments within eight five-story buildings at 123 and 147 E. Becher St., in the Harbor District.
It's being developed by Bear Development and will be one of Milwaukee's largest affordable apartment communities.
That site was once home to machinery manufacturer Filer & Stowell Co., and its industrial buildings are being deconstructed. The apartments are to open from July 2025 through October 2026.
Northridge Mall. It's still there.
In the 2023 development forecast we reported Northridge's demolition was looming. That's still the case, with a legal challenge to the city's raze order pending before the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.
Gov. Tony Evers recently announced the city is getting a $15 million grant, via federal funds, to pay for the former mall's demolition and environmental cleanup.
The city already owns the mall's former Boston Store building and will raze it in 2024. The remaining demolition work could proceed next year if the city wins the legal battle and takes control of Northridge's other buildings.
Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.com and followed on Instagram, X and Facebook.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's 2024 development watch list features apartment towers
