There's definitely a bunch of activity on the site this morning. 4-5 vehicles, a dumpster, possibly a small trailer, and a crawler crane. Looks like sewer relocation is underway!
Edit:
Here's a photo.
__________________ "Missing middle" housing can be a great middle ground for many middle class families.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”―Mark Twain
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”―Saint Augustine
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”―Anonymous
according to the Journal Sentinel yesterday, this puppy is scheduled to break ground this fall.
given the delays, I'd file this under "believe it when I see it," but at least there's still hope.
__________________
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”―Mark Twain
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”―Saint Augustine
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”―Anonymous
The Couture's delayed construction start led Milwaukee officials to issue a default notice on the high-profile downtown lakefront apartment tower, city records show.
Developer Rick Barrett got out of default by agreeing to new deadlines to obtain a construction loan and begin building the 44-story Couture.
That new financing deadline is Oct. 31. There's still no word on whether the $122 million Couture will obtain an important federal loan guarantee — 10 months after the application was filed.
That's according to information the Journal Sentinel obtained through Wisconsin's Open Records Act.
Also, those documents show local officials have concerns about the effects of the Couture's delay on the city's new streetcar service.
The streetcar, known as The Hop, has its grand opening on Nov. 2. Its main line runs through downtown. A lakefront loop isn't set to begin operating for another two years.
That lakefront loop is to run through a transit center in the base of the proposed 312-unit Couture.
If that transit center isn't operating by the end of 2020, a federal agency could seek payment of $6.7 million from Milwaukee County. That debt would be tied to the discounted sale of the Couture site — a former county bus facility, at 909 E. Michigan St., financed 30 years ago with a federal grant.
A federal financing approval announced Friday means the planned 44-story Couture apartment tower may soon start construction in downtown Milwaukee after being stalled for about a year.
Barrett Lo Visionary Development has been awaiting a response for almost a year from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for a major piece of the $122 million project’s financing package. The federal agency recently completed its review of Barrett Lo Visionary’s application, which company leader Rick Barrett said is a “major milestone for The Couture that enables us to move forward with the final stage of financing.”
The HUD funding would guarantee a private-sector loan for the project. Barrett recently was invited to formally submit final applications to lock in that loan guarantee. Barrett said the schedule ahead for construction is still being determined.
"This was a monumental step, and we're starting to work on the timeframe now," he said.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”―Mark Twain
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”―Saint Augustine
“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”―Anonymous
Those windows in back are super Art Moderne, not unlike the windows at...the Moderne across town. But it's a proven look, white looks good on the Cream City. GIT 'ER DUN
__________________
BUILD IT. BUILD EVERYTHING. BUILD IT ALL.
Well today is the deadline. With no news it seems like it’s safe to say everyone can finally do what we should have done years ago and change the thread from “SITE DEMO” to “CANCELLED”. Milwaukee now must move forward with Plan B for its streetcar Lakefront Line to terminate at a gravel lot. Wow.....what a disaster this one turned out to be.
As if Rick Barrett taking the taxpayers on a decade-long ride wasn't enough, now he's about to get the taxpayers sued due to his incompetence.
All the while sitting court-side at the Easter Conference Finals in a taxpayer funded arena. Must be nice not caring what you do with other people's money.....
Milwaukee County is run by a bunch of clowns. But for once, I fully agree with Bauman...
Quote:
Alderman Robert Bauman, who represents the downtown area and heads the Public Works Committee, expressed frustration by what he sees as a lack of preparation from the department on an alternative route.
“It is totally incompetent to have not worked on a Plan B starting nine months ago when there were clearly challenges with the financing packages (for The Couture),” he said on Tuesday following a Common Council meeting. “Now we’re up against a deadline, aside from the ridiculous appearance of two stub tracks sitting in the middle of the street, unused. Big money has been spent to build those two lines on Clybourn and Michigan. Probably $10 million has already been spent, and it’s going nowhere. It’s unused. I’m just flabbergasted by it all.”
And Donovan is 100% right...
Quote:
At least one other city official, Alderman Bob Donovan, has outright called for The Couture project to be abandoned.
“The site should be evaluated, properly packaged, and put out as a request for proposals,” he said. “With all the development going on downtown, surely someone can do better than the nothing we’ve seen for the past seven years.”
Yet Milwaukee County again fails across the board and continues to show its incompetence.
Couture developer reapplies for HUD loan guarantee
By Alex Zank -Sep 1, 2020 8:01 pm
The developer for The Couture has reapplied for a loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, marking another small milestone in the process to develop the long-awaited $122 million, 44-story luxury residential tower near the downtown Milwaukee lakefront.
Milwaukee-based Barrett Lo Visionary Development formally submitted its application on Tuesday, according to HUD spokeswoman Gina Rodriguez.
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But it's a proven look, white looks good on the Cream City. GIT 'ER DUN
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