Today, the Third Ward Architectural Review Board gave conceptual approval – though with some concerns about part of the plan – to a plan to build a 32-story, $140 million apartment tower on a surface parking lot on the southwest corner of Water Street and St. Paul Avenue, along the Milwaukee River.
The 365-foot tower, designed by Chicago-based Solomon Cordwell Buenz – which designedthe 387-foot-tall 7Seventy7 apartment tower on Mason and Van Buren – would include 295 luxury studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units, more than 400 parking spots, retail space and more.
Called 333 N. Water, the building is a project of developer Hines Acquisitions LLC, which was also involved in the development of 7Seventy7 and the Northwestern Mutual tower.
Although the tower is quite large for the neighborhood, it sits in a corner that is fronted on two sides by I-794 and the Miwaukee River and so the height does not feel as dramatic as it might if the building were situated smack in the middle of the medium-rise neighborhood.
It may also feel less tall if plans for a new 11-story hotel, also along the river, two blocks south, are realized.
According to Jim Plaisted, executive director of the Historic Third Ward Association, the board gave conceptual approval for the project, including its general massing and height, but with concerns about the massing and facade of the parking garage.
The seven-story parking structure that will sit between the tower and the adjacent 1896 Renaissance Building matches the scale of that older, also seven-story building. Based on renderings, its exterior would be clad in a reddish brown wood.
The garage will have retail spaces at street level and a rooftop “amenity deck” for residents with a pool, fitness center, lounge and coworking space.
After addressing the concerns of the review board, the developer will have to return to the board to share a detailed presentation for final approval and that, says Plaisted, “could take months.”
Here are some more renderings of the proposed tower:
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
