The Deer District in downtown Milwaukee is filling up as multiple projects move through the development pipeline, and the Milwaukee Bucks, the district’s lead developer, are looking to fill in the final pieces. The 30-acre district, which began 10 years ago as a series of vacant lots and an arena not up to NBA standards, is being built into a new downtown district that will include hospitality, entertainment, retail and residential development, and will include Deer District’s $524. Added. Million Crown Jewel, Fiserv Forum. Momentum is strong in the Deer area in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic fallout, with a significant portion of the remaining land set to be reclaimed over the next few years. Office projects securing tenants On the north end of the district, the Bucks are in talks with a Chicago developer to potentially build more than 200,000 square feet of office space on the northern half of what is known as Block 6, and the It will be shared with The Trade Hotel. According to Commercial Real, Chicago-based North Wells Capital, the company that redeveloped the former Boston Store building in downtown Milwaukee, which currently houses a Kohl’s store and Fiserv headquarters, is The company is said to be interested in developing office buildings. Persons involved in the real estate industry. Bucks has long included an office building in its master plan for Deer, but so far no office building plans have moved forward in the area. “Our intention for Deer District has always been to build a best-in-class office building. We are continually exploring this potential and have recently seen significant interest.” A spokesperson said, but declined to comment further. As part of the plan, the Bucks will move their offices from the nearby Schlitz Park complex to the building. Meanwhile, North Wells Capital and Milwaukee-based commercial real estate firm Founders 3 are in talks with other potential anchor tenants for the building, the people said. If built, the building could be the first office development in downtown Milwaukee since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the office market. Office brokers say the potential for new office buildings in downtown is likely to increase as more companies choose high-quality office space, often located in downtown Milwaukee, and as existing downtown He said this is the result of a flight to quality trend with the supply of Class A office space, especially contiguous space. , will be full. Residential project securing financing On a site next to the proposed office building site, Milwaukee-based commercial real estate firm J. Jeffers & Co. is developing the so-called Block 5, located east of Block 6 across the vel. Plans are underway. Located on R. Phillips Avenue from The Trade, just west of the Aloft Hotel. CEO Josh Jeffers said the company is on track to close in August 2025 and break ground on the project, with a redesign that will improve the building’s efficiency and reduce the number of units originally proposed to 210 units. Construction will begin on 260 apartments, an increase from 2016. The five-story building will also include 26,000 square feet of space for the new Milwaukee Area Technical College athletic facility. Jeffers said he is working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to secure construction funding for the market-rate project. Music Venue Project Under Construction After several delays and despite previous skepticism from some as to whether it would ever come to fruition, Madison-based concert promoter FPC Live plans to make a $60 million project this spring. Construction began on an indoor music venue at a cost. The building is being constructed on the northeast portion of Block 3, the former Bradley Center site south of Fiserv Forum. The venue, which can accommodate 4,500 people in a ballroom-style setting, was originally proposed for the site in May 2022, and went through a contentious zoning approval process before project leaders scrapped initial plans for the two-venue facility. It has passed. Increased construction costs and interest rates. Scheduled to open in fall 2025, the first show at the venue is estimated to be announced early next year. Bucks releases RFP for further development Assuming all of these projects reach the finish line, much of the Deer District will be developed, with only smaller parcels available. The last significant piece of land available for development is also in Block 3, and Bucks quietly announced a call for proposals for this site last month. The RFP seeking the development of Block 3 did not specify a preferred use for the land, as long as the project “meets Deer District design standards,” officials said. Bucks confirmed that an RFP was sent out, but said the request was primarily aimed at residential uses. Block 3 is also where Madison-based North Central Group, which developed The Trade Hotel, is reportedly planning Deer District’s second hotel. North Central Group did not respond to requests for comment on the status of its project, and detailed plans for the hotel have not been made public.
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