Milwaukee Rejuvenation Achieves Multiple Construction Goals
For nearly two decades, a dead-ended, off-ramp in downtown Milwaukee’s Park East corridor created an eyesore for the local area. The remnant of an expressway that never came to fruition, the ramp was finally demolished in the 1990s, leaving a bleak and unsightly reminder of the planning error. To beautify and make use of that space, the city’s latest rejuvenation success story included the construction of the Avenir mixed-use development, designed to blend seamlessly into the surrounding established neighborhood. Spanish for “come together,” Avenir recently opened its doors to residents and local businesses alike with access to 7,000-square-feet of retail space, more than 100 apartment units and garage parking.
“We wanted the structure to complement the classic architecture of the neighborhood,” says Scott Drees, director of construction for developer Wangard Partners Inc. “There’s a lot of brick and a lot of stone masonry, but natural stone was cost prohibitive. There was also a significant concern with the energy issues of using a monolithic layer of veneer.”