MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's skyline is about to change even more, as construction on a new skyscraper is expected to begin in January after more than eight years of planning.
The 44-story The Couture building is expected to bring thousands of jobs to Milwaukee, as well as mixed-use amenity spaces.
Barrett Lo Visionary Development announced Monday that they had secured the final funding for the building from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
The 700,000 square foot space will eventually be home to a concourse for the Milwaukee County Bus Rapid Transit line, which will link downtown to the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center in Wauwatosa, and for the Milwaukee streetcar, The Hop.
Our news partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal also report that the building will be home to 322 apartments and 42,000 square feet of retail space including restaurants and a food store.
Twenty-five percent of the total building and 97 percent of the ground level will be open for public use.
“The Couture is a beautiful addition at an exceptional location. The project will create construction jobs for city residents and work for emerging businesses; and it will add a transportation link that connects more people to the lakefront," said Mayor Tom Barrett. "The center of our city will be stronger with the Couture, and that is beneficial to everyone in Milwaukee."
The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that the apartments within the new building will vary from penthouses to single bedroom apartments. It will even have an outdoor pool overlooking Lake Michigan.
The Couture will meet or exceed both City and County hiring targets, including employing County residents for 40% of the work on the project and contracting with Disadvantaged Business Enterprises for at least 25% of the project, Barrett Lo Visionary Development said in a press release Monday.
