MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee's skyline could look very different in a few years. Last week, the city announced it had chosen The Neutral Project to develop the Marcus Center for Performing Arts parking garage.
Their plan is a mass timber building that is over 50 stories tall. The plan would have the building be the tallest in the state, and the tallest mass timber building in the world.
That growth is something that excites Lou Schueller, who has worked downtown for decades.
I’ve seen a lot of the development happen up and down Water Street," Schueller told TMJ4. "I’m excited about the development downtown, all of the good things that come with that."
The building has a price tag of over $700 million.
"All of a sudden, Milwaukee has taken center stage for mass timber-constructed buildings," said Andy Hunt, the director of the Vieth Institute for Real Estate Leadership at Marquette University.
Watch: Will Milwaukee get a new tallest building?
Hunt explains that with this proposal, as well as the completion of the Ascent building a few years back, Milwaukee is embracing mass timber. The process compresses wood to make it stronger.
Hunt says developments like these can help Milwaukee reach Mayor Cavalier Johnson's goal of one million residents.
But, Schueller thinks there will be pain points.
"Am I totally enthusiastic about the congestion? Not really," Schueller said.
The project is far from finalized. It has to go through more approvals, including in front of the city's common council.
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