Two apartment developments, totaling more than than 200 units, are proposed for S. 5th Street in Walker’s Point – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A six-story apartment building is being proposed for the northeast corner of South Fifth and West Mineral streets.(Photo: New Land Enterprises LLP)

Two new apartment developments, totaling more than 200 units, are being proposed for a reconstructed stretch of South Fifth Street in Walker's Point.

New Land Enterprises wants to develop a six-story, 68-unit apartment building on a vacant lot at 924-934 S. Fifth St., according to plans filed with the Milwaukee Board of Zoning Appeals.

Also, Mandel Group Inc. has preliminary plans to develop a six-story, 144-unit building on a site from 603 S. Fifth St. through 645 S. Fifth St.

Both would be the latest in a series of developments to occur on a stretch of South Fifth Street, between West Virginia and West Scott streets, that was reconstructed in 2016.

That project included wider sidewalks and bike racks which havehelped such developments as Fuel Cafe's second location,630 S. Fifth St., andMobCraft's brewery and taproom,505 S. Fifth St.

Also, the National Block development, at the southeast corner of South Fifth Street and West National Avenue, features 12 apartments on the upper two floors of a renovated three-story building, with plans for an events venue on the first floor.

Such street projects, which include narrowing traffic lanes to provide more space for bikes, are part of Milwaukee's Complete Streets policy approved in 2018 by the Common Council and Mayor Tom Barrett.

Mandel's plans call for demolishing the former La Fuente restaurant, a one-story warehouse and six rental units, said Emily Cialdini, senior development associate.

The building would include underground parking, as well as parking on the first floor, she said, with the apartments on floors one through six.

The $30 million development, which has not yet been named, would include a penthouse-style clubhouse, It would include larger units, but most would be studios and one-bedroom, Cialdini said.

"It's really a young neighborhood," she said.

Mandel has tentative plans to begin construction in spring 2021, Cialdini said.

It would take about 15 to 18 months to complete with firm executives confident strong demand will continue for higher-end apartments beyond the current economic turmoil tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.

MandelGroup believes the site's current zoning allows the project to be built without Plan Commission review, Cialdini said.

It filed its proposal with Department of City Development officials to confirm that is correct. A departmentspokesman couldn't be immediately reached Monday for comment.

New Land's project, known as Element apartments, would include 56 indoor parking spaces on the first and second floors, as well as a 1,200 square feet of first-floor retail space.

Other amenities would include a fitness room, outdoor patio and indoor bicycle storage space, according to the proposal filed with the zoning board.

New Land is seeking a variance to provide a taller building with more density at the site than allowed by its current zoning.

The 17,500-square-foot lot now allows for 21 units less than one-third of what Elements would provide.

Also, the parcel's building height limit is 60 feet. New Land is proposing a 69-foot, six-inch building with a two-foot parapet.

The zoning board's next meeting is Sept. 10.

In its board filing, New Land says the proposed building density and height increases would be consistent with taller buildings, and more residential density, developed in the neighborhood in recent years.

Those projects have occurred as Walker's Point continues to see fewer industrial uses and more housing.

The filing cites two nearby examples, both developed by New Land: the 120-unit Trio apartments, which was completed in 2017at 1020 S. Second St., and the 48-unit Quartet, which opened this spring at 1001 S. Second St. and is already full.

The Element project would not create congestion because its parkingwould be accommodated within the building in excess of zoning requirements, the filing said.

Also, the additional residents would provide more customers for neighborhood businesses, according to the proposal.

Tom Daykin can be emailed at tdaykin@jrn.comand followed on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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Two apartment developments, totaling more than than 200 units, are proposed for S. 5th Street in Walker's Point - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel