Wangard Partners' Officially Dedicates Freshwater Plaza
Wangard Partners, Inc. (WPI) is pleased to announce that Freshwater Plaza will be officially dedicated on Monday, June 12th, at 11am at 1320 S. 1st Street in Milwaukee.
11:00 a.m. Invited guests and media are welcome to arrive11:10 a.m. Program (featuring dignitaries)11:45 a.m. Ceremonial Ribbon Cutting & Photos12:00 p.m. Storefront Open Houses
THE DEVELOPMENT DETAILS:Freshwater Plaza is a four-phase, 180,000 square-foot mixed-use urban re-development located on a former brownfield site at the eastern edge of Historic Walker’s Point. This neighborhood is 1.3 miles south of Downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the heart of Milwaukee’s Hispanic community. The project is a key component in the redevelopment and revitalization of the neighborhood that connects the Third Ward, Bay View and Walker’s Point. This development also serves as the gateway to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences. Freshwater Plaza brings a much-needed grocer (Cermak Fresh Market – set to open officially on June 14th at 10am) to an area with a shortage of quality food options. Specifics include:
• A 46,280-square-foot Cermak Fresh Market• 6,600-square-feet of retail including a potential financial institution building and two additional retail buildings• An L-shaped, four-story mixed-use building (15,900-square-feet of commercial space and three floors of apartments)• A future 50,000-square-foot office building
At this time the apartments are fully leased and retail tenant spaces along 1st Street are fully occupied with only four remaining spaces along Greenfield Avenue available for lease.Recently announced were the first retail tenants to be located within Freshwater Plaza including: LyLy Nails & Spa, MODD by Luci, Jimmy John’s and Tribeca GalleryCafe & Books. Sprint™ and the UPS Store™, had previously opened for business at Freshwater Plaza. These tenants bring additional vibrancy to the center and greater amenities for the residents, workforce and businesses in the neighborhood.“We are very pleased with the progress of the Freshwater Plaza project. There has been a substantial amount of interest in this development from both local and national tenants. We expect this interest will heighten as we officially dedicate the development and Cermak Fresh Market opens. It is exciting in our business to see a plan come to fruition that will provide meaningful impact on a neighborhood well into the future.”
- Wayne Wiertzema, PresidentWangard Partners, Inc.
PROJECT INITIATION:Freshwater Plaza is adjacent to the inner harbor, located between Rockwell, the rail corridor and the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences. Work on the 7.72-acre development was initiated in 2013 when the site was identified as a brownfield due to its former use as an industrial foundry. Site remediation included: removing contaminated soils, providing clean fill and capping to prevent contamination from spreading into the nearby waterways as well as removal of several underground storage tanks. The site also features cutting-edge water management techniques and features that will allow for the separation of the combined sewer system for the area.EVENT DETAILS AND PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES:The dedication will take place on the southwest corner of the plaza within the crook of the “L” shaped building. Photo opportunities will be available the day of the event with key development team members as well as dignitaries.DEVELOPMENT TEAM:The team for Freshwater Plaza includes: Wangard Partners, Inc. – Developer and Property Manager; Eppstein Uhen Architects – Design Architect; American Design – Retail Tenant Spaces; STO Architecture, LLC – Cermak Fresh Market; LB Consulting Services – Interior Design Consulting; The Sigma Group – Civil and Environmental Engineering; Catalyst Construction, Inc. – Construction of the Mixed-use, Office and Retail Buildings; CD Smith Construction, Inc. – Cermak Fresh Market Construction as well as Tri City National Bank, Impact 7, Old National Bank, Citizen’s Bank, First-Ring Industrial Redevelopment Enterprise, Inc., City of West Allis, National Cooperative Bank, N.A., U.S. Bancorp, Community Development Corporation, Greater Wisconsin Opportunities Fund, Inc., WHEDA as well as Stewart and Kari Wangard and the Freshwater Plaza Private Equity Investors – Financial Partners.