And so it begins...
Developers of the now-under construction Kilbourn Tower are clashing with devlopers of the proposed-to-be-next-door University Club Tower, with the City of Milwaukee in the middle.
It seems KT-ers are saying the City is violating an agreement the City made with them when they City approved plans for UCT. What the argument boils down to is the two towers, if both were to go up, would be too close together, and that south-facing units in Kilbourn Tower would have windows that look out at the north-facing blank walls (which happens to be a serive/stair/elevator core, hence the relatively blank walls) of University Club Tower--which also coincidentally cuts off Kilbourn Tower's southern views of Lake Michigan. UCT-ers say "tough cookies, the City hasn't violate anything,we knew you'd bring this up." Meanwhile the City says "we didn't violate any agreements, we'd like to see both towers go up and be successful."
Developers for Kilbourn Tower have asked that University Club Tower be redesigned and/or repositioned on the proposed site so it sits further back from Propsect Avenue, which would allow University Club Tower to still get built, while allowing south-facing Kilbourn Tower residents to have their lake views.
Although I don't know the exact details of KT's agreement with the City, or the specifics on UCT's sitework, repositioning UCT on its site might actually work with a little tweaking of the design. Put a nice little landscaped park out front on Prospect Avenue which would become an additional amenity for UCT and KT; residents in both towers get their lake views, and everybody could live happily ever after.
An article from today's
Journal Sentinel tracks the drama:
Developer warns city to change or move other planned high-rise - Kilbourn Tower challenges design; neighbor to continue with development