Local developer Robert Schultz is refining designs for Rivianna--a significant development proposal for an underutilized riverfront site in the post-industrial Walker's Point neighborhood. The 1-acre site, currently used as a boat storage yard, is located at the southeast corner of S. Water and E. Pittsburgh Streets, adjacent to the Broadway Bridge.
^ The latest design for Rivianna calls for a triplet of 11-story towers built atop a 4-story base. The central tower would contain a boutique hotel flanked by two condominium towers. The base building would include street-level retail space, live/work units, and a parking structure.
^ Rivianna would also include several public and private amenities. A public new RiverWalk extension would be built along with some private boat slips which would be used by "Rivianna Yacht Club" members. Plans for the hotel feature "The Spa @ Rivianna," which would be made available to guests and resident members. A rooftop helipad is planned on the central tower which would offer corporate air taxi service to Chicago for "Air Rivianna" members. In addition, Schultz is employing environmentally-friendly design, with hopes of achieving a silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) status.
Schultz anticipates seeking City approval later this spring, a possible groundbreaking in Spring 2008, and completion during 2010.
Some more info from the
Business Journal:
Another mondo condo plan for 5th Ward - $100 million project proposed for Water St. along Milwaukee River
Another article from the
Small Business Times:
Fifth Ward development could include helipad
And also check out the Rivianna website, still under development:
Rivianna.com
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Just across the river from Rivianna, the Mandel Group has proposed a new condo development called Domus (Latin for "home"). The riverfront site is currently a surface parking lot on E. Erie Street in the Third Ward.
^ Although Domus would be all new construction, its design is a sleeker, modern twist on the exposed concrete frame with brick and glass infill panels of the early-twentieth century-era industrial architecture found throughout the surrounding neighborhood. This perspective shows the view along Erie Street, with the Marine Terminal Lofts (a recently-completed warehouse-condo conversion/addition also done by Mandel) in the right background.
^ As with all new riverfront developments, Domus includes a new RiverWalk segment and boat slips. The adjacent Union Pacific (former Chicago & North Western) railroad swing bridge is no longer used, but remains an iconic local landmark.
More from the
Business Journal:
Condo craze fuels another Mandel project - $40 million Domus planned on riverfront