Three vacant office buildings at the former Bucyrus campus in South Milwaukee are slated to become housing under a long-planned redevelopment that’s on track for a 2025 groundbreaking.
Developer Que El-Amin of Scott Crawford Inc. is planning a $50 million redevelopment that will create 171 new rental units, including 81 affordable apartments for residents making $15 an hour or less and eight units for veterans making less than 60% of the area median income.
Bucyrus was a manufacturing firm based in South Milwaukee that was acquired by Caterpillar Inc. in 2011. The site’s redevelopment began after Caterpillar ceased operations at the southern portion of the South Milwaukee complex, the area south of Rawson Avenue, in 2018. Since then, about 500,000 square feet of industrial space on the campus has been refilled.
El-Amin has been working on the residential project since around 2021. He is now the sole developer after previously partnering with other developers throughout various iterations of the project.
In addition to renovating three existing office buildings, located generally at 1100 Milwaukee Ave., a new 40-unit multifamily building would also be constructed, plans show. About 22,500 square feet of commercial space is planned across the four buildings.
“I want to make sure that you all know that I plan to preserve the history that’s here,” El-Amin said at a press conference. “I’ve read the emails, I’ve had the meetings, and we’re going to do something that makes you all proud.”
Milwaukee County is supporting the project with approximately $3 million; the county’s housing division will make the referrals for the units set aside for veterans. Since taking office in 2020, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has overseen the delivery of about $35 million to support affordable housing, especially in suburban communities that have at times been resistant to such projects.
“We have been quite intentional about bringing these investments particularly to our Milwaukee County suburbs, where racial disparities in housing and home ownership continue to persist, really preventing many folks from living in the neighborhoods of their choice,” Crowley said.
Bucyrus moved to South Milwaukee more than a century ago because there was an outsized workforce for the number of jobs available, according to former Bucyrus CEO Tim Sullivan. Today, the additional housing stock is welcome, according to South Milwaukee officials, which said the area has seen notable job growth but needs workers to fill the positions.
“I call this kind of the second starting point for this location,” Sullivan said. “(El-Amin) is bringing housing to this location that had people here before without jobs. Now, we have jobs. We need people to live here.”
Earlier this month, the city approved a rezoning and development agreement that includes up to $4.5 million in tax incremental financing support for the developer. El-Amin said he is eyeing a spring 2025 construction start, pending that financing for the project closes on time.
Milwaukee-based Continuum Architects + Planners is the project’s architect, and Madison-based Stevens Construction Corp. is the construction manager, according to City of South Milwaukee documents.
