Milwaukee-based developer David Winograd is in the early stages of planning an apartment development at the site of the never-built Rivianna project along the Milwaukee River in the city’s Walker’s Point neighborhood.
Winograd is seeking a rezoning request for the vacant site at 236 S. Water St.
“We are in the very early stages of investigating,” Winograd said. “It’s really too soon (to announce details). There’s just a lot of issues with doing things on the water.”
“We’ve had some discussions with Winograd,” said Department of City Development spokesman Jeff Fleming. “We don’t have any specific drawings. We’ve had informal discussions. All I can say is it’s a substantial development.”
Winograd said he is interested in the site because of its location on the river and at the corner of Water Street and West Pittsburgh Avenue.
On the other side of South Water Street, Winograd’s firm, CPM Property Management Services LLC, manages and is continuing to develop the South Water Works site, a mixed-use redevelopment of several former industrial buildings into apartments, office space and the space for Next Act Theatre. CPM obtained South Water Works out of receivership after the original developer, Lighthouse Development, lost the property in foreclosure.
In 2009 an $80 million development with three 15-story buildings, called Rivianna, with apartments a hotel and retail space, was planned by developers Robert Schultz and Harry Drea at the site at 236 S. Water St. However, the Rivianna project was never built.
The site is owned by 236 Water Street One LLC and has an assessed value of about $1 million, according to city records. The registered agent for 236 Water Street One LLC is Craig Jorgensen, president of Pewaukee-based VJS Construction Services Inc.