The Madison-based developer who tried for nearly a year to gain approval to build a 27-story apartment tower at the Goll Mansion site on Milwaukee’s East Side is back with a similar plan.
Madison-based Goll Mansion LLC, which is affiliated with developer Chris Houden, who owns the 118-year-old, 9,000-square-foot mansion at 1550 N. Prospect Ave., has filed an application for a general development plan with the city of Milwaukee.
Jeff Fleming, spokesman for the Department of City Development, said Houden appears to be bringing forward the same proposal he had last year that failed to pass the Milwaukee Common Council.
More than half the council voted in favor of the proposal, but the plan was defeated because it did not receive a supermajority, which was needed because residents of the 1522 Prospect On the Lake condo building submitted a protest petition.
The application for a general development plan is the first step in letting the city know Houden is still interested in redeveloping the Goll Mansion site. Houden is expected to submit a detailed proposal for the site to the city in late July.
“I remain committed to investing in Milwaukee and continue to explore opportunities at 1550 N. Prospect,” Houden said in a written statement. “We look forward to continuing conversations with the city and elected officials to advance a project that will be a win-win-win for our community – bringing new tax base for the city, creating new jobs for city residents and ensuring the restoration and revitalization of the historic Goll House.”
Fleming said the development plan will likely be reviewed at the Zoning, Neighborhoods & Development Committee meeting in September.
Houden’s original $55 million proposal would have included moving the historic mansion closer to the street to make room for a 192-unit, 360,000-square-foot residential tower.
The proposal was unanimously approved at the city’s Zoning, Neighborhoods and Development Committee and won approval from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission last summer.
Alderman Robert Bauman, who represents the district the mansion is located in, said he opposed the project saying it was too dense for the site. He said Tuesday he heard the project was back but did not know the details.
Bauman said if it is the same plan, he remains opposed.
