Milwaukee-based developer J. Jeffers & Co. is planning to add the next piece to downtown’s Deer District with a five-story, mixed-use building with 210 apartments.
The development is planned for a vacant lot known as Block 5 of the Deer District, located northeast of Vel R. Phillips and Juneau avenues, which sits between The Trade hotel and the Aloft hotel.
The building’s 210 units will be a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom residences. The development will include a rooftop terrace, green spaces, outdoor balconies and lobby hospitality, plus a parking structure. Rents are estimated to start at $1,500 per month.
“We project that this will be one of the best class A apartment buildings in Milwaukee,” said Josh Jeffers, CEO of J. Jeffers & Co. “There is a need for apartments in Milwaukee as evidenced by Milwaukee consistently ranking very high for residential occupancy rates in multifamily housing for a city of our size.”
The building’s first floor will have about 27,000 square feet of “mixed-use” space. More information regarding the “unique activation” of the ground level is expected early next year, according to a press release.
Jeffers estimates a mid-2025 construction start for the project. The land, which is currently owned by Milwaukee County, will be acquired by the Milwaukee Bucks, who will enter into a partnership with Jeffers to develop and manage the property. The Bucks are the lead developer for the Deer District (the area around Fiserv Forum).
“We sought a partner that would join us in our vision to keep enhancing the vibrant future of Deer District and downtown Milwaukee,” said Bucks president Peter Feigin. “We are thrilled to work with a local firm who already has shown a dedication to investing in Milwaukee.”
This project isn’t the first time J. Jeffers & Co. has developed a full city block.
Just outside of the 30-acre Deer District, Jeffers completed the redevelopment of the former Milwaukee Journal Sentinel complex, now known as Journal Square. In December 2022, the firm completed the $65 million redevelopment and the project’s 336 apartment units achieved stabilized occupancy last month, according to today’s press release.
J. Jeffers & Co. had previously worked with the Bucks group when it agreed in 2020 to redirect a $1 million city incentive originally intended for the Deer District area that instead supported the Journal Commons project.
The addition of Jeffers’ Deer District development will result in a mostly-filled Deer District, Feigin said. The former Bradley Center site, located south of Fiserv Forum, will be mostly filled with a music venue from FPC Live and a new hotel, both of which are in the development pipeline. Details of the hotel project have yet to be announced.
The last big piece of developable land in the Deer District is the site north of The Trade hotel, which has previously been envisioned as land for commercial development, Feigin said.
