Leasing opens for apartments at The Couture

Apartment units at The Couture, the 44-story apartment tower under construction near the downtown Milwaukee lakefront, are now available to lease with move-in beginning in April.

The 516-foot building, developed by Milwaukee-based Barrett Lo Visionary Development (BLVD), will add 322 luxury apartments to the downtown market.

“The Couture will mark Milwaukee as a premier destination for discerning individuals who value living a world-class lifestyle in our energetic and beautiful city,” said Rick Barrett, founder of BLVD. “We’re thrilled to welcome our soon-to-be residents to their new home.”

The development firm and the building’s property manager, Dallas-based Willow Bridge Property Company, have also launched a new website to market the property. Willow Bridge manages other BLVD properties like The Moderne and Emerald Row.

Apartments at The Couture range from 576-square-foot one-bedroom units to 2,350-square-foot three-bedroom units. All apartments feature designer finishes, including floor-to-ceiling windows, direct lake and/or city views and custom wood cabinetry, the press release says.

According to the website, smaller units monthly rent starts at around $2,000 and penthouse units rent for $11,650. Potential tenants in The Couture, the state’s tallest residential tower, can now tour completed and furnished model apartments.

There will be a fitness center, clubhouse, lounge, outdoor terrace and swimming pool, 24-hour concierge, business center, bike parking and storage, dog park, underground heated parking and electric vehicle charging stations, the release says.

The Couture development also includes a transit station for The Hop streetcar and Milwaukee County Transit System bus rapid transit service, 42,837 square feet of retail space and a fourth-floor terrace park that will be open to the public.

First proposed in 2012, it took nine years for BLVD to break ground on the project. Construction crews, led by general contractor J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., began work in 2021.

Cost estimates for the project have been around $191 million.

Much of the financing for the project came from the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, or HIT, which provided $104.5 million in financing and owns the main construction loan for the project. The Couture is the HIT’s largest investment in its history.