Downtown Milwaukee has seen residential growth over the past several years, reshaping the northern edge of the central business district. Yet a small pocket of that same northern edge is among the areas with projects on hold.
The former Park East corridor was once occupied by a freeway, while downtown has seen apartment growth, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the City of Milwaukee.
A Lot With a Long, Unfinished History
The block is the site of a planned development. LG Group bought the property for $5 million, the outlet reports, but has since scaled that vision back to a 49-unit proposal in 2026.
The block has been identified for development.
Block 22 Tells a Similar Story
Block 22 is a 2.28-acre parcel at 320 E. Ogden Ave. bounded by Water, Ogden, Milwaukee, and Broadway streets.
The pattern goes back further still, with earlier proposals in the area that did not move forward.
Success Just Next Door
Downtown has seen hundreds of new apartments, even as other projects in the area remain on hold.
That gap matters because of what the city is trying to accomplish downtown overall. The Milwaukee Common Council adopted the “Connec+ing MKE: Downtown Plan 2040” in July 2023, setting a goal of doubling downtown's residential population to 40,000 by encouraging 15,000 new housing units, with planners aiming for 20% of those units to be designated affordable, according to Alderman Bob Bauman. Every vacant block at Milwaukee and Ogden works against that target.
Why the Vacancy Carries a Price Tag
The area's redevelopment story remains unresolved. For a district that punches so far above its size in economic impact, lots awaiting development represent potential economic activity for the city and county.
The area's development story includes projects on hold. Whether LG Group's downsized 49-unit proposal moves forward remains to be seen.
