BUSINESS

Barrett Lo Visionary Development chooses Findorff as general contractor for the Couture

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

An aerial view of the Couture from E. Clybourn St.

Barrett Lo Visionary Development announced Monday that Findorff has been selected as the general contractor for the vertical construction of the Couture project, a transformative economic development on downtown Milwaukee’s lakefront.

The company had previously served as the general contractor for demolition and site prep and also partnered with Barrett Lo on the Moderne.

Previously, Barrett Lo and Findorff had completed initial site preparations, including the demolition of the bus barn transit facility, the reconstruction of the U.S. Bank wall between the Couture site and 833 East, sewer design and engineering, and soils evaluation preparation for construction.

“We’re excited to have completed site prep and be nearing the start of construction,” said Rick Barrett, founder and CEO of Barrett Lo Visionary Development. “Findorff has been a great partner for us and we look forward to working with them on the start of construction later this summer.”

The Couture is the cornerstone of the Lakefront Gateway Project. It will provide an estimated 4,400 estimated construction jobs, and once completed, an estimate 200 permanent jobs. There will be an emphasis on hiring Milwaukee County residents and disadvantaged business entities.

The property, which currently is tax-exempt, will generate $68 million in new value and add 300 new residential units.

“We couldn’t be prouder to work on this historic project,” said Eric Wynn, general manager of southeast Wisconsin and director of project management at Findorff. “We’ve partnered with Rick Barrett and his team for years now, and we are excited to contribute to the next great building on our city’s skyline.”

The Couture has been designed to include a multimodal transportation hub incorporating pedestrian walkways and bridges, traditional county buses, the county’s proposed Bus Rapid Transit line, bikes and the streetcar. It will include more public space on the site than the transit center had — including 97% of the building footprint.