23 projects to watch in 2023

The Couture takes shape in downtown Milwaukee. (Photo courtesy of Roberta Colletta Photography)

Wisconsin saw a wide range of ongoing and recently completed projects in 2022, and more projects are on the way as the new year approaches.

This year, crews poured the concrete foundation at the long-awaited Couture and finished building the world’s tallest timber skyscraper in Milwaukee. In 2023, projects like a new addition to Children’s Hospital and an airport expansion in Dane County await.

The $118 million Couture project was envisioned nearly a decade ago but started construction only recently. The project includes a 44-story apartment building and developer Barrett Lo Visionary wants people living inside by the third quarter of 2023.

Here are 23 projects expected to be complete in 2023.

1. The Couture

The new addition to Milwaukee’s skyline includes a 44-story, 750,000-square-foot skyscraper, public plazas and parks, pedestrian bridges and a transportation hub for city buses and the streetcar, project officials said. Developer Rick Barrett said the project would wrap up mid to late 2023 and introduce 600 new downtown residents. Findorff is overseeing construction crews throughout the project.

2. Skywalk Building for Children’s Hospital

The $100 million project started in March 2021 and will add 155,000 square feet of space to Children’s Hospital in Wauwatosa. The Boldt Co. crews will build spaces for a new Emergency Department and Level 1 Trauma Center, a retail pharmacy and interfacility transportation facility.

3. Neenah High School

Miron Construction will build a $158.8 million, 460,000-square-foot high school building for the Neenah Joint School District. Crews broke ground in May of 2021 after district residents voted to approve a $114.9 million referendum in April 2021. Recent project accomplishments included drilling for a geothermal well and concrete foundations for music and band areas.

(Rendering courtesy of Potawatomi Hotel & Casino)

4. Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Renovation

The hotel and casino will renovate 120,000 square feet on the third floor of the casino in Milwaukee, with Gilbane Building Co. at the forefront of construction, officials said. The contractor entered a $100 million project labor agreement with labor unions in September to prioritize apprenticeships and entering workers on the job.

5. FPC Live venues in Milwaukee

A proposal for two FPC Live-owned venues with capacities for 800 and 4,000 won approval from the Common Council and Mayor Cavalier Johnson in November. The project received criticism from both Milwaukee’s musical community and members of the state Legislature over competition concerns. Miron Construction will oversee building the $50 million venues in place of the former Bradley Center.

6. RC Mowers headquarters in Green Bay

Remote-operated robotic mowers manufacturer RC Mowers wants to move into a future $4.8 million Green Bay office next year. The 36,300-square-foot project is on a 7-acre site adjacent to the company’s current location, officials said. Project plans include 9,300 square feet for offices and 27,000 square feet for production space.

7. Wisconsin Plastics facility expansion

Wisconsin Plastics Inc. will double its production space in Green Bay next year with a 70,000-square-foot expansion, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported. The company, which makes parts for napkin dispensers and electric car chargers, is expected to bring in 45 to 60 jobs with this project.

HARIBO plant in Pleasant Prairie. (File photo by Joe Yovino)

8. HARIBO manufacturing facility in Kenosha area

Gilbane Building Co. is overseeing construction of a $300 million, 487,000-square-foot production facility for candy-maker HARIBO of America Inc. in Pleasant Prairie. Project officials said the facility would bring 385 jobs to the area and broke ground after a six-year search for a new North American facility. HARIBO is based in Germany and this will be the company’s first facility in North America.

9. Lake Michigan Pipeline to Waukesha

Milwaukee and Waukesha are working together to construct a 13-mile pipeline to take water from Lake Michigan to Waukesha, which will cost $286 million. Waukesha is financing the pipeline with the help of a $137.1 million low-interest loan from the Environmental Protection Agency. The project started in November 2020 and is expected to wrap up in September 2023.

10. Dane County Regional Airport Expansion

The expansion project for the Dane County Regional Airport reached a halfway point in August after a Madison committee granted $85 million in June. The south terminal project includes a two-story, 100,000-square-foot expansion to the airport with six gates. Miron Construction is leading the project as officials aim to have it done in summer 2023.

11. Milwaukee Zoo Interchange North Leg

Part of an ongoing Milwaukee Zoo Interchange project is expected to wrap up next year as Michels Corp. crews take on the North Leg. The $1.5 billion project includes a section of Interstate 41/U.S. Highway 45 between Watertown Plank Road and Burleigh Road.

12. Gundersen Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall

Kraus Anderson will oversee construction of the Gundersen Tri-County Hospital, building two stories and 69,000 square feet. The project will replace a 60-year-old hospital and wrap up in March 2023, officials said.

13. ACX Cinema at Bayshore

Nebraska-based ACX Cinemas will build six movie theaters inside Bayshore Mall in a 42,951-square-foot project. Hunzinger Construction will take on the project, and this is the first time ACX has ventured into Wisconsin.

14. 2929 on Mayfair

Illinois-based M&R Development will build 258 apartments on North Mayfair Road in Wauwatosa, with Madison-based Stevens Construction overseeing construction.

15. Mackson Corners in Oshkosh

Madison-based Merge Urban Development Group is working with Milwaukee-based Greenfire Management Services to build a 74-unit apartment building in Oshkosh, part of the $15 million Marion Road redevelopment plan.

16. Valley VNA Senior Care expansion

Developer Community Living Solutions will add 9,835 square feet of space at Valley VNA Senior Care in Neenah. The project costs $8.7 million and Community Living Solutions will oversee construction.

17. Knowlton House Distillery

Crews from Marshfield-based Marawood Construction will build a 12,000-square-foot vodka and gin distillery in Mosinee. The project broke ground in September 2022 and will wrap up in spring 2023, officials said.

18. Freedom Storage in Hartford

Kaukauna-based contractor Keller Inc. will build a 34,354-square-foot storage facility in Hartford by June 2023, officials said.

19. Public Safety Building in McFarland

Bray Architects designed the McFarland Public Safety Building to be the first net-zero facility of its kind in the region with the help of 51 geothermal wells and solar panels capable of producing 420 kW. Village officials said Janesville-based JP Cullen will be the general contractor.

20. McKenzie Regional Workforce Center

Several corporate partners will contribute work to build a $35 million workforce center in partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County to encourage teens to learn about the trades.

21. Global Schoolwear headquarters in Oak Creek

Design2Construct Development will build a 75,000-square-foot headquarters for Global Schoolwear in Oak Creek. The building includes 3,000 square feet of office space, 40,000 square feet of warehouse space and a 15,000-square-foot embroidery space, project officials said.

22. Biocut Systems Headquarters in Muskego

Brookfield-based Briohn Building Corp. will build a $10 million, 75,000-square-foot facility in Muskego as it has outgrown its previous space, project officials said.

23. Nova Apartments in Milwaukee

Milwaukee-based Catalyst Construction will build a $47 million, 384,847-square-foot apartment with 251 units on North Van Buren Street. The project is eight stories and includes 2,400 square feet for commercial space. Crews broke ground in August 2021 and will complete the project in June 2023, officials said.