Tom Daykin

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

A 140-unit high-end apartment development is being proposed for a Milwaukee site a block south of E. Brady St.

The $40 million project is being proposed by developer Mike Klein and real estate broker Jeno Cataldo for a 1-acre lot at 1632-1648 N. Franklin Place. That site was cleared this summer when a former church and Boys Club building was demolished.

The development would have four stories at either end of the project site on N. Franklin Place and N. Arlington Place, with the middle portion of the building rising to 10 stories, Cataldo said Monday.

It would include enclosed and underground parking totaling around 180 stalls, he said.

The developers hope to begin construction by either the end of the year, or by spring 2017, if the Common Council approves the plans, Klein said. It would be completed by spring or summer of 2018, he said.

The building would have one- and two-bedroom units, said Klein, who operates Klein Development Inc. The apartments would be larger, and there would be no studio units. The prospective rents are still being determined.

Cataldo said the developers have revised their plans to "meet the concerns of the neighborhood."

"I think we're really excited about presenting something that not only maximizes the potential of the site," Cataldo said, "but also would fit in with the neighborhood over there."

Ald. Nik Kovac, whose district includes the site, said Klein and Cataldo initially proposed a taller, wider building. That drew opposition, he said.

"Most people want to see something that appears to fit in," Kovac said.

Other taller buildings in the neighborhood include the neighboring Arlington Court, a high-rise operated by the city Housing Authority. But there also are several smaller buildings in the neighborhood.

Klein said the site's closeness to Brady St.'s restaurants and night life help make it a good location for apartments.

Other nearby apartment developments include the 23-unit Keystone on Brady, which is under construction at the northwest corner of E. Brady St. and N. Humboldt Ave.

KC Franklin Partners LLC, led by Klein and Cataldo, bought the property last year.

A neighborhood meeting on the proposal is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 26 at Arlington Court, 1633 N. Arlington Place.