As heavy equipment continues to clear the site – including the Vermont, which is now officially history – Northwestern Mutual announced it has hired Fond du Lac-based C.D. Smith Construction to build the $100 million development at 777 N. Van Buren St.

The 34-story tower will include high-end residential units, parking and retail space. The plan was unveiled last October.

"We believe this project, like our Tower and Commons, will continue to fuel Milwaukee’s renaissance by drawing more jobs, businesses and residents to downtown," said Tom Zale, vice president and head of Northwestern Mutual Real Estate, in a statement today.

With the statement came some more renderings of the building – designed by architects Solomon Cordwell Buenz – all of which are included with this post.

Taking up nearly an entire city block, bounded back Mason and Wells, Jackson and Van Buren, the project includes 308 apartments and 14 penthouses, retail space on the ground floor and about 1,400 parking spots for residents, the public and NM employees. The building is located across the street from NM headquarters.

Groundbreaking is expected to take place in late spring, and the building is expected to be ready for occupancy by spring 2018.

In the meantime, demolition continues on the site. And, of course, across the street, work on NM's new Northwestern Tower and Commons is moving forward. That project is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.