Repairs planned for River 1 parking structure following Dec. 12 fire

Repairs are planned for a parking structure at the River 1 mixed-use development in Milwaukee’s Harbor District following a fire last month that caused $3 million in damage.

The Dec. 12 fire followed what nearby residents said was an explosion at the construction site, which overlooks the Kinnickinnic River at 218 W. Becher St.

The cause of the explosion and fire remain under investigation by the Milwaukee Police Department, said David Votsis, Milwaukee Fire Department assistant chief-operations bureau.

A police spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for more information.

The incident caused an estimated damage loss of $2.1 million to the River 1 building and $888,000 to its contents, according to city Department of Neighborhood Services records.

Infrastructure contractor Michels Corp. is developing River 1.

River 1 includes an office building that the company will use for its Milwaukee-area operations, while leasing additional space to other businesses.

That eight-story, 200,000-squarefoot building was close to completion when the fire occurred. The company hopes to eventually house around 400 employees on the top three floors.

Also, a four-story, 95-unit apartment building, with a ground-floor restaurant, is under construction and to be finished by June. Additional plans call for a hotel.

Gilbane Corp., River 1’s general contractor, has applied for a city building permit to repair the damage from the explosion and fire.

The early morning fire, which didn’t cause any injuries, “was generally isolated to a select area of the parking” structure, according to a statement from Gilbane.

Construction work is proceeding on the River 1 project, with repairs to the parking structure expected to begin shortly, the statement said. That work could include some demolition.

Michels Corp. is a utilities and infrastructure contractor, installing and maintaining sewers, pipelines and other equipment, as well as building roads and bridges.

It also does deep foundation work for such developments as downtown Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum and building pads for commercial projects that include Foxconn Technology Group’s Mount Pleasant complex.

In addition, the Brownsville-based company provides dock wall construction and other maritime contracting services.

MIKE DE SISTI / MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL Emergency crews work on the scene of a reported explosion at the new River 1 mixed-use project at West Becher and South First streets in Milwaukee on Dec. 12.