Historic buildings to become apartments
Walker’s Point site style is Romanesque Revival
Plans are in the works to convert a historic Walker’s Point industrial complex into 182 higher-end apartments.
Known as the Lindsay Brothers and Walsh buildings, the development site is at 126 and 160 S. Second St.
A new building permit application filed with the city Department of Neighborhood Services shows plans for alterations that would add 118 housing units at the four-story Lindsay Brothers Building, 126 S. Second St.
A separate permit application indicates 64 units would be added at the five-story Walsh Building, 160 S. Second St.
Chicago-based BK Development LLC plans to complete its purchase of the buildings and begin renovations this spring.
The first units should be available in early 2024, said developers Ayman Khalil and Steve Blonsky.
BK Development is an affiliate of Khalil’s firm, Icon Capital LLC, and Blonsky’s Vanguard Development LLC.
The developers said the site is already zoned for residential use, and their plans do not need Plan Commission and Common Council review.
The renovations will include a partial sixth floor added to the Walsh Building, Khalil and Blonsky told the Journal Sentinel.
It will feature such tenant amenities as a fitness center, club room and rooftop deck, they said.
Also, an addition will be built to connect the two buildings.
Most of the apartments will be onebedroom units with dens, averaging around 1,100 square feet, Khalil and Bronsky said.
The rents will be around $1.70 per square foot, which translates to $1,870 per month for a one-bedroom unit.
The development will include underground parking as well as parking in a surface lot on the other side of South Second Street.
Khalil and Bronsky said a total cost estimate for the project isn’t yet available. They are seeking state and federal historic preservation tax credits to help finance the development.
The Lindsay Brothers Building was constructed in 1892 in the Romanesque Revival design style, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society.
The Walsh Building, which has the same design style, was built in 1899, according to the society.
The buildings more recently have been used mainly for storage, and do have some maker-type businesses as tenants, Khalil and Bronsky said.
Engberg Anderson Architects is the project architect and Catalyst Construction is the general contractor, according to building permit applications.
This marks the second time a development plan has surfaced for the buildings in recent years.
In 2019, property owner Brian Jost sought city approval to convert the two buildings, along with a neighboring building at 118-122 S. Second St., into an events venue.
The buildings would have had events space totaling 340,000 square feet.
Jost planned to invest $500,000 into creating a venue at the buildings, according to plans filed with the Board of Zoning Appeals.
The converted space would have hosted weddings, business meetings, fundraisers and other events, according to the proposal.
Jost later dropped those plans.