Rick Barrett (left), developer with Milwaukee-based Barrett Visionary Development, and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett toasted the late February groundbreaking of The Moderne, a $55.2-million, 30-story apartment building whose design seeks to reinterpret the Art Moderne movement.

“The Moderne is iconic, and helps to underscore the transformation of Milwaukee to a contemporary urban metropolis where professionals of all ages want to live, work and play,” Rick Barrett remarked during the ceremony.

The designer is Rinka Chung Architecture Inc., Milwaukee. J.H. Findorff & Son Inc., Milwaukee, is the project’s general contractor.

Sited along Milwaukee’s Park East Corridor near the Milwaukee River, The Moderne will include 203 market-rate, one- to three-bedroom rental units on its first 27 floors. It also will house some 7,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space in addition to above-grade parking.

Barrett Visionary Development is a veteran of several Milwaukee-based mixed-use developments, including the River Homes at Beerline, Rivercourt Homes and Park Terrace.

The Moderne is expected to create more than 900 construction jobs, and work is expected to continue for 22 months. Initial construction work includes the creation of an earth retention system to stabilize the site.

Photo Courtesy Of AFL-CIO