The Milwaukee Post

10 • Milwaukee County Post • May 18, 2018 BUSINESS By KATHERINE MICHALETS Conley News Service MILWAUKEE — Art lovers will soon have the opportunity to sleep in an immersive arts-focused hotel after Marcus Hotels & Resorts completes the redesign of the 221-room I n t e r C o n t i n e n t a l Milwaukee. The announcement was made Monday that archi- tecture and interior design fir m Stonehill Taylor, based in New York City, and branding agency One Design Company, based in Chicago, will reinvent the existing hotel owned and operated by Marcus. Included in the redesign will be a showcase of world-class artists from the region and the world. Many forms of art will be includ- ed, such as visual arts, music, theater, dance and literature. "To our knowledge, this will be one of the only hotel concepts in the United States that truly incorpo- rates all for ms of art throughout the entire hotel," said Gregory S. Marcus, president and CEO of The Marcus Corporation, in a state- ment. "In Stonehill Taylor and One Design Company, we believe we've found partners who share our vision, are daring, yet not afraid of subtlety, and have the experience to design more than a hotel — a true destination with a reimag- ined place in our communi- ty. Together with our col- laborators, we will break boundaries and create an entirely new opportunity for locals and visitors alike to experience Milwaukee through a different lens." For the project, One Design Company will over- see the development of the hotel's brand concept, including name, logo, iden- tity systems and more, while Stonehill Taylor will lead the interior design for the hotel. "We are thrilled to join Marcus Hotels & Resorts to bring a new hotel concept to downtown Milwaukee," said Michael Suomi, princi- pal of Stonehill Taylor, in a statement. "This innova- tive hotel will celebrate the essence of Milwaukee's thriving arts community, while incorporating curat- ed pieces from well-known and up-and-coming artists alike. We are inspired by the team's vision for this property and the impact it will have on its guests, associates and the commu- nity." The revamped hotel is planned to open in mid- 2019. "As a Milwaukee native with deep family ties to the local creative community, I couldn't be more thrilled with the opportunity for the One Design team to col- laborate on such an amaz- ing and important property for the city. The chance to tap into creative talent and perspective from through- out the community, along- side the teams at Marcus Hotels and Stonehill Taylor, is astounding," said David Sieren, design director and partner of One Design Company, in the statement. Conley News Service MILWAUKEE — Hammes Company has been selected to be the master planner for the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, the future home of the manufac- turing facility for Foxconn Technology Group, in Racine County. As a result, Hammes Company will serve as Foxconn's lead partner in planning infrastructure and other development activities for the new project. "Hammes Company, with its deep roots in Wisconsin and understanding of the state's unique competitive advantages as an investment location, is an ideal partner for Foxconn in realizing many aspects of our vision for this important project and our 'Wisconsin First' commitment to contribute to the state's attractiveness as a global high-tech hub," said Louis Woo, special assistant to Foxconn Founder and CEO Terry Gou, in a state- ment. Wisconn Valley will be about 2,900 acres in size, or about 2,200 football fields, making it one of the largest business park projects in North America. "Foxconn is recognized around the world for its excellence as a leading global manufacturing and technolo- gy services provider, and we are delighted to be associated with such an exciting proj- ect, which will have a trans- formational impact on Wisconsin," said Jon Hammes, founder & CEO of Hammes Company, in a state- ment. The AP reported Monday that Hammes is led by Jon Hammes, Walker's campaign finance chairman for his re- election bid. He also served in that role during Walker's 2015 presidential run. Hammes is part owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Republicans and causes over the years. Based in Milwaukee, Hammes Company has regional offices throughout the United States. Hammes Company is a national real estate developer and manag- er. The company has com- pleted extensive projects across the state of Wisconsin in a wide range of real estate sectors including office, industrial, health care, sports and timber, with notable projects being the Kohl Center at UW-Madison, Lambeau Field in Green Bay and over 100 facilities for Aurora Health Care. Marcus Hotels & Resorts plans to transform InterContinental into art-focused hotel Submitted image The InterContinental Milwaukee will be transformed into an arts-focused hotel. Hammes Company named Foxconn master planner Post Staff MILWAUKEE — It was a famil- iar song and dance for the metro Milwaukee real estate market in April with home sales increasing while the inventory of properties for sale declined. According to a report released by the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors on Friday, home sales increased 3.7 percent for the four counties making up metro Milwaukee — Washington, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Milwaukee — compared to the same period in 2017, while the number of homes available for sale remained low. In fact, home listings has declined every month of 2018 so far. GMAR reported that April home listings declined 8.7 percent, or 806 units, compared to April 2017. Ozaukee County had the most sig- nificant decrease in listings at 20.3 percent followed by Milwaukee County at 11.6 percent and Washington County at 7.3 percent. The only country that saw an increase was Waukesha County at 0.7 percent. Leading the counties in home sales in April was Ozaukee County at 10.2 percent, compared to April 2017. Milwaukee County had an 8.3 percent uptick in sales while both Washington and Waukesha counties had a decline of 6.8 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. With about 40 percent of the homes purchased by first-time homebuyers, properties for priced at $300,000 or less have been going quickly, according to the GMAR. Also helping with sales are the strong regional job market and low interest rates. Homes priced at $300,000 accounted for 73.7 percent of the homes sold in April. Since the beginning of 2018, the four-county metropolitan area had 8,458 units listed, which is the low- est four-month stretch since 2003 (8,067 units). Homes sales continue to increase while inventory declines Metro Milwaukee sales up 3.7% in April

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