Lakefront development still a go, but when?

There still is no starting date slated for Ansay Development’s Newport Shores project.

Ian McCain, Ansay’s design/construction manager, said Tuesday that while presales are going well, the company has only reached 60% to 70% of its presale goal.

“We feel that will happen sooner rather than later,” he said. “But I don’t have a starting date yet. We intend to go once we hit that mark.”

Ansay still hopes to begin construction on the $20 million development this spring, he said, noting that traffic has been up since the new year.

“We feel optimistic,” McCain said, adding the firm “is in sales mode” right now.

It’s difficult to translate the presale goal into condos, he added, because the goal is a dollar amount and the units have varying prices.

City Administrator Mark Grams told the Harbor Commission last week that “things are slowing down for them a little bit. They haven’t hit that (presale) number yet. I think their costs have come in a little higher too.”

  Because of that, he said, Ansay isn’t committing to starting the project in spring.

Most of those who have reserved units in the building are Ozaukee County residents, McCain said. That’s something Ansay officials expected, he said, adding “Ozaukee County is home for a lot of people.”

Among the units already spoken for is the penthouse, a two-story condominium on the northeast corner of the building, McCain said.

“It’s going to be an unbelievable unit,” he said.

Newport Shores restaurant owner John Weinrich, who is a partner in the development, has been advertising for bands to play at the eatery this summer. 

McCain said he’s not sure how that will be handled if construction gets underway, but said Ansay is supportive of Weinrich doing what he needs to keep his business running.

Weinrich could not be reached for comment.

McCain said that while Ansay has agreed to move the Kiwanis pavilion and the fish cleaning station, it will not do so during the fishing season.

“We’re not closing the fish cleaning station or the breakwater,” he said. “We can work around them.”

The recent gales that flooded the Newport Shores parking lot aren’t a concern, McCain added.

“It certainly caused us to double check our design,” he said. “But we’re well above the floodplain.”

The Newport Shores project would replace the current restaurant on Port Washington’s waterfront with a modern building with a mix of uses — 29 condominiums, office space, a store, restaurant and rooftop pub.

The L-shaped building, which features a glassy design, would encompass not only the land occupied by the eatery but also two structures to the west owned by Weinrich and a portion of the city-owned property south of the restaurant.

The first floor will contain a 3,500-square-foot restaurant, with a wrap-around deck, three tenant spaces and parking for residents and workers.

The second and third floors will have 11 condominiums each, while the fourth floor will have seven residential units as well as a rooftop pub with a deck.

Ansay is also building condominiums between Washington and Pier streets, on the site of the former Victor’s restaurant. 

The first building in the Lake Harbor Loft project has one occupant so far, and McCain said two others are expected to be sold in the next week.

“Once we’re done with the south building (on Washington Street), we’ll start on the north building,” he said, adding that’s expected to occur later this year.

The condominiums are about 2,400 square feet, with a private rooftop deck, with prices around $500,000, he said.