Work on 51-unit apartment building begins

Work on Pier Street Landing, a 51-unit apartment building in downtown Port Washington, began in earnest after a groundbreaking ceremony held Wednesday, Aug. 12.

“I’m really happy to see something physically going on there,” Haley Dobre, owner of Pier Street Development, said. “We’re very excited about this.”

Dobre, who owns the Boerner Mercantile Building on Franklin Street, is converting a largely unused parking lot east of Wisconsin Street between Washington and Pier streets into downtown housing.

But this project is something new for downtown — an apartment complex with two retail spaces on its first floor and underground parking — instead of the condominiums have caused concern among some city residents.

It’s an attempt to bring year-round residents who will support the shops and restaurants downtown, Dobre, a member of Port Main Street Inc., said.

“That is really important to me,” she said.

Many of the condos downtown are occupied on a part-time basis, she said, which doesn’t help support businesses throughout the year.

Pier Street Landing will have 34 one-bedroom apartments, most with a den, and 17 two-bedroom apartment, a couple of which will have a den, Dobre said.

Rents will average about $2,200 a month, she said, noting that the units on the south and east feature lake views.

In addition to the residential units, the building will have two retail spaces.

Dobre said she has engaged a commercial broker to help find the right tenants for these spaces.

“I want to make sure it’s the right fit for Port Washington, that it’s an amenity for residents and for Port in general,” she said.

She said she envisions a fitness provider of some type in a roughly 2,500-square-foot space and some type of cafe or smoothie place in the second space, which is about 1,300 square feet.

“I see it as a place where people can hang out if they want or just pick up something and go,” she said.

The four-story Pier Street Landing is being built on a sloping lot, with an average height of 55 feet. To help reduce the mass of the building, the upper floors are set back from the first floor and a mix of materials and colors will also help the building recede visually, officials said.

It will also help keep the building blend in with other downtown structures, which average between 45 and 46 feet.

The project will receive $2.6 million in tax incremental financing from the downtown TIF district.

Dobre said she is considering commissioning a mural for the south wall of the building, something suggested when the city approved the project.

Dobre said she hopes to have the apartments ready for occupancy in fall 2027.