Milwaukee, WI – (Dec. 17, 2021) – Earlier this week, the final mass timber beams, columns and CLT roof were set into place at downtown Milwaukee’s Ascent construction site. The project’s key stakeholders will gather today to celebrate the milestone in a small topping-off ceremony.
New Land Enterprises didn’t set out to break the world record when the project began more than three years ago, but after a number of design revisions, the height of the tower climbed four feet taller than the current record holder in Norway. As of today, Ascent has reached 284 feet and will officially become the world’s tallest mass timber hybrid tower this summer.
“Today is the culmination of years of determination and innovation for New Land and our partners,” commented Tim Gokhman, Managing Director of New Land Enterprises. “Together, we’ve shown that we can build a more beautiful, sustainable and precise building faster, paving the way to transform development in the United States. The crews involved in construction have done an amazing job and should be very proud of today’s milestone.”
The project broke ground at the intersection of Kilbourn and Van Buren in August 2020, with timber construction commencing in June 2021. Just six months later, general contractor C.D. Smith Construction has topped off the innovative tower at 25 stories. The unique construction process used prefabricated columns and beams with factory-integrated connectors, making the construction process approximately 25 percent faster.
“This continues to be a job of amazing scale as we top off the building and proceed with the buildout,” says Chris Johansen, C.D. Smith Construction, Project Manager. “We have a veteran-led team of talented craftsmen that really took ownership and are always looking for ways to build faster, smarter, safer.”
To this point, Ascent’s construction has involved more than 13,000 man hours for timber installation; using 335,554 square feet of CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels; 1,149 columns; 1,365 beams; 645,000 fasteners; and 122,000 screws.
“With an exceptional crew, we made the picks, screwed thousands of wrist-wrenching screws, nailed timber nails all day long and waterproofed to protect the product,” comments Bob Casper, C.D. Smith Construction, Site Superintendent.
With timber installation complete and glazing mostly up, the project is already moving into its final phase of interior buildout. The building’s 259 luxury apartment homes will feature beautiful, exposed timber ceilings and columns, top-tier finishes and expertly appointed fixtures. Ascent will also offer unparalleled amenities including an indoor/outdoor seventh-floor pool, a rooftop cinema, a golf simulator, and world-class fitness center.
Ascent is scheduled to open in Summer 2022 and is already accepting reservations.
For more information, please contact Jodi Hogerton at jodi@NewLandMKE.com.
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Since 1993, New Land Enterprises has been building, renovating, and managing residential communities and commercial space in Milwaukee. The company has become a leader in mixed-use development, having designed and developed over 1,600 units. Recent projects include Ascent, KinetiK, Crossroads Collective and Black Cat Alley. For more information: http://www.NewLandMKE.com.
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About C.D. Smith
C.D. Smith Construction is an industry leader in safely providing the highest quality commercial construction services. Utilizing an integrated approach and self-performing trade services combined with technical expertise, our team serves as a solutions provider throughout all phases of a project, from planning through construction. With veteran leadership and a dedication to our employees and clients, we proudly place our name on projects of all sizes across the United States.
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Jodi Hogerton
jodi@NewLandMKE.com
The demand for new ways to live and travel including greater on-site amenities like dog parks, dining and entertainment space is driving a shift in housing throughout the world. C.D. Smith is partnering with housing developers to offer the very best in housing options at competitive market rates. We're building state-of-the-art multi-family and senior housing facilities in support of lifestyles for converting addresses to homes. Scroll down for a preview of our HOUSING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT EXPERIENCE or explore more housing construction projects using this link to the YOUR INDUSTRY: HOUSING CONSTRUCTION pages of our website.
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