Ascent is a 25-story apartment building under construction at 700 E. Kilbourn Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. But it will be more than just another luxury apartment tower. The project is putting the city on the map as home of the world’s tallest hybrid mass timber structure.
Its construction commenced just over a year ago. It will stand 284 feet tall and contain 259 apartments, indoor parking, retail space, a swimming pool, a fitness center and a top floor of amenities. Ascent is being used as a model by the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services in its efforts to make mass timber construction easier via an update to the state’s commercial building code.
The building is being developed by New Land Enterprises, designed by Korb + Associates Architects and built by C.D. Smith Construction Inc. and Catalyst Construction.