Permit filings revive plans to convert Walker’s Point’s Lindsay and Walsh buildings into 200 apartments
A long-discussed adaptive reuse site returns to the pipeline
A new development team has filed permit applications to redevelop two large, historic industrial buildings in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood into a residential complex expected to exceed 200 apartments. The properties are the Lindsay Brothers Building at 126 S. 2nd St. and the F.A. Walsh & Co. building at 160 S. 2nd St., adjacent multi-story structures that have been used primarily for storage in recent years.
City building records show permit activity tied to a renovation-and-expansion plan with a project cost estimated at more than $30 million. The applicant is Whitecap Projects, a California-based firm led by Joshua White. Materials associated with the filing describe an “adaptive reuse” strategy intended to reactivate the buildings with housing.
What is known about the buildings and the latest proposal
The Lindsay Brothers Building and the Walsh Building date to the 1890s and are recognized for Romanesque Revival design characteristics. Their age and scale have repeatedly made the site a focus of redevelopment interest as demand for housing has grown near downtown and the Historic Third Ward.
Location: 126 S. 2nd St. and 160 S. 2nd St., Walker’s Point.
Concept: Renovation and expansion to create 200-plus apartments through adaptive reuse.
Estimated cost: More than $30 million cited in city records tied to the permit filings.
Design team: Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors is listed as executive architect in project materials.
How this plan differs from a prior attempt
The new filings follow an earlier redevelopment pitch that did not move forward. In 2022, Chicago-based BK Development filed plans with the city to convert the same buildings into 182 apartments, with additional details at the time including ground-floor commercial space and structured or on-site parking components. That proposal did not proceed, and by 2023 the properties were being marketed for sale, resetting expectations about ownership and financing.
The latest permit activity indicates renewed momentum but does not, by itself, establish a construction start date. In Milwaukee, large adaptive reuse projects typically advance through additional steps after initial filings, including design refinement, financing, and any required approvals tied to building code compliance, historic considerations, and site conditions.
Why the site continues to draw interest
Walker’s Point has been a focal point for residential growth and reinvestment, with multiple developments proposed or delivered in recent years that add apartments and mixed-use space. The Lindsay and Walsh buildings occupy a strategic position near downtown activity centers and transportation connections, which can support higher-density housing when market conditions and project financing align.
As of late January 2026, the redevelopment remains in the permitting stage, with the scope framed around creating more than 200 apartments through renovation and expansion of the existing historic structures.
Further project specifics—such as unit mix, affordability commitments, parking totals, and a construction timeline—have not been established in publicly summarized permit descriptions associated with the new application and are expected to become clearer as the review process advances.