Andante is a 5-story mixed-use development located at 100 N. Farwell Street, in the heart of downtown Eau Claire. The project includes 76 residential units, including: furnished studios, one-bedroom units, and two-bedroom units. The first floor of the building includes over 8,000 leasable square feet of commercial space.
Merge worked with the City of Eau Claire to refine the building’s relationship with its Southern edge along the Eau Claire River. The final building plans include a public riverfront promenade that connects to the public trail system. The approximately 200-foot promenade will include micro-retail storefronts, waterfront dining, and public grill space.
Andante is a musical term that means “a rhythmic walking pace”. The project site is a City Parking Lot that was formally declared excess land in early 2019. The site is within walking distance to employment centers including: JAMF, RCU Corporate Headquarters, Mayo Clinic, and downtown dining and entertainment venues. It is connected to the bus line, trail system, and approximately four blocks for the Eau Claire Transit Center. 100 N. Farwell Street was also identified as an undeveloped parcel suitable for residential development in the City of Eau Claire’s 2018 Housing Affordability Analysis.
The Marion Road District has always been a fulcrum point for the City of Oshkosh; its businesses and industry provided the very first electrical power to the First, Second, and Fifth Wards in 1885 (Oshkosh Electric Light & Power) and have literally and metaphorically served as cornerstones to Oshkosh’s built environment (Cook & Brown Lime Co.).
The 21st century vision for Marion Road maintains the area’s place as a fulcrum for energy and activity. Mackson Corners includes various residential unit sizes designed to serve a wide range of price points, including attainable micro units and waterfront walk-ups. The retail space is designed to include a waterfront restaurant, offices, micro space for entrepreneurs, and health/fitness use.
Urbane115 is a 5-story mixed-use building on the corner of N Appleton Street & E Washington Street in Appleton, Wisconsin. Located in the heart of downtown, residents, and shoppers will be closely connected to community events as well as the trail network, public transit, and Lawrence University. The project includes 56 residential units and roughly 6,600 SF of commercial space. The unit mix is a range of studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom units.
Appleton is considered the main hub of the Fox Cities and this site provides an ideal location for residents and commercial tenants. It sits just one block from College Ave - home of retail, restaurants, and popular events like Mile of Music and Oktoberfest, the transit station, public library, and more local businesses along Appleton St.
The North Side Yard site was formally known as the “Lullabye Furniture Site,” in reference to the furniture factory that was established at the site in the late 1800s. The furniture factory closed in the 1970s. Since then, the City of Stevens Point invested in removing contamination and making the vital site ready for redevelopment that would help position downtown Stevens Point as both a destination and a home for residents and visitors.
Today, the City of Stevens Point has a thriving creative economy of makers and young entrepreneurs. North Side Yard will feel like the walking in to next-generation Stevens Point – with rich spaces to gather, micro retail for startups / makers, and a dense housing mix that is sure to inspire lots of walking and biking activity.
North Side Yard includes three mixed-use buildings, totaling 213 residential units. The name “North Side Yard” and the stacked timber architectural elements pay homage to the community’s beginnings in the lumber industry.
The site for Urbane424 is conveniently located in downtown Burlington only blocks from the Mississippi River with access to many local establishments. This 5+-story mixed-use building features 52 residential units, a combination of studio, 1 bedroom, and 2 bedroom units, along with over 3,100 square feet of commercial space. Two former buildings, including one owned by the City of Burlington, were purchased and demolished to make space for this beautiful new development. The project was awarded Iowa Economic Development Association's Workforce Housing Tax Credits and Iowa Brownfield/Grayfield Redevelopment Tax Credits.
Features of Urbane424 include a building front with an urban street space and also quieter urban green space for a variety of living options. A courtyard facing units also capture specific views of the Mississippi River and bridge. Public green space is created in the open courtyard concept and extends the pedestrian zones of the city and to stitch this project into the vibrant activity of downtown. Micro retail spaces provide frequent points of entry for pedestrian activity with the opportunity for new retail ventures to start-up in smaller footprints.
Located in the up-and-coming Lincoln Park neighborhood in Duluth, MN, Urbane218 is a 4-story mixed-use building on the site of the old Esmond Building (formerly the historic Seaway Hotel). This project will include 45 residential units including studio, 1-bedroom, and 2-bedrooms, and over 4,000 square feet of commercial space including micro-retail and retail spaces.
A mixed-use building at this location strengthens the edge of the W Superior St and stitches into the vibrant activity of the district. Merge is working with the city of Duluth to develop a beautiful, new, safe, and supportive place for residents at the Esmond site.
Alto Station is a residential housing development located above the newly constructed City Transit Center in the heart of downtown Eau Claire. The project includes 88 residential units, including: studios, one and two-bedroom units. The development team worked with the City of Eau Claire to conceptualize this public-private partnership that is in large part funded by a Federal TIGER Grant. The final building plans include a residential lobby, leasing office, bike storage, and a residential rooftop amenity.
Maintaining the musical theme for our Eau Claire properties, Alto is a range of pitches within musical harmony. Our team found the term fitting because the “hum” of transit traffic is part of the chorus of city noise. The team added “Station” because of the transit use on the ground floor. The definition of “Station” is a regular stopping place on a public transportation route, especially one on a railroad line with a platform and often one or more buildings.
Valo is a mixed-use development located adjacent to the Drake University campus in Des Moines, IA. This five-story, 110,000 sq ft mixed-use building east of Drake University will be Phase 1 of a project that will eventually conclude with the development of the southern half of the block along University Avenue (Phase 2). The building will include 116 residential units and ~11,200 sq ft of commercial space on the ground floor along Carpenter Avenue, which will include micro-retail units that will support entrepreneurial activity in the area. The dwelling units will be available in five different sizes: studio, studio plus, one-bedroom, one-bedroom plus, and 2-bedrooms.
This project was conceptualized through a collaborative effort with Drake University and the City of Des Moines. Merge entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Drake University in 2021. An Urban Renewal Development Agreement was entered into between the City of Des Moines and Merge, LLC in March 2022. The land and buildings were purchased from Drake University in May 2022. The buildings were razed in Summer 2023 in preparation for the construction.
Expertly placed near Cedar Fall’s thriving downtown district, Arabella invites you to live, work, and play in a luxurious setting. Imagine a home where everything you desired was close at hand, from craft brewpubs and local dining to retail shops and a vibrant nightlife. A home at the center of the Cedar Falls downtown district, overlooking the Cedar River, with exceptional access to Highway 218 and Highway 58, everything just minutes away. That place is Arabella.
Art Bloc Project is a 72-unit mixed residential and commercial development located in the up-and-coming Arts District in Waterloo, Iowa. The site is located on the riverfront overlooking an amphitheater, providing amazing views of the river and surrounding Arts District. The 85-foot building will adds to the skyline and visual interest of downtown Waterloo, becoming a visible landmark for the district.
