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Working with local architects from Kahler Slater, Salt Lake City’s Lotus Company is proposing to create two mixed-use buildings on the Essen Haus site, bringing 198 apartments to downtown Madison, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

The company said the apartments would be aimed at service workers, nurses and teachers and would be mainly one- and two-bedroom units. All apartments for the East Wilson Street development would be open to people earning between 30% and 80% of the area median income.

Lotus is pursuing low-income housing tax credits from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority for the more than $40 million development.

Like the previous project proposed for the site, the plan would preserve the Hotel Ruby Marie. It also calls for an alley between the two apartment buildings, 120 parking stalls and about 6,000 square feet of retail space, which could include a restaurant.

After earning the requisite city approvals, Lotus would break ground next summer and complete the project in 2029.

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RSK: The fifth time? I am sure the city will find something wrong that if fixed would hurt the bottom line and make the project a no go.....hoping I am wrong on this.

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We offer the experience, quality and service you deserve, but with the personal attention and dedication that only a family business can provide. We’re not just your landlord, we’re partners in your success.

Some deals are measured in SF. The best ones are measured in what they bring to the community.

I'm honored to be named a CoStar Power Broker Q2 2026 Quarterly Deals winner, recognizing the top retail leasing deal in the Milwaukee/Madison market: Sushi Lover at 7-9 W. Main St., Madison, WI.

This one is special for a reason beyond the award. It's on the Capitol Square and it brings another vibrant restaurant to our downtown core. Rokuaji Asian Bistro will add energy to the block, create jobs, and give locals and visitors another reason to gather downtown. That's the artistry of retail brokerage: matching the right concept with the right space so both thrive.

Awards recognize the closing. What they don't show are the tours, negotiations, creative problem-solving, and the relationships built along the way. That's the part I love most.

Thank you to CoStar for the recognition, and congratulations to Rokuaji Asian Bistro on their new home. Madison, get ready!

Here's to more great tenants finding their place in our downtown core.

The #CREi LinkedIn/Twitter/Instagram Top Influencers in Commercial Real Estate

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RSK: Congrats to one of our very own, Heather Ewing who received these national recognition awards.

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The Madison Office Lifestyle Portfolio consists of 13 Class A, amenity-rich office properties ranging in size from approximately 25,000 square feet to over 300,000 square feet and is home to more than 130 tenants. The portfolio is located on the west side of Madison and Middleton, with the majority of properties situated in the Far West submarket.

MADISON, Wis. — After years of planning and construction, Madison’s new purpose-built men’s homeless shelter is just weeks away from opening its doors.

The facility at 1904 Bartillon Drive is scheduled to open Sept. 1. The public got a first look inside Monday during an open house, seeing the new sleeping areas, private spaces, kitchen and other amenities designed for shelter guests.

But while the new $27 million facility is intended to provide a more dignified and service-focused approach to homelessness, it will also have significantly fewer beds than the current shelter on Zeier Road...

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RSK: I hope they will use it and have some sort of mental health services there as well.

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“At Investors Associated, we make it easy for brokers to match clients with well?managed, high?quality spaces. Our team prioritizes clear communication, quick turnaround times, and a seamless leasing experience. Partner with us to provide your clients with properties backed by dependable service and long?term value.”

ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. office vacancy is expected to remain steady through 2026 before beginning a gradual decline, according to a revised forecast from CoStar, the leading global provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.

National office vacancy continued to retreat in the second quarter of 2026, dropping slightly below 14% and shifting 30 basis points below its mid-2025 record peak. Between July 2025 and June 2026, office suppliers occupied 17 million square feet of net new space, which was only the second sustained period of positive net absorption since 2020.

Net absorption is expected to be 13 million square feet in 2026 and five million square feet in 2027, a downgrade from the previous forecast, which anticipated annual net absorption of 17 million square feet and six million square feet, respectively...   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Again a bit of good news. Seems Ai is taking some jobs away, but companies are looking for more space per individual. Will that trend continue?

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Wayfair Inc. has added another state to its growing brick-and-mortar footprint.

The digitally-native home furnishings giant will open its first store in Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh, Expected to open in 2027, the 95,000-sq.-ft. store will be located at North Hills Village, a regional shopping center right outside of the city’s downtown.

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RSK: If you have a vacant retail space or one coming up and are willing to let Wayfair remodel, I would certainly get on their list for expansion.

2026 Annual CBG Golf Outing • September 2 • The Oaks
    Wednesday, September 2, 2026
    10 AM
    The Oaks Golf Course

Make your plans now to attend the 29th Commercial Brokers Group Scholarship Golf Outing. This fun-filled afternoon will include 18 holes of golf, prizes, lunch, dinner and drink tickets. You can set up your own foursome or we’ll happily assign you to one.

We’re offering a purchase option which includes a 4-some and hole sponsorship!

There will also be sponsorship opportunities including the bloody mary bar, lunch, dinner, beverage, raffle items and items for golf cart goodie bags. Please reach out if you would like to be a sponsor or donate raffle items. Email: info@cbgmadison.com

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Since 1971, St. John Properties has designed, developed, and managed spaces that fit every type of business. Our team anticipates and serves the needs of over 2,700 clients, including small, mid-sized, and large companies, nationwide.

Mid-summer sales events and early back-to-school deals gave a boost to retail sales in July, which rose for the 10th consecutive month.

Core retail sales (excluding restaurants, auto dealers and gas stations) inched up 0.3% month over month in July and were 4.72% year over year, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation. That compared with increases of 0.36% month over month and 10.08% year over year in June.

Retail sales gains in July were led by digital products, such as electronic books and games. Sales declined in four categories: electronics and appliance stores; furniture and home furnishings stores; building and garden supply stores; and sporting goods; and hobby, music and book stores.   ...Full Story Here

RSK: Good news for your retail clients. Should be up again next month as back to school sales come rolling in.

CARW Deal of the Year Awards and Annual Meeting

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With over 350 experienced real estate professionals, Knight Barry provides exceptional support and service. Visit our website for more information about our 50+ commercial and residential offices throughout Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota.

MADISON: 2450 Rimrock Road, Suite 204, 608-255-2700
CAP SQUARE: 44 E. Mifflin Street, Suite 101, 608-255-2700

Riverwood Apartments, a fully occupied 32-unit multifamily community in Mauston, has been sold to Tripp & Associates, a Janesville property management and real estate company, for $3.95 million.

CBRE Group, a commercial real estate services and investment firm, represented the seller, Riverwood Apartments LLC, in the transaction.

“Mauston has proven to be a compelling market for multifamily investment,” said Sean Beuche, a vice president in CBRE’s Milwaukee office. “The growing employment base includes full-service healthcare, manufacturers expanding their operations and significant regional tourism drawn from Wisconsin Dells, which is just 23 minutes away.”

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RSK: Well done.

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With the largest Real Estate Practice of any law firm in Wisconsin, Reinhart offers clients custom-tailored real estate insight.

As a social worker, Scott Steenbergh never seemed to be able to clock out.

"The hours were always tough," the Michigan-based investor and father of two told Business Insider. "It seemed like, no matter what, I was always required to work in the evenings, work on weekends. People were obviously in crisis, and I want to help, but I also wanted to be able to be present with my kids."

Real estate investing seemed like a possible path to more time freedom...

Scott Steenbergh turned sober-living rentals into a high-cash-flow real-estate niche.

He says the properties can produce cash-on-cash returns of 50% to 75%.

Real-estate income now covers his family's lifestyle and gives him more control of his time.

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RSK: Nice little niche, but it takes a lot more hands-on management.

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Renters in New York are paying brokers thousands of dollars for access to apartment listings that never appear on public platforms, a practice that emerged after the city banned landlords from passing broker fees to tenants in June 2025. Under the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act, the share of renters paying broker fees dropped from 31% to 15%, but publicly available inventory has fallen every month since the law took effect, including a 31% drop in June compared to the prior year. Brokers now charge one to two months’ rent upfront to show renters off-market units, effectively creating a two-tier rental market.

Apartment inventory typically rises 5.9% in June during New York’s busy rental season, but this year it declined sharply as landlords pulled units from listing sites....   ...Full Story Here

RSK: This is what happens when government intercepts the free market.

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Park Towne is a family run Madison-based real estate company serving southern Wisconsin for over 50 years. Led by second generation brothers Mike, Jim and Joe Ring, Park Towne has a portfolio of for-lease commercial properties and offers development, management and brokerage services.

The extended stay category has long been considered the darling of the hotel industry. Now, a rapidly expanding demand opportunity for the category is adding fuel to a fire that hospitality players thought was burning strong on its own.  

That fuel is data center projects, which have cropped up across Texas, Virginia and Georgia over the last decade, and more recently have rapidly expanded into new and emerging U.S. markets. 

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RSK: Beware, much like gold rush days where boom towns showed up and faltered after the rush was gone.

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The industry is balancing huge growth with continuing public skepticism.

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RSK: There is a lot of money in Ai data centers. So both sides will eventually come together if there is transparency.

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Few functions in a commercial real estate organization are as consequential or as manually intensive as property tax management. For a large portfolio owner, property taxes represent one of the largest recurring operating expenses across the portfolio, governed by a patchwork of thousands of different jurisdictions, each with its own assessment methodologies, filing deadlines, appeal windows, and payment requirements. The consequences of getting it wrong range from late fees and interest to significant penalties and, in the most serious cases, liens that cloud title and complicate future transactions.

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RSK: With Ai you can and should be able to track sales of similar commercial properties and appeal your tax assessment if necessary.

	The Gialamas Company, Inc.	RFA Asset Management Madison, WI	Key Commercial Real Estate, LLC
Madison Commercial Real Estate LLC	St. John Properties	IA Management, LLC	Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate
Park Towne Realty LLC	Mullins Group, LLC	Crown Commercial	Flad Development & Investment Corp.
Evans Properties, LLC	Keller Real Estate Group		MIG Commercial Real Estate, LLC
First Weber Group, Inc - West Towne	Opitz Realty, Inc.	First Weber Group, Inc - Prairie Du Sac	Peterson Management Company Inc.
The Lenhart Company, Inc	Scott Faust & Associates	Shamrock Real Estate Services, LLC	Targa, Inc
Executive Management, Inc	Stark Commercial - East	Urban Land Interests	Slinde Realty Company
Assist-2-Sell/Pohlkamp & Associates	Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Matson Real Estate	Artisan Graham Real Estate

Hovde & Hovde, Inc

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