Neutral’s 1005 N Edison Timber High-Rise Sees Halt as Costs Surge

The Neutral 1005 N Edison St (The Edison), a 31-story residential tower that was under development to become the tallest mass timber structure in the United States and possibly one of the tallest hybrid timber buildings globally, has been placed on temporary hold as escalating costs and tariff pressures force the developer to pause and re-evaluate its design.

Located along the Milwaukee River at 1005 North Edison Street, the structure’s foundations have been completed and initial structural elements were in progress when work came to a standstill. The developer has attributed the pause not to technical or engineering failures, but to financial strain: rising construction costs, inflation, and recent U.S. tariffs have pushed budgets beyond feasibility.

The developer ais now collaborating with a general contractor to undertake a “value-engineering and cost-cutting” review of the project components. Suspension is intended to be temporary, with the goal of resuming work under a revised, financially realistic scope.  The site will be maintained in the interim, and completed portions will be protected from damage until construction resumes. Milwaukee Alderman Robert Bauman remarked that the pause may lead to a downscaling of the original plan—possibly altering height, facade features, amenities, or material finishes, to realign with more conservative cost projections.

Despite the pause, some administrative activity continues. Permit applications like plumping applications were filed in September, and the developer remains on local government agendas for zoning and special use requests. Whether the project will resume at full scale or in a reduced form depends on the outcome of cost redesign and value-engineering efforts.

Construction of large-scale mass timber towers is still in early phases globally, and the Edison project had been poised to set a benchmark in North America. It would surpass Milwaukee’s existing Ascent building, which currently holds the regional record for mass timber height at 25 stories (approximately 284 ft / 86.6 m).