The Crowne Plaza hotel on Washington Ave in Madison has a new look and a new name thanks to our Kraemer Brothers crew. The old Crowne Plaza was in desperate need of some upgrades and a face lift. KB crews updated the lobby area, entrance, rooms, corridors and gave the exterior a new and more modern look.

North Central Group purchased the building with the intent to transition it to a Hilton DoubleTree hotel. Our crews started demolition in March 2020 and the DoubleTree employees held their unveiling of the new renovations to the public on November 11, 2020.

Everyone has been anxiously awaiting the finalization of one of Kraemer Brother’s largest and most unique projects. Promega R&D will be completed by the end of this year and the Promega staff is chomping at the bit to start using their new facility. They created a walk-through video in November to familiarize their staff with the various rooms and utilization of some of the more unique spaces designed for R&D. Scientists are making the labs ready for equipment and landscaping is nearly complete. Some fun facts you may not know about this building are that it has been labeled the “most unique research facility in the world regarding design and sustainability features” as stated in Promega’s video. Included in that unique design are 1.9 miles of cable used on the “floating” walkway bridges (shown below) and the safety rails. This cable was used not just to provide safety but to also allow as much natural light to circulate through the building as possible. All of R&D’s sustainable construction adds up to 2M kilowatts of power, equivalent to, 1.6 billion pounds of coal, or 600,000 gallons of gas – enough to heat 250 single family homes. With its sustainable design, Promega can offset 1500 metric tons of CO2 and reduce their energy usage by 68%. So don’t think Promega R&D is just another pretty building; it emanates form and function.

The glass and brick building with all the angles in Deforest right off the I-90/94 on-ramp on Hwy 19 is ready for action. Heritage employees started moving office essentials into their new office building the second week of December 2020. Computer technicians were hooking up equipment throughout the building, desks were being adorned with mouse pads, keyboards, and various personal paraphernalia used by employees to customize their new work spaces. There were even coffee pots in the break areas ready and waiting to hit the ground running for the first day of conducting business in the new building.

Our latest project with both River Ridge School District and FEH Design began when Kraemer Brothers broke ground on February 27 at the site just off Highway 18 in Patch Grove, WI. The $9.5 million referendum passed in November 2016, a decision that is allowing the district to consolidate all K-12 students at one location. The Bloomington school location, which has become significantly inefficient, will close once the project is complete in November 2017. The district has been working with Kraemer Brothers for nearly four years, making it an exciting time for us, the district, the community, and FEH Design to finally see the construction begin. The bulk of the project consists of a 28,000-square-foot addition that will include eight new classrooms, a competition-sized gym, and locker rooms. A significant amount of MEP work will occur throughout the current facility as well. A few components of the MEP system are still the original components from the 1959 construction of the school and are no longer efficient to operate. For the first several weeks, an extensive amount of site work is necessary to prep before the work on the addition can begin.

Attention to detail at Catalent has been the most important factor in keeping the project flowing smoothly for our team and client. Due to the degree of importance in their lab work, Catalent has strict safety and clean room standards that must be met by Kraemer Brothers and our subcontractors at all times throughout the site. The protocols ensure the project creates minimal disruptions to Catalent’s production and most importantly, keeps all construction workers and Catalent employees safe. Within this 7,000 SF interior buildout area, crews will be setting the interior support steel for the new mezzanine and gantry, along with starting MEPs, in early March. Kraemer Brothers has also been remodeling the existing clean rooms we built in 2012. On the exterior 12,000 SF addition, structural steel work was completed as of February 24th, 2017.

Kraemer Development Building has been transformed from a parking lot at the Wisconsin Trade Center into a new multi-tenant center in less than a year. With underground parking and two stories of mixed-use space, tenants are moving in and opening for business as Kraemer Brothers finishes up interior work at 8391 Greenway Boulevard. Kraemer Brothers has completed the shell of the new Kraemer Development Building in Middleton, while some work continues inside. Ongoing at the site are build-outs for tenants, including Robertson Plastic Surgery on the second floor that will be completed and turned over on March 3. Work will soon begin on another build-out at a currently unoccupied first floor space. One tenant already open for business in the building is Studio 262, a hair salon at the West end. Zoup, a soup and sandwich shop at the East end is slated to open February 6. This building is the newest addition to the Greenway Station development area in Middleton, in which Kraemer Brothers has completed several hotel, office and retail projects over the last few decades.

Also completed near the start of 2017 was a third project for client Neesvig’s at their Meat Processing & Distribution Center in Windsor, WI. This 12,050 square foot addition and 2,400 square foot remodel is an expansion allowing Neesvig’s to relocate their Empire Operations from Milwaukee to Windsor, which will put their two operations under the same roof. The renovations and addition consisted of a dock, production space, cooler and freezer space. Congratulations to the entire team at Neesvig’s!

In the quiet morning hours of Sunday, November 6 Kraemer Brothers removed the tower crane that has been of crucial importance to the site since the project began in the fall of 2015. In order to complete this feat safely and in one day, it was necessary to close off Webster Street between East Washington Avenue and East Mifflin Street. Since the removal of the crane, Kraemer Brothers has been able to complete the upper roof, with the ninth floor terrace roof soon to follow. As of November 11 the building was weather-tight, with crews working to have the structure entirely enclosed by the New Year after window installation has been completed. The finished hotel will have 165 guest rooms and two levels of underground parking. The focal point will be an elegant lounge and outdoor patio that will occupy the top two floors and provide a stunning, one-of-a-kind view of Lake Monona, Lake Mendota and the State Capitol – a must-see when the project is complete!

American Players Theatre (APT) Up-The-Hill Amphitheatre campus will have a new look in the spring of 2017. Many improvements to the campus are occurring simultaneously this fall including a new 8,000 SF rehearsal building, a new 6,500 SF clubhouse and 8,000 SF in renovations of the dressing rooms and outdoor stage. Careful planning by the project team is necessary, as the majority of the work will take place over the winter months. Construction will be continuing into the spring as the cast begins preparations for their outdoor season, requiring precise scheduling so as to accomplish as much as possible and not interrupt the daily operations of APT.

Our first hotel project with a new client is on schedule to open just in time for the heart of the 2017 tourist season in the Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton area. By next summer, just off Wisconsin Dells Parkway in Lake Delton, there will be a new four-story, 61,000 SF Hampton Inn & Suites with 100 rooms and an indoor pool.

Completed in August, St. Cecilia Catholic Church now stands as the tallest building in Wisconsin Dells. The church itself is a tall structure at 60 feet, but the bell tower takes the cake at 92 feet. While we are honored to have built such a towering and prominent structure in the area, it is humbling to regard the piece of history Kraemer Brothers has contributed to the Catholic community, the town and the tourists. Building on the 113-year history and looking down the road another century; to think of the services, weddings, funerals, baptisms and more that will take place within this new church is truly something to comprehend. The finishing touches, which occurred the first week in August, included installation of the altar woodwork, the pews and other miscellaneous decorative pieces that had adorned the old church. Kraemer Brothers masonry and finish carpentry accented by the intricate painting, the century-old stained glass windows, copper doors and altar woodwork makes one question whether they are in the Wisconsin Dells or a cathedral in Rome. And if you’re curious how many bricks make up this fortress – an astounding 172,000 bricks and 400 tons of masonry mortar.

A public dedication was held on August 28 at 2:30pm following the first Mass in the new church. This Solemn Mass of Dedication event lived up to its hype, as an estimated 1,500 people crowded into the new church for the three hour mass. In a church that seats 1,000, the spillover of people filled hallways, stood around the perimeter, and sat on folding chairs in the entryway, all eager to partake in the landmark event. Following the mass even more people joined in for the food, the band and fun festivities that took place outdoors to celebrate the conclusion of a project that began as a dream for the congregation 14 years prior. Congratulations to the entire project team and especially, the Catholic community of the Wisconsin Dells area!

PHOTO CREDIT: ST. CECLILIA CATHOLIC CHURCH