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Anticipating where demand will grow has always been a cornerstone of successful real estate development. Historically, this meant interpreting trends from past sales data, census reports, and anecdotal observations. Today, predictive analytics—powered by artificial intelligence—is revolutionizing how developers forecast demand with greater accuracy, speed, and confidence. Predictive analytics uses machine learning algorithms to process massive datasets and identify future tr

In the past, site selection for real estate development often depended on a combination of intuition, experience, and static data. But the pace and complexity of today’s urban and suburban growth require a more sophisticated approach. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now playing a central role in transforming how developers analyze potential sites—making the process faster, more comprehensive, and significantly more strategic.

On their face, the numbers should spell opportunity for the Milwaukee area's retail market, with vacancy rates across the metro hovering near historic lows as leasing activity holds steady and retailers jockey for limited space.

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The next major piece of Pabst Farms to be developed could include nearly 750 housing units, more than 550,000 square feet of retail and office space and 300,000 square feet of industrial space. That’s according to concept plans submitted to the City of Oconomowoc by Milwaukee-based development firm Cobalt Partners.

The first residents have begun moving into The Karrick, a newly opened, 158-unit, five-story apartment building in downtown Kenosha that marks the first completion of the sweeping redevelopment planned for the area.

Cobalt Partners and Likewise Partners are advancing plans for Loomis Crossing Technology Park in Greenfield. The park is a joint venture between the two companies and is considered a key piece of Cobalt Partners’ broader 38-acre Loomis Crossing development north of Interstate 43 and east of West Loomis Road.

A small lakeside city sandwiched between Chicago and Milwaukee has quietly become the most in-demand housing market in the US. Kenosha, Wisconsin, rose to the top of Realtor.com's December hottest housing markets list — a ranking that signals buyer demand has become so intense it has turned the market into the most competitive in the country at the end of last year.

A youth sports facility planned for Brown Deer has taken a step forward with the developer buying the project site for $3.2 million. Brown Deer Development Partners LLC, an affiliate of Cobalt Partners LLC, bought the site on North Arbon Drive, south of West Brown Deer Road, on Dec. 30.

OCONOMOWOC — Aldermen expressed much more favorable feedback Tuesday about plans for a mixed-use development on 210 acres inside Pabst Farms after the developers listened to feedback and swapped some rental units to be owner-occupied homes and condos.

It’s been a busy year for the Wisconsin construction industry, with dozens of projects starting in 2025 and carrying into 2026. Next year will involve hundreds of thousands more square feet of housing, offices and industrial space to be built, billions of dollars invested in the state’s growing number of data centers and miles of road to be repaired and expanded for thousands of motorists.

The first housing development for the Kenosha Harbor District is set to open in January, with more construction expected soon after. The Karrick, a five-story, $55 million luxury apartment building at the corner of 55th Street and Seventh Avenue in Kenosha’s downtown, is set to open Jan. 15, 2026, said Scott Yauck, founder and CEO of Milwaukee development firm Cobalt Partners.

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Asking Scott Yauck what he’s working on tends to take a while. On a recent morning, the founder and CEO of Cobalt Partners unfurled a large sheet of paper across a conference table at the commercial real estate development firm’s headquarters in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward and worked his way down a list of more than a dozen projects that the firm has in the works throughout the region. More than 30 minutes later, Yauck was finally finished.

In an investment landscape saturated with volatility and speculation, more individuals are seeking meaningful ways to grow their wealth—strategies that deliver not just returns, but results. Passive investment in real estate development offers that rare combination: financial performance with visible, lasting community impact.

When it comes to smart investing, returns aren’t the only metric that matters—what you keep after taxes is just as critical. That’s why savvy investors often look beyond traditional stocks and bonds to the tax-advantaged world of real estate partnerships. Investing in a real estate development partnership like Cobalt’s offers more than just potential cash flow and long-term appreciation. It also provides powerful tax benefits that can help investors preserve and grow wealt

For investors seeking to reduce volatility, hedge against inflation, and generate real-world impact, alternative investments have become more than a buzzword—they’re a strategic necessity. Among the most compelling of these alternatives is private real estate development. Unlike traditional equities, which can swing wildly based on market sentiment, development projects are rooted in hard assets, long-term demand drivers, and real economic activity.

For decades, traditional investing has focused on a narrow mix of publicly traded stocks and bonds. While this approach has its merits, the events of the past several years have made one thing clear: diversification into real, tangible assets is more important than ever. Enter real estate development—a historically proven investment class that offers both income and long-term appreciation, with the added benefit of backing real-world progress.