Breakwater 233 celebrates LEED certification and completion of walkway

RACINE, WI — A gathering at 233 Lake Avenue in downtown Racine was held on Thursday, September 4, to celebrate the completion of a brand new walkway and green space at the Breakwater 233 development, as well as the project’s Silver LEED Certification.

Breakwater 233 is a five-story apartment building complex developed by Hovde Properties, which broke ground in February 2023 and began leasing in September 2024. The public walkway was Phase 2 of the project and provides new public access that links downtown to the lakefront.

“Anyone from the public is welcome to come here and enjoy the day,” said Eric Burns, Vice President of Property Management for Hovde Properties.

Breakwater walkways connect downtown to the lake

The area just south of the Breakwater 233 apartment building includes two wide walkways that stretch from Lake Avenue (near 3rd Street) down to the Reefpoint Marina, with green space in between. And security lighting will provide good visibility at night.

Randy Guenther, President, Hovde Properties, said the end result of the entire project is a space that not only the residents, but the public can also enjoy. He explained that the west end of the walkway, where folks were standing for the ceremony, would have been 30 feet down (prior to development).

“By being able to make this connection and make this a priority in our development, this is something that everybody can enjoy and it will really continue to enhance the whole downtown experience,” Guenther said.

Racine Mayor Cory Mason Hovde Properties and general contractor CG Schmidt for the vision to create better connections from Main Street down to the water.

“This is a space that hasn’t been open to the public in a very long time,” said Mason as he addressed the crowd.

LEED Certification

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications are awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council. The Breakwater 233 project has been awarded Silver LEED Certification, something Guenther is proud of.

“We don’t see a lot of apartment buildings getting LEED Certifications, so that was a new challenge for us,” he said.

As the project began, Guenther recalled discussions with the Mayor about making the development sustainable.

“Something that was both going to be a community asset, but also helping to protect the environment, and making that a priority,” he said.

Guenther explained some of the ways in which that was achieved, including the installation of about 120 solar panels on the roof.

Since opening last September, Guenther pointed out that the solar array has created enough power to power 724,000 miles for electric power charging; 3.1 million miles on a segue and about 114 tons of CO emissions have been reduced.

Ultimately, Guenther said the sustainability features have helped to save money in the building, which allows for it to be more affordable in terms of energy and rent costs.

The Mayor praised the partnership between the city and Hovde Properties. Not only for the building itself but also for the connection from downtown to the harbor.

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