After Neutral broke ground on The Edison in June 2025, the mixed-use project received significant hype as the tallest mass-timber building in the United States.
However, Neutral paused work on the project in September as a temporary measure to reduce costs and optimize the budget amid tariff and inflation pressures, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
In November, C.D. Smith removed the site’s construction crane and filed a lien in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, claiming it was owed $10.1 million, the outlet reported.
If foreclosure is granted, C.D. Smith could take ownership of the parcel and sell it to another developer, according to the newspaper. The outlet also reported that the property has an overdue property tax bill exceeding $43,000.
The impact of tariffs may have played a role. The National Association of Home Builders reported that the U.S. imports one-third of the lumber it consumes, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Eighty-five percent of that product comes from Canada.
Last August, just before Neutral halted construction, the U.S. Commerce Department more than doubled its duties on Canadian lumber from 6.74% to 14.63%. As a result of that action, countervailing and anti-dumping duties on Canadian lumber jumped from 14.5% to 35%, according to the NAHB.
Still, it’s hard to know if tariffs were the only issue that halted construction. Before the Edison project, Neutral had successfully developed multifamily projects. In Madison, Wisconsin, for example, the firm built the 206-unit Bakers Place project. Each apartment features exposed mass timber, a controlled microclimate and designer interiors.
https://www.multifamilydive.com/news/mass-timber-apartments-neutral-lumber-tariffs/815337/