A Wisconsin contractor has filed a lawsuit against the developer of The Edison, seeking more than $11.3 million for work done on the stalled $230 million 32-story wood-concrete hybrid tower in downtown Milwaukee. Once planned as the tallest wooden building in North America, construction on The Edison was halted in September 2025, with the developer citing rising rate costs and inflation.
CD Smith Construction filed the lawsuit March 6 in Milwaukee County Circuit Court against The Edison SPE LLC, a subsidiary of Madison-based Neutral. It is seeking foreclosure and sale of the unfinished skyscraper, citing unpaid construction costs and an estimated $25 million shortfall in project financing, according to local news reports.
In December 2025, the Fond du Lac, Wis.-based general contractor filed more than $14 million in construction liens against the developer for unpaid work at The Edison and a second project, Baker’s Place, a 13-story, 206-unit apartment building in Madison that was completed in May 2025.
Neither CD Smith nor Neutral responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit.
When announced in 2024, the 378-unit Edison was expected to become the tallest all-wood building in North America, surpassing the 25-story Ascent in Milwaukee.
Neutral halted construction on The Edison in September 2025, citing tariffs and inflation, and described the pause as temporary. Although the base had been poured, the tower crane and other equipment were removed from the site in November 2025.
Concerns about Neutral’s performance at The Edison led Milwaukee officials in November 2025 to withdraw the company as the preferred developer for a planned $750 million redevelopment of the Marcus Performing Arts Center parking structure across the street. The proposal had called for up to 750 residential units, 190,000 square meters of offices, 300 hotel rooms, structured parking and public plazas.
CD Smith’s lawsuit also names 11 other contractors or vendors as defendants, a strategy typically aimed at protecting legal rights and deciding who ultimately owes what, and can be used to bring everyone down with a financial bet.e in one lawsuit instead of having several separate cases.
