Following persistent vacancy challenges, the owner of the 310W building in Milwaukee's Westown neighborhood is considering converting a portion of the building into apartment units.
The 310W building, located at 310 W. Wisconsin Ave., is comprised of two 14-story towers connected by an atrium. The proposed project would transform half of the 624,000-square-foot property into 222 residential units, according to a "preliminary permit" filed with the City of Milwaukee on Friday. The filing did not include detailed plans.
Time Equities Inc., a New York City-based real estate investment firm that owns and operates the building, did not respond to request for comment. Cedarburg-based The Kubala Washatko Architects submitted the permit application on the company’s behalf.
Built in 1983, 310W is the city’s third-largest multi-tenant office building, but has struggled with high vacancy for several years. Even prior to the pandemic, the property was just 36% leased in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has further weakened demand for office space, especially in older buildings like 310W.
The building initially served as a hub for various state and federal government offices. However, in the years following the 9/11 attacks, many agencies relocated to facilities with enhanced security features, contributing to the vacancy challenges.
Most recently, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated two leases at the property: a 17,556-square-foot space occupied by the "Office of the Secretary," the DOGE website says, and a 10,226-square-foot lease for the National Labor Relations Board.
The conversion at 310W joins a growing list of downtown office properties set to be converted to apartments.
At the nearby Clark Building, local developer J. Jeffers & Co. is planning to convert a portion of that building to 228 apartment units. Jeffers is also planning to convert the Mitchell Building into 60 apartments. The 100 East building and a portion of the former Johnson Controls headquarters are also set to be converted to apartments.
Last month, the City of Milwaukee unveiled updated guidelines for tax incremental financing, including guidelines specifically for projects converting commercial buildings to residential uses.
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