The underused second and third floors of the J.C. Penney Building on Historic Mitchell Street in Milwaukee may be renovated for future office use.
Steven Elkind, with Mequon-based Kesselman Real Estate, submitted an application to the city’s Historic Preservation Commission to build an addition on the 89-year-old building at 1135 W. Historic Mitchell St.
The addition would be on the east side of the building, within the existing parking lot, and include an egress, new stairs and an elevator.
Elkind represents the building’ s owner, 1125 West Mitchell Street LLC, which bought the property in January for $460,000, according to state records.
“The building has new ownership and they intend to bring back the upper floors to life,” Elkind wrote on the application. “The proposed use for the second and third floor would be office related. To be able to use the upper floors that has been underused for years.”
The 21,640-square-foot building currently has a Foot Locker store on the first floor.
Tom Vavra, owner at Vavra Design LLC, who is the architect for the project, said Elkind is in the process of securing office tenants.
If approved, construction would begin this fall, Vavra said. A representative from Kesselman Real Estate could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Historic Preservation Commission will consider the request Oct. 10.
