Aurora Health Care will spend $50 million to create a health and wellness center on the near west side of Milwaukee.
The health and wellness hub, called The Beacon, will offer physical, mental and social wellness programs for individuals and families, Aurora announced on Tuesday. The Beacon will be located in the former Wisconsin Avenue School, located at 2708 W. Wisconsin Ave. Aurora aims to begin construction work in spring 2026 to redevelop the space for a spring 2027 opening.
The site for The Beacon is across the street from the site where the state of Wisconsin is seeking development proposals for a mixed-use building that would include space for the state’s offices currently located in downtown Milwaukee.
Aurora is part of Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit health system in the U.S.
“In Milwaukee, there is a 13-year life expectancy gap between those in the near west side and the northeast side — two communities located just five miles apart,” said Rayna Andrews, managing director of The Beacon. “We are committed to changing that. The Beacon will help further address our neighbors’ most pressing needs under one roof — removing barriers to care by creating pathways for individuals and families to improve their lives.”
The Beacon will provide access to experts and programs on prenatal and postnatal virtual care, violence prevention, eviction support and housing assistance, fresh food access, chronic disease prevention, early childhood education programming and more, according to a news release.
The programming will be developed based on community input. So far, more than 200 neighbors and 40 community organizations have participated in 14 community listening sessions. There will be additional listening sessions in the coming months.
“Everybody deserves the opportunity to achieve physical, mental and social wellness, and have the resources available in their own neighborhood,” Andrews said.
Aurora joined Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, Molson Coors and Potawatomi Ventures to found Near West Side Partners in 2014. NWSP is a nonprofit working to make Milwaukee’s near west side “a great place to live, work, play and stay,” according to its website.
“As one of our five founding anchor institutions, Aurora Health Care understands our vision for the near west side and the transformational and catalytic effect this development will have on the surrounding neighborhood,” said Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, executive director of Near West Side Partners. “This mixed-use, community wellness-focused development would continue the momentum generated by Concordia 27, furthering NWSP’s plans for 27th Street to become a collaborative health and wellness corridor and advance the Near West Side Comprehensive Plan.”
Advocate Health’s National Center for Clinical and Community Impact “will expand evidence-based practices to address care gaps and enhance health outcomes for all” through The Beacon’s efforts in Milwaukee, according to the news release.
Aurora plans to maintain the “historic integrity” of the building while reimagining the interior space to meet program and service needs, according to the news release. Aurora is working to change the site’s deed restriction with the City of Milwaukee so the project can move ahead.
Milwaukee developer Rick Wiegand had previously planned to convert the former Wisconsin Avenue School into a hotel.
