Owner: Milwaukee Tool
Architect: Stephen Perry Smith Architects Inc.
Construction Partner: Mortenson
Costs: $40 million
Year Completed: 2022
Milwaukee Tool has returned to its namesake city. The Brookfield-based company has not had a city of Milwaukee address since the early ‘60s, but recently completed a renovation of the former Assurant building at 551 N. 5th St. to establish an office in downtown Milwaukee.
Passersby have already seen the exterior changes, which include the company’s logo displayed at the building’s main entrance. The logo is also found in the lobby and in the five-story atrium that’s capped by a large skylight.
The atrium is part of an interior design that opens the office and encourages interaction among employees, said Tim Brasher, senior vice president of brand marketing at Milwaukee Tool.
Other features include a second-floor commons area that leads to an outdoor all-season patio, large amphitheater-style steps from the first floor to the second floor that double as space for employee gatherings, and overhead garage doors that can be opened to expand first floor space for larger events.
Milwaukee Tool removed some office space from the building to create a more open layout where employees can see across their own floor as well as the floors above or below. Before the remodel, Brasher said you could barely see 20 feet away from where you were sitting.
Nicknamed the red beacon, the building houses 900 employees currently, which will eventually increase to about 1,200.
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