The Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center in downtown Milwaukee may now be converted into multi-family housing, a departure from previous plans to turn it into a hotel. Building permit applications filed with the city state that the building, located at 790 N. Van Buren St., would be renovated for multi-family uses on all three floors.
The Humphrey Scottish Rite Masonic Center in downtown Milwaukee may now be converted into multi-family housing, a departure from previous plans to turn it into a hotel.
Building permit applications filed with the city state that the building, located at 790 N. Van Buren St., would be renovated for multi-family uses on all three floors. The application provides an estimated construction cost of $6 million for the project.
The 165,400-square-foot former Masonic Center was built in 1889, and is owned by an affiliate of Madison-based investor Ascendant Holdings LLC. Ascendant purchased the building in 2017 for $3.5 million, according to city records. It is currently listed for sale.
The project architect, according to the building permit application, is Milwaukee-based Ramlow/Stein Inc.
Eric Nordeen, principal of Ascendant, declined to comment on the latest plans.
Ascendant previously pursued a hotel project there. Its plans involved repurposing the building's meeting space for a hotel lobby and event room, and adding floors for additional hotel rooms.
Ascendant recently sold another downtown Milwaukee building that it owned, the Wells Building, to a New Jersey-based data center owner and developer for $7.25 million. The buyer, an affiliate of fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty LLC, is using it as a data center.
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