Many of the same firms that worked on the 32-story Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons project, completed in 2017, are back to work on the company’s $500 million transformation of its North Office Building at its headquarters campus in downtown Milwaukee.
Located at 818 E. Mason St., the 18-story building will be rebuilt and will replicate its Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons at 805 E. Mason St. Northwestern Mutual will be recladding the parking structure to the west of the building to fit in with the rest of the campus, according to Rebecca Villegas, vice president, compliance, at Northwestern Mutual.
Northwestern Mutual announced Tuesday the project team, featuring a blend of local and national firms, and held an information session for around 180 construction-related businesses to learn about the bidding process.
New Haven, Connecticut-based Pickard Chilton will be joined by Houston-based Kendall/Heaton to serve as the architectural team. The two firms collaborated on the design for the Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons.
Northwestern Mutual also selected Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane Building Co. in partnership with Milwaukee’s CG Schmidt Inc. as the general contractor and construction manager, a press release says. These two also worked together on the Tower and Commons project.
“Any construction project will have some unique challenges, but I think we have the benefit of working with the same team, largely, that we had with the tower and commons,” Villegas told BizTimes.
“It’s a privilege to collaborate with Northwestern Mutual once more in re-envisioning their downtown campus and fostering a thriving employee environment,” said Rick Schmidt, CEO and chairman of CG Schmidt. “We cherish the opportunity to leave an indelible mark on our city’s skyline and contribute to its continued evolution.”
Milwaukee-based Eppstein Uhen Architects will provide interior design services.
Houston-based Hines will serve as the project’s development manager and advise on all facets of the project from design and budget through construction and move-in, the release says. The company filled a similar role for the Tower and Commons project and is also building a 31-story apartment tower in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward. Hines was also the development manager for Northwestern Mutual’s 7Seventy7 apartment tower development in downtown Milwaukee.
Northwestern Mutual also announced that Cross Management Services, a Milwaukee business management company, will recruit small business enterprises (SBEs) and city residents to be involved in the project. The release says that Northwestern Mutual has committed to use SBEs for at least 25% of construction and supply costs and at least 18% of professional services costs on the construction of the project.
The company is also adopting the city’s Residents Preference Program (RPP) to hire unemployed and underemployed residents for at least 40% of total onsite construction worker hours.
Further, the company is working with the City of Milwaukee Office of Equity and Inclusion to ensure that subcontractors represent different groups such as minority-owned businesses, veteran-owned businesses or women-owned businesses.
As part of the deal for the $30 million in tax incremental financing Northwestern Mutual is receiving for the project, the company plans to have 5,375 employees working at its downtown campus upon its completion.
“We want to create a campus that people want to be a part of, and when we are all together we are connected,” Villegas said. “At the heart of this modern campus, it’s about bringing people together, serving as a hub for our field members across the country.”
“We’ve assembled a team that strikes a wonderful balance of world-renowned talent and local expertise for the modernization of our North Office Building,” said Villegas. “Most of this team had the opportunity to work together to transform Milwaukee’s skyline through our Tower and Commons project, and we are excited to once again draw on their experience and expertise to double down on our commitment to Northwestern Mutual employees and to Milwaukee.”
Additional sub-contractors will be determined in the coming months as project construction could begin as early as fall 2023, with potential occupancy in 2027.
Bid packages for “A” trades, which includes  cranes and demolition, among others, are available in July. Bid packages for “B” trades will be available in November and bids for the interior spaces will be available in the second quarter of 2024, project leaders said.
