Siebert Lutheran Foundation plans to move its office from Brookfield to the SoHi Building at 27th and Wells streets in Milwaukee’s Avenues West neighborhood.
The move comes as city officials and several business leaders working in the Menomonee Valley and on the city’s Near West Side have targeted the neighborhood for redevelopment as part of the Near West Side Partners initiative.
The SoHi Building, 758 N. 27th St., is a three-story mixed use commercial property, with retail on the first floor. Siebert will occupy a total of 4,000 square feet on the second and third floors of the building. Those floors and the elevator lobby of the building will be renovated. The parking lot on the south end of the building will be extended.
Daddy’s Soul Food & Grille currently operates in one of the two retail spaces on the first floor. The second space is available for lease.
“The Near West Side is thrilled to welcome Siebert Lutheran Foundation,” said Keith Stanley, executive director of Near West Side Partners. “We are tremendously excited by the foundation’s leadership and vision in deciding to invest in this vibrant and growing neighborhood.”
The SoHi Building is owned by real estate developer Hennessy Group, Inc. The Siebert Lutheran Foundation spent 18 months searching for a new location in the city of Milwaukee. Jack Jacobson, principal, NAI MLG Commercial, brokered the deal.
For Siebert, the new office means being closer to many of its funded ministries; 70 percent of the group’s funding serves Lutheran churches and ministries in Milwaukee.
“Moving to the city of Milwaukee is significant for Siebert,” said Kurt Bechthold, chairperson of Siebert Lutheran Foundation’s Board of Directors. “This will be the first time our offices have been located in the city. Being on the Near West Side makes us more accessible to those ministries and confirms our commitment to having a positive impact in the city of Milwaukee.”
Siebert, which has four employees, is currently located at 300 N. Corporate Dr. in Brookfield.
