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This story is part of “Southeastern Wisconsin’s changing landscapes: Then, now and what’s next,” a feature in the 30th anniversary issue of BizTimes Milwaukee, published on March 17. Find coverage of more areas in the region here or paid subscribers can see the full feature in the digital edition of the magazine.
Downtown Milwaukee’s skyline has changed significantly since the mid 1990s.
The area was one of many downtowns that waned several decades ago as it lost people and jobs to the suburbs, but the trend has shown considerable signs of reversal during the past 30 years.
Massive redevelopment efforts have often led the way for downtown Milwaukee’s resurgence. The former Pabst brewery complex underwent a dramatic transformation over several years and now has a mix of new uses. The Park East freeway was torn down and the corridor has been turned into the growing Deer District and “North End” of downtown – two of the city’s largest projects to date. Northwestern Mutual has invested more than a billion dollars expanding and transforming its downtown campus.
An influx of condos and luxury apartments has brought new peaks to the skyline – and a more than 20% increase in population to the downtown area.
For all the progress made, however, new struggles have emerged. The COVID-19 pandemic rattled the office market and made some buildings’ futures uncertain. A flurry of luxury apartments – and little growth in affordable and workforce housing – has brought affordability challenges to downtown residents.
In the coming years, downtown Milwaukee could enter the next era of its redevelopment if I-794 is torn down. Proponents have passionately argued the move would make way for more developable land and public space, while opponents have argued with equal zeal that the demo and increased street traffic would be catastrophic for downtown.
