North Shore Plans Unique Downtown Bank
89-year-old house getting converted into modern bank branch on Pleasant and Water.
Construction for North Shore Bank at 510 E. Pleasant St. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
North Shore Bank is transforming an 89-year-old house into a modern bank branch on the north end of downtown Milwaukee.
The bank will open a 1,800-square-foot branch at 510 E. Pleasant St., just east of N. Water St. The new branch will mix a modern office building with a historic home currently on the site.
The house, which was constructed in 1930 according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, would be used as the bank’s front door, while a glassy addition will be built to its west overlooking N. Water St.
Plunkett Raysich Architects is designing the new branch. Pierce Engineering is providing engineering service. Pinnacle Construction is leading the general contracting.
A small garage at the site’s eastern edge was demolished in favor of what will become a surface parking lot. A small addition, planned to include a staircase, will also be built on the east side of the house necessitating demolition of the home’s eastern wing.
The bank first unveiled plans for the branch in October 2018. “This is an excellent opportunity to serve customers with a state-of-the-art bank office in an exciting, growing downtown neighborhood,” said Susan T. Doyle, North Shore Bank’s senior vice president of retail banking, in the bank’s announcement.
The new branch will include a full-service staff, remote video teller to allow seven days a week service (70 hours per week), self-serve coin counter and video conference capabilities with other bank personnel. A walk-up ATM/video teller will be included on the building’s exterior.
“Our branch design reflects and respects the neighborhood around it, and we anticipate a great deal of foot traffic at this location,” Doyle said. “There will, of course, be free, easy, and convenient lot parking for our customers who do drive. Ultimately, this office will enhance the neighborhood experience, and we are excited to welcome everyone inside.”
North Shore Bank, which is headquartered in the western suburb of Brookfield, has 44 offices throughout Wisconsin and northeast Illinois. The bank traces its roots back to the creation of the North Shore Building and Loan Association in 1923 in Shorewood.
The bank acquired the site in 2016 for $375,000 according to city records. Construction began in July.
Photos
Renderings
Pre-Construction
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It’s telling that Pleasant Street is now considered to be within downtown. I’m old enough (68) to remember when downtown was centered along (and a few blocks either side of) East and West Wisconsin.
Jeramey, I concur with Transit Rider, not just in his memory, but regarding current neighborhood designation. This location is clearly within the Lower East Side and is not, “on the north end of downtown.”
I refer you to the City’s neighborhood map as well as the longtime acceptance of Juneau as the northern border of the Downtown neighborhood. One could make a case for McKinley being the new northern border of the downtown west of the River, but that does not alter the new bank location, as well as the entire North End development, as being well within the boundaries of the Lower East Side. It is more connected to Brady Street than it is to downtown.
Maybe, “just north of downtown,” would have been right.
@Keith – You are correct, by the city’s official map (which we use to categorize articles and sort photos) this is within the Lower East Side. That distinction happens at Ogden. I had intended north end as a subtle reference to the nearby apartment complex.
If memory serves, John Gurda considers Pleasant St. to be the southern boundary of Brady St neighborhood.
Using that map, NSB would definitely be Lower East side.
However N Water St development has changed the area so much, I understand why it could be thought of as “downtown”, or North End as it is marketed.
Interesting article, thanks.