North Shore’s North End Transformation

Future North Shore Bank branch. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.

North Shore Bank, through its contractors, continues to make steady progress in the redevelopment of a 90-year-old house into a modern bank branch.

Located at 510 E. Pleasant St., the project will merge old and new to create an 1,800-square-foot branch.

The house, which was constructed in 1930, according to the Wisconsin Historical Society, will be used as the bank’s front door, while a glassy addition is being attached on the building’s western edge 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 is being constructed on the east side of the house necessitating the demolition of the home’s eastern wing. Plans for the addition include a staircase.

The new branch will be located immediately south of the Shorewest Realtors downtown office and New Land Enterprises’ Rhythm apartment building. The juxtaposition of the Shorewest office and bank branch is starting to take shape, with the brickwork looking similar on a dreary Friday afternoon, but the architectural styles are quite divergent.

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 allowing for service seven days a week (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 suburban 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

November Photos

Pre-Construction